Audrey Hepburn is the first person that comes to mind when I hear the word elegant. Whether she was on set of one of her iconic films like Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Roman Holiday, Sabrina, or Charade, or simply living her life in Italy or Switzerland, she always appeared put together and sophisticated, usually with gloves on, a great coat or dress, and of course, a chapeau. Hats were Hepburn’s most frequented accessory, minus maybe a string of pearls, with versions ranging from leopard-print pillbox styles to large-brim caps. And now that hats experiencing a remarkable comeback in the world of fashion, it’s Hepburn who I’m looking toward to steer my styling techniques in the right direction.
Apparently, I’m not the only one who’s had hats on the brain of late. On Thursday, Jennifer Lopez was spotted back in London at a photocall for her new movie Unstoppable wearing a chic chapeau of her own. For the event, the singer-actress chose a wide-brim black felt hat by Dior alongside a black turtleneck dress and white coat with sleek black buttons. With the timeless ensemble, she added a Dior Lady bag and knee-high patent leather boots, also from the French fashion house.
On Jennifer Lopez: Dior D-Bobby Large-Brim Hat ($1150), D-Idole Heeled Boot ($2490), Medium Lady Dior Bag ($6500)
Alaïa and The Row were among the first brands to initiate the hat renaissance, Alaïa with classic black pillbox hats and The Row with wool drivers caps, both of which were quickly embraced by the style set during fashion week last February. The budding accessory trend was equally popular on the runways that season, appearing at The Row, Fforme, and Altuzarra, to name a few brands. For spring, the hype continued, with wide-brim styles at Gucci and textured pillbox options at Chloé and Altuzarra.
On the runway:
All that’s to say that the hat trend isn’t just a fleeting fad. Next year, countless more elegant options will arrive on the market and the celeb sightings will be plentiful. J.Lo’s recent London look was just the beginning. Scroll down to shop some of the chicest hats available right now.