A fabulous hat festival again

Phew - the Bridport Hat Festival was another massive success.

I am so glad as the Hatters are family & they really put their heart in to the organisation. These were some of the hats entered in the Millinery competition so I helped to set them up for judging in the Town Hall

My primary role again was to get out & about, help where I could & most importantly take photos for the Hatters to use for promotion throughout the year.

 

My outfit plans getting-ready-for-another-hat-festival went out the window because I had a chilly 7am start at the Town Hall & the numerous stairs & distances to photograph it all meant a more practical outfit was required ....

I managed to meet up with various family members who were at the festival & daughters & Andy covered some photos too

The Bridport Mayor had a host of Mayors for an event & they sportingly wore hats - along with the stunning chains ...

Mayoral bling in & around Bridport



 Some of the many men who posed for photos around town

Lovely ladies about town

Daughter fortunately clambered up to do the mass hat photo

I did the street level one this year

Then off to the judging of the millinery hats - fabulous selection & hard choices

 

Do you do hats? What is your hat style? Thanks for stopping by,
Dee ~♥~

Getting ready for another Hat Festival

Oh my gosh - time just seems to fly & it is almost time for yet another Bridport Hat Festival

I shared my hats from last year in my-hats-are-ready & this year I seem to be way behind (a common theme) & the event a-fabulous-hat-festival-once-again

I always take official photos for  The Hatters who are family & feel more comfortable approaching people for photographs if I have made the effort too ....

My 'look' was decided with the Great Gatsby which was a High School set work book of my youth & the gorgeous outfits in the movie just made up my mind.

I was lucky enough to find a 1920's inspired new dress by Principals & that seemed to be it for ages as I tried to decide on a hat.

 

Most of my hats are black & white so a brown dress was always going to be a challenge & an off the peg brown felt cloche hat would have been the easy way out but .... a week before the Hat Festival & I am still putting my outfit together.

After much (very much) searching I have found a millinery handmade silk cloche hat on EBay which needs customising.

The band seems to be visible so some invisible stitching is needed on it.

It also calls for a bold side statement - feathers & bling? 

Necklaces for the outfit - pearls (always a favourite of mine) with some colour. I have not found the right thing so more customising is needed.

Which shawl / scarf to choose?

Which side decoration for the hat?

Rows of pearls & a brooch catch ...

I think the large white feathers on the hat ....

Two other favourite hats going with again ...

So if you see me with my PRESS BADGE out & about, mention my blog, say HI & please pose for a photo. I will be scouting the best hats again for the numerous competitions ....

Till next time, thanks for stopping by
Dee ~♥~

My hats are ready ....

This weekend is the third Bridport Hat Festival & I am ready ....

I love hats & do not profess to wearing them well but I have learnt what suits me & I try on loads until I put on a hat & it feels 'right' - you all know that feeling of finding something you really feel comfortable & good in!

Over the years, my hat collection has slowly grown & I have my favourites that I know I can just put on & they are right.

My purple fedora is one such hat - as soon as I tried it on at snooksthehatters I knew I had to have it as it was the only purple one they had in stock .... This is me with the hatters who are family ♥



Last year I opted for something I love  - Safari Chic - so I got to wear a favourite pith helmet of mine - safari-chic



This year, I have been undecided on a 'look' as I have found several hats I really like. On my vintage browsing with Ms M, I found a soft leather turban hat at the lovely cornucopia-bridport . Jane of Cornucopia has a wonderful selection of vintage hats & other bits in her shop.

 

The turban is in the softest pale leather - it is so lovely to wear ♥

 

I seldom wear hats as they are - it is fun to just customise them a bit with a brooch, scarf, ribbon or bits & so this is what I have been doing.


 
I am always buying bits I like with a view to using them on hats & these are some of my assessories I use for hats.

This new acquired old blue hat - 'granny' style is not my style so I added some animal print & peacock feathers to it for a more up to date style.



Another recent old hat is this very plain, veiled white straw type hat; a good style that sits easily but oh-so-boring so it was next for the make-over. I had already put on pearly type beads before I took the first photo. It was still too unassuming - this is a festival of hats - so I added some gorgeous flowery pink hair fabric & pink feathers to the back; so much more up to date & something I will wear because I love pinks ...



I also have a cream coloured fedora - again I know the shape suits me well but cream was just a little boring so being a pearly lady, I decided to glam this one up with shiny pearls - a bit fiddly as the 3 gradated strands had to be hand sewn onto the rim, but it certainly is no longer boring.

I have found that cheap stud earrings work a treat for securing bits to hats & I finished it off with a glitsy brooch & a soft material band. Do you like it?

I  am also taking two of my favourite hats as well ♥

 

My final hat is a vintage Ebay find - so very elegant & lovely but it needs a bit of work to re-glue some of the flowers then steam them back to life but I just love the beauty of it ....

 

These are my hat choices for the 2012 Bridport Hat Festival bridporthatfes They will all go with & be used by myself or the daughters.

Do you have a favourite amongst them?

The daughters & I will be out there with our PRESS badges taking photos of as many people & events again for Snook the Hatters . If you see me / us, pop along, mention my blog & have your photo taken for 2012 Bridport Hat Festival Flickr group

I have also been asked to scout out some amazing hats for the Hat Competition win-a-prize so I will be doing what I love best - taking photos, chatting to people, wearing a hat, & hopefully ... bringing some joy to hat wearers.

Thanks for stopping by - let me know what you think of my hat choices
Dee ~♥~