Media Coverage
Medill School of Journalism, Northwestern - April 2011
Chicago: Hats off to Kate?
by Nicole Bowling
April 29, 2011
Hats are a staple in Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton’s signature style, but they haven’t been a must-have fashion item in the U.S. for decades.
Yet local milliners say they have seen a surge in business as publicity for the Royal Wedding went into overdrive, and they hope that trend is here to stay.
“This is a big year for hats. It’s like the holy grail of millinery,” said Veronica Chin, a milliner and owner of Burning Bush Millinery in Lake Bluff.
Sporting fancy hats at special events such as horse races and weddings is a long-held tradition in British society and elsewhere in Europe. In the U.S., it was often seen as an old-fashioned and very monarchal fashion statement, but Middleton may help revitalize the look. She is a fan of “fascinators,” small but elaborate hats adorned with lace, feathers or beads.
“Kate has allowed American women to know what fascinators are and to feel more comfortable and confident about wearing hats in public,” said Jenny Pfanenstiel, couture milliner and owner of Forme Millinery in Chicago.
But fashion experts aren’t too sure that these elaborate headpieces will stick around in the U.S. Joanna Douglas, fashion and beauty editor of Yahoo Shine, thinks the trend may be too flamboyant for the mainstream American woman.
“I think women may feel insecure wearing them on this side of the pond, either for fear of being teased or because they feel they’re not sophisticated enough to pull them off.”
That may be changing with younger women who may be trying on serious hats for the first time, some milliners say.
“I think that more than anything the Royal Wedding has brought younger women into the trend of hat wearing, which is really great,” added Loreta Corsetti, a couture milliner with an atelier in Chicago.
Most handmade hats cost at least $300 from a Chicago milliner. But machine-produced hats can be had for $100 or less at some department stores.
There was already a small but avid hat market in Chicago before the Royal Wedding bonanza so many of the local milliners believe that the craze will grow to be bigger than ever.
“This fashion trend has its place here,” said Lisa Farrell, owner of the Ooh La La hat boutique in Highland Park. “We always want to be unique in Chicago so I think that hats have staying power here.”
Hats are a staple in Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton’s signature style, but they haven’t been a must-have fashion item in the U.S. for decades.
Yet local milliners say they have seen a surge in business as publicity for the Royal Wedding went into overdrive, and they hope that trend is here to stay.
“This is a big year for hats. It’s like the holy grail of millinery,” said Veronica Chin, a milliner and owner of Burning Bush Millinery in Lake Bluff.
Sporting fancy hats at special events such as horse races and weddings is a long-held tradition in British society and elsewhere in Europe. In the U.S., it was often seen as an old-fashioned and very monarchal fashion statement, but Middleton may help revitalize the look. She is a fan of “fascinators,” small but elaborate hats adorned with lace, feathers or beads.
“Kate has allowed American women to know what fascinators are and to feel more comfortable and confident about wearing hats in public,” said Jenny Pfanenstiel, couture milliner and owner of Forme Millinery in Chicago.
But fashion experts aren’t too sure that these elaborate headpieces will stick around in the U.S. Joanna Douglas, fashion and beauty editor of Yahoo Shine, thinks the trend may be too flamboyant for the mainstream American woman.
“I think women may feel insecure wearing them on this side of the pond, either for fear of being teased or because they feel they’re not sophisticated enough to pull them off.”
That may be changing with younger women who may be trying on serious hats for the first time, some milliners say.
“I think that more than anything the Royal Wedding has brought younger women into the trend of hat wearing, which is really great,” added Loreta Corsetti, a couture milliner with an atelier in Chicago.
Most handmade hats cost at least $300 from a Chicago milliner. But machine-produced hats can be had for $100 or less at some department stores.
There was already a small but avid hat market in Chicago before the Royal Wedding bonanza so many of the local milliners believe that the craze will grow to be bigger than ever.
“This fashion trend has its place here,” said Lisa Farrell, owner of the Ooh La La hat boutique in Highland Park. “We always want to be unique in Chicago so I think that hats have staying power here.”