Hats, Hats, Hats

In Minnesota, when people talk about hats, they usually mean "of the winter variety." Hats that are meant to protect your head and ears from the cold, the snow and the driving wind. But, with a mild winter that is very much behind us, apparently it's now Spring hat season! I know in other parts of the country, women wear hats to dressy events, like Easter brunch, other church services, or derby parties. I'm sure there are some women in Minnesota who do this too, but they're seriously underrepresented. Those dressy hats are marketed alongside sun hats, which are important for Minnesota girls who are headed to the beach or out into the garden!

Recently, I found myself with friends hat shopping in two different stores on two consecutive days. Here are some of the highlights!

Here's a cute straw cowboy hat. This hat wouldn't do a very effective job of keeping the sun off your face, given the open mesh weave, but it would be a great accessory for a country music festival!

I think this one would be good for a derby party, or some other outdoorsy event where you need a hat to jazz up the outfit!

This hat would be perfect for gardening. It actually reminds me of the gardening hat worn by everyone's favorite children's book character, Linnea! I think this would also be good for the beach, especially if you had a black swimsuit.

Here's another one that's definitely ready for the beach. I like the pink and I think it would warm up the skin tone of the wearer!

This one is also perfect for the beach. This photo doesn't really do the hat justice - we're looking at it upside down and from the back. Ginny actually selected this one for her upcoming trip to the beach in California and I think it will be perfect!

I also like this one for the beach. While the big leather strap might have to go, the golden flecks in the weave make this one a little more special than just a plain straw hat!

I also spotted these, which are definitely meant for dressy wear. They were NOT very flattering on me, though Daisy was with me and they worked better on her!

These ones were definitely shiny! Never having seen any of the women in my family wear a hat to dress up, it's a little hard to take these seriously!

There was also one dressy hat I found that I really liked. Though I've never even considered wearing a hat like this, it was pretty much love at first sight!

I'll have to keep this mind just in case I get invited to the next Royal Wedding or something equally fancy!