Do you know your hat etiquette?

Hats, hatinators and fascinators are a contentious subject for some mothers of the bride. If your family wedding is a more formal occasion, it’s almost certain that you’ll be looking for some sort of headwear to accessorise your outfit.

First and foremost, you must keep in mind that you’re the one wearing the hat – the hat is not wearing you. While it can be tempting to go for something a bit daring which pushes you outside of your comfort zone, you should always choose something which works with your own height and shape. Taller ladies should avoid hats which add a lot of height, unless they want to dominate the photographs and detract from the bride. More petite mothers of the bride should choose a smaller style with plenty of structure.

Etiquette suggests that hats for the mother of the groom should always be smaller than the hat of the mother of the bride. It links back to tradition, where guests should never seem to try to out-do their hosts. Since the bride’s family usually funds the wedding, this is how the rule came into play. Of course, if the families are splitting the costs equally, there’s nothing to stop the two mothers being as extravagant as each other.

Other traditional rules apply to facets like the embellishments on your headwear. Feathers, flowers and gemstones are usually placed on the right hand side of a lady’s hat or fascinator.

Tradition usually means that the longer the attendance at the big day, the larger the hat or fascinator they can wear. Don’t go overboard though – hats with very large brims are considered inappropriate for a morning or evening wedding when the sun is not out. Those attending solely the evening part of the wedding should never have a large hat.

Bear in mind photographic opportunities when choosing your headwear. A good photographer will remind everyone in shot to adjust their hats so that their faces are visible, so that when the wedding album is looked back on, all the guests can be seen in shot and remembered. A good hat should never double as a face mask!

Flamboyant hats are inappropriate for a wedding. Leave flamboyant hats for when you are attending the races.

Obviously, there is no substitute for an expert eye when it comes to matching your mother of the bride outfits to your headwear options, so why not visit Koulla at Le Chic Boutique, and discover the perfect choice for your family’s big day?