Harper’s Bazaar just gave us our thrill of the year : the cover. Sarah Jessica Parker is wearing an
Ellen Christine Couture headpiece on their cover, and it looks glorious.
Naysayers may mock, may dissent, may critique. But there are thousands, millions wearing hats once
again. Given the Royal Wedding
feeding frenzy, celebrities are not as timid about donning a hat or a headpiece
from time to time. Sarah Jessica
Parker was seen at the Metropolitan Museum Gala wearing a Phillip
Treacy headpiece, as she is wont to do.
Either our dear Stephen ( Jones) or Mr. Treacy is the choice for high
profile hat handlers, much because of the English influence on the world of
millinery. Those of you in the business know Ellen Christine, and we proudly
join the ranks of editorialized touted hat makers the world over.
Now that the feather is out of the bag, and Ms. Parker can
be seen with that magnificent masthead spread across our plumage, does the
world sit up and take notice? Yes,
in a way. But WWD, that bastion of
daily fashion waves and trends seems to be put out by the Harper’s Bazaar
cover. Thank you, WWD, for
covering Ellen Christine over the years, but give hats a break, please. Not
fair for you to take a one sided view , and that one side being anti-hat. At any rate, it’s a headpiece, for
heaven’s sake, and what of it? I take umbrage at your point of view, and my client/friend
base has been as miffed as I am.
Please allow me to take a quote from Mrs. Ann Albrizio, the Doyenne
of the Millinery Department at FIT
who said in one of her press
releases :
“ Women’s Wear Daily” has been calling the total look a suit
complete with the wearing of a hat.
Also known as the “Snob Set”, it has become a status symbol in the
fashion field today.”
We don’t have a date on this press release, but as Mrs.
Albrizio was the driving force in millinery during the 1960’s through the 1990’s,
pick a date. No need to dissect
the quote, but if you liked hats once upon a time, what happened? How did you fall out of love with us,
the hard-working milliners of American fashion?
I won’t belabour the line you poached from a Steven Sondheim
song to end your article I won’t slash your
tires. But I will stand as a
strong supporter for the only accessory that can “top it off”: the hat. Many accessories can compliment an
ensemble, but none but the hat can end the sentence.
