Dog Days

I love a dog in an outfit. Crazy for it in fact. A sausage dog in a hot dog bun? Or a pekingese in a party frock. I can't get enough.

I'm also pretty keen on shoes, hats and jewels, jewels, jewels.

So needless to say this accessories feature from the Independent had made me very, very happy indeed.

(Images via Independent)

Go With the Flow

(Image via Daily Telegraph)

This young lady is Florence Claridge. By all accounts she is an Ascot instituition with her fabulous hats. Beyond that I don't know too much about her, but I do know that she is quite marvellous.

Keep it Under Your Hat

I know the sun has gone away, and that a wide brimmed hat probably isn't that practical in the city. But aren't these hats fabulous?



With a long, elegant cotton summer dress, I think they would look terribly chic.


(Via Asos)

I have no specific use for one, but should I snap one up just on the off chance of an opportunity? They are infinitely more interesting than a straw fedora. Yawn.

Keep it Under Your Hat

(Via Signature Illustration)

To the dude I saw on my way in to work who was in shirt sleeves but wearing a turquise Team Zissou style bobble hat. If it is warm enough for one, it's too warm for the other. You know, just FYI.

Hat Trick

I am a grown woman. And a grown woman needs a grown woman's hat. Not one of those floppy beanies that looks like it has fallen asleep and slipped half way down the back of your head (those boys with deep v t-shirts, low slung skinny jeans and leather jackets can keep those).



And I have decided the grown up hat for me is the fedora.



And I have chosen this one from All Saints to be mine. Isn't it the most? I will be both warm and chic from this moment forward. Just thought you'd like to know.

At the Drop of a Hat

I swear to God, if I see another grown woman in one of these hideous River Island panda hats I won't be held accountable for my actions. It might be cold, but you are still visible.



And Katy Perry should never be considered a suitable guide for your own sartorial choices. Never.



An animal shouldn't be sitting upon your bonce unless you are under six. I thought that was understood.



And to make it worse River Island have knitted a whole menagerie of other cute little forest creatures that you can humiliate yourself by wearing in public, in full sight of others. Knock yourself out.









Unfortunately I do find this one quite cute. Possibly because señor raccoon looks like he is wearing a little Mexican bandit mask, and there is nothing cooler than that.


(Via River Island)

But I would certainly never wear it. Heaven forbid.

Hatzzzzzzzzzzz Off

Well, my darling, I have returned, and I am more than happy that the sun has got his hat on, hip-hip-hip-hooray, etc. as it does rather soften the blow of the heinous post-holiday blues that have inflicted me.

And even more fortuitously I have just returned from Peru, which is, I was previously unwaware, the centre of hat innovations™. (This might be apochryphal.) I saw some hats out there. Let. Me. Tell. You. !!!

Take a look at these little treats:

I won't even get started on the skirts. Talk about creating curves...

Anyhoo, I disgress. Let's take a look at your little treaticle... Now, first things first, I am 100% on side with Mrs. T and the need for covering up the face. Not in an MJ freakishly shrouding his anklebiters in sheets kind of way, but I am a firm believer that a little shade cast by the brim of a dashing hat will work no end of good in the never ending fight against haggard-dom.

I won't show you the hat I wore to shade my face while I was away as you would probably refuse to take any fashion advice from me ever again. Yours is infinitely more stylish. I think you could carry it off delightfully, as long as you didn't wear it with yesterday's outfit otherwise I would spend all our time distractedly wondering when you were going to whip out a cane and burst into There's no business like show business, like no business I know. Everything about it is appealing... etc. etc. ad infinitum... but otherwise charming. I just maybe wish it wasn't quite so white. You know?

Also, my love, I couldn't possibly sue you for going back on your word about prescription sunnies because I have to make a confession that while I am now wading through my fourth decade I am not yet a responsible adult in any way and have gone global with my ability to leave sunglasses around the countryside wily nily by leaving a pair (indeed, this pair) somewhere in deepest, darkest Peru. Just as well I didn't buy the McQueens, huh?

The sun has got his/her hat on...

...Which is a pleasure isn't it?! But! Does it means that I should have a hat on too? My mother would say YES because she is all for taking precautions when dabbling in a bit of UV. But I'm not so sure.

(Image via Topshop)

I am constantly drawn to these trilbys. I'm not interested in a straw cowboy number. I'm not going to a festival or Ibiza for heaven's sake! I am keen on this one though.

But is it all a bit Richard off of Keeping Up Appearances? (See over Hyacinth's shoulder on right for comparison.)

To top it off...

(Via NY Mag)

I am all for a hat. In theory. I mean if I had the budget I would totally do a Blow and wear a hat almost every day of my life. They suit me, I like them, where's the harm? But I think you really need to splash the cash to get a hat that's actually any good, and that you won't look back at whilst trawling the family albums whilst your grandchildren are gathered about your skirts and not actually recoil in horror, and start unravelling some sorry tale about a heinous identical sister Must Never Be Mentioned but is actually shacked up Rochester style in the loft of your four bed semi.....WOAH! Serious, sometimes my imagination just runs clear away from me...not even with me. Just alone.

The last time I wore a hat to a wedding (and prior to this I was quite the chapeau sporter don't you know, even at a tender age) was a white, floppy bloody straw number. For the love of God, who did I think I was, J-Lo? No. I looked terrible. (I also wore a belt that looked as though I had fashioned it out of jelly beans at the kitchen table...so now you can see why the identical twin story is already in my and ready to go). I looked fairly ludicrous and after about 10 minutes, but sadly rather a lot of photos, I realised and whipped it off, crushing it in my sweaty palm and pretended it was an over sized tissue to dab at my joyful tears. I still have it, and get it out every now and then just to remind myself not to do something like that again. I also bought a leopard skin trilby once which a pal clapped eyes on before I even got to wore it. She laughed so much I feared something might rupture and references to Boy George were made which will never be forgotten.

So, the moral of this terribly meandery tale is that unless you're ready to chuck some cash about then I wouldn't darling. Although you look utterly resplendent in that feathered number so perhaps you are to be trusted FAR more than I. In fact in light of that story purging above why am I even questioning whether you know more than me on this matter. Of COURSE you do.

Whilst we're here, can we take another look at the Lovely Ms Blow? If only I could get away with wearing a hat such as that at the wedding, with my own name emblazoned across my cranium I would so, SO do it.