The Wide-Brimmed Floppy Hat

For those of you who asked yourselves if the wide-brimmed floppy hat would succeed in making the transition from the magazines to the streets, your questions have been answered. Given the latest street style reports from the recent fashion weeks, it seems that the 70s headgear in question has succeeded in making its comeback.

When a retro accessory makes a place for itself in the trends of a new season, one never knows how the fashionistas will take it in. Will they be inventive and reckless enough to give it a new life apart from the stereotypes surrounding it? Will they wear it as part of a total look? Will they leave it aside in favor of magazine fashions that are barely wearable?

Before deciding on what kind of wide-brimmed hat (seen in numerous magazines last summer), it is better to wait for the verdict from the street, usually delivered during the high mass of fashion, i.e. the shows. During show season, from the Manhattan sidewalks to the Parisian cobblestones, the floppy hat was the object of a veritable vote of confidence on the part of the trend deciders.

Some wore it as part of outfits recalling the looks of several 70s heroines, while others more cleverly chose to match it with a less dated dress code, thus revealing all of the accessory's potential. Most often in felt, these floppy hats, worn in 2010-mode, become the ultimate accessory capable of rendering country, minmalist, or Frenchy casual looks more romantic.

We particularly like the way in which Lauren Bastide (ELLE) weras a licorice black floppy hat with her Rykiel stripes, bringing together l'air du temps with an irresistible touch of nonchalance chic.

In other words, this ultra feminine hat with its strong retro character, should stay away from overly literal references to the 70s, and instead be worn in a contemporary mode, naturally melting into the overall look. The effortless dress duos - e.g., raw jeans/large knit pullover; trench/slims; leather leggings/denim shirt; or a-line skirt/thin sweatshirt - are given a new twist when associated with the floppy wide brimmed hat.

P.S. Judging by the last Marc Jacobs show, the fashion world's infatuation for the wide-brimmed floppy hat seems set to last.