The Hat Fest

Most of the guests got their fashion right at the royal wedding of William and Kate. A few got it horribly wrong. But those wearing hats stood out in their concoctions,even if they were inexplicably ridiculous or downright dangerous. The royal wedding was an occasion that called for a fashionable hat,and for once,no matter how crazed the feathery plumage,it seemed appropriate in the backdrop of Westminster Abbey.

For some reason,hats have just not taken off in Indian fashion. Even though our climate calls for it to save our skin from the blistering sun,you’re more likely to be viewed with a laugh than as a fashion icon,if you show up anywhere wearing a hat. None of the so called trendy actresses,baring maybe Priety Zinta and Sonam Kapoor,use hats as fashion accessories. In Indian cinema,the heroine wearing a hat is a snob,far removed from traditional values and most likely is English speaking throughout the film. For a brief period,Fabindia made really nice,cloth hat boxes,but they’ve disappeared,I’m guessing because they had no takers.

It’s a pity,really. As someone with a mild obsession for hats,the wedding was a rare treat to watch. I have a collection of about 40 hats,none of them,however,as spectacularly trendy as the vertical,gravity defying hats on display at the Abbey. Victoria Beckham’s outfit got panned as being too funereal,but I thought her hat was fun. Other memorable hats were one resembling a Tata Sky dish and another boat-shaped one,with a blue rose in the centre,perched vertically on the forehead. Nothing was too outrageous or over the top for this wedding,so wild feathers and huge brims held their own against the very feminine and appropriate canary yellow hat,worn by the Queen. Time Magazine has been unsparing in its criticism of Camilla,wife of Prince Charles,referring to her hat as a bedpan.

Hats are very British: think Hercule Poirot or Sherlock Holmes. We now live in the hat-less era but even 30 years ago,in Britain,it was unlikely that you’d step out of your home without your hat. Sadly,they’ve gone from being essential and stylish,to faintly satirical and costumey,or just plain absurd. At least we can count on the royals to keep their hats on. hutkayfilms@gmail.com