Spring is finally here, and with the racing season well underway its time to think about those outfits... and hats!

Here are a few things to consider to help you choose what’s right for you -

Face shape:

Long face – wear an asymmetrical hat, or a saucer or perching hat worn at an angle, pitch the hat forwards to sit just above your eyebrow. Square face – try a more curved shape and light airy trims. Round face or wider face shapes should avoid very small hat shapes or anything too narrow. Wear Glasses? Wear an asymmetrical hat, or one worn at an angle, or a pillbox on the back of the head.

Silhouette of Outfit:

Here, it’s all about balance – a small hat will look lost with large dramatic silhouette, instead choose something with height or width to it. A slim -fitting dress works well with a large hat, and also with a ‘Jackie O’ style pillbox, or small hat.

Personality:

A hat should always reflect your personality and personal style, the right hat will always make you look and feel fantastic. Put a slick of lipstick on, have fun with different shapes, and you’ll walk with a real spring in your step! The old adage about you wearing the hat, not the hat wearing you still holds true!

Colour:

Wearing monochrome? Try wearing a hat with a patterned weave, print, or contrast, to add texture to an outfit. Wearing a print? then pick out one of the colours (that suits you) from the print as a block colour for the hat. Wearing a block colour? then try tonal or contrasting accessories to add depth to the whole look and prevent it from look too flat.

Hats versus headpieces… and what’s the difference? A hat has a shaped base, large or small, with the trimming and base working together. A headpiece can be mounted on a hairband, but the trimming itself becomes the form of the headpiece. A hat will always give you a greater sense of formality and a stronger silhouette, you are making a defined statement, be that a dramatic one or a more refined one. Feathery fascinators add frivolity to an outfit, but they don’t always meet the dress code for events, for example they are not allowed in the Royal Enclosure at Royal Ascot.

Why buy handmade? A handmade hat is made by an artisan from the finest materials. At the Edinburgh Hat Studio, you can shop from a large selection of stunning hats or, order a unique piece through our Bespoke Service which allows you to have exactly the style that you want, in the colours you want. You are part of the design process making decisions together. Having a hat made for you is a wonderful experience, which allows you to explore different shapes and colours to finds what suits you and your outfit best. A handmade hat is an investment, and we also offer a Re-trimming Service for our own hats so that you can wear them again to another event with a different outfit!

SALLY-ANN PROVAN

Sally-Ann Provan is an award-winning milliner, who runs The Edinburgh Hat Studio. She provides a Bespoke Service, and customers can also buy ready-to-wear hats ‘off the shelf’ from her studio, and online.

Her clients include The Queen’s grand-daughter Zara Tindall, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, ITV’s Charlotte Hawkins, mezzo soprano Katherine Jenkins, broadcaster Edith Bowman, The BBC, and Scottish Opera.

Sally has shown at London Fashion Week, and 'Dressed to Kilt' (New York), and is featured in 3 books, and regularly in the fashion press. Her work is featured in the National Museum of Scotland’s new ‘Fashion and Style’ gallery, and she is a newly appointed V&A Dundee Design Champion.

MUSSELBURGH LADIES DAY DISCOUNT!

Sally is offering a special 10% discount on all Bespoke orders and hat sales for all Musselburgh Ladies Day race goers – simple quote “Musselburgh”. Sally can be contacted by phoning:  07931 773410 or through her website www.sallyannprovan.co.uk