A tip of the hat

With the Royal Wedding coming up, I have been pulled into the vortex that is all things Royal. I really wasn't paying all that much attention to everything until I watched that Lifetime movie, William & Kate, on Monday night. Darnit, Lifetime. You got me with the college sweetheart love story. I was suckered in. You know, there are rumors that our family tree can be traced back to Robert the Bruce, the King of Scotland in the 13th century. And, William and Kate met while going to college university at St. Andrews in Scotland. There's a connection there, can't you feel it? Anyway, of all the things about the wedding circus that intrigue me, I can't help but notice something that the lovely Kate Middleton (sorry, can't get on board with Catherine) and I have in common. Well, other than the obvious rich, stunningly gorgeous and about to marry a prince thing. That goes without saying.

The future princess and I both love hats.

Now, I don't go quite as over-the-top as Kate. None of my hats have feathers. I don't own a fascinator (In the hat world, that's what smaller pieces attached to a comb or headband are called. Consider yourself learned now.). And, I've never worn a hat made out of fur. Perhaps that's because I'm not British and not actually royalty. Small details. Regardless, I do love to wear hats.

My love of hats started a long time ago. I most definitely rocked the flowery, floppy Blossom hat in late elementary school. I even tried the beret style for a while. (I would show you pictures, but it's my blog, and I don't feel like humiliating myself today.) Then, I moved on to the simple baseball cap. I was stuck there for a long time. Luckily for me, however, there has been a resurgence in the popularity of hats as of late. So, I have been able to branch out.

Ok, so a couple of those aren't really what I wear out in public. I don't wear a New Year's top hat to Target, or a floppy straw hat to lunch (That hat was from a Mother's Day tea I attended with Molly. We all played dress up that day.). But, you get the idea. I do wear the other ones all the time.

Hats provide such a wonderful service to me. If you hadn't noticed, I have red hair. That means, I have pale skin. Pale skin that burns and freckles easily. Hats are an easy solution in the summertime. They protect this pasty pale porcelain skin (if Nicole Kidman's skin can be called porcelain, then why can't mine?) from the ravages of UV rays. I always wear a baseball hat when I run in the summer. And, whenever I'm on the beach, I'm sporting some sort of sun-blocking head piece. See below:

Another service that hats provide concerns my hair again. We've already discussed the color. (Red, just like Prince Harry. See, it's like I'm royalty already.) But, it's also curly. Which can make it unruly. Especially when  I'm past due on a hair cut. And, let's be honest, with two small children, I'm often past due on a hair cut. And, especially when it's humid out. That makes the curls turn to frizz. Quick and easy solution: throw on a hat.

Maybe I should've lived back when everyone wore hats whenever they went out. Like the '50s. I think I would've liked that. Well, except for also having to wear pantyhose, vacuuming in heels, and cooking. I couldn't have handled those aspects of the '50s. But, the hats? Yessiree.

I don't know who these ladies are, but don't they look like they are having a blast? And, oh, so stylish in their hats.

I'm attempting to pass my love of hats to Molly and Charlotte. The girls will just as often put on a hat of mine to play dress up, as they will put on a purse or try on my shoes. Even though neither of them inherited my red hair, maybe they will inherit my appreciation of head-wear.

So, because I can't time travel back to the '50s, I guess I'll just have to keep wearing my hats when I see fit. Oh, but what I wouldn't give to be able to rock a crazy hat like the royals do at weddings. If anyone has a spare invite to William and Kate's wedding, I will be your plus one. And, I'll do it with feathers, fascinators and fur, if that's what it takes. To be able to attend that wedding, I'd wear pretty much anything necessary. Heck, I'd even wear a multi-colored, butterfly-festooned hat like Princess Beatrice.

Now, that is a hat.


Images found here and here and here and here.