have u caught the hat bug?

Edith Schwart (nee Venter) and her husband Johnny in two Kobus Dippenaar numbers. Don't think Coco would have approved!

Hats haven't been part of mainstream fashion since Jean Shrimpton arrived at Ascot without one in the 1960s (very shocking in those days). Why on earth? The right hat frames your face, creates mystery and makes even the plainest Jane look glamorous. Shoes and bags were the accessories of the Noughties but hats have made a huge comeback as THE accessory to complement an outfit into 2010. Buying a hat is a style investment just like it was in grandma's day. Doesn't matter if it's a cowboy hat, a beret, a fascinator or a Helluva Number the right hat is out there looking for its rightful owner to "plak" it on her or his head!

London girls have always known about the power of the hat (even if they wear some insanely meringuey stuff) but milliners like Stephen Jones and Philip Treacy have turned hats into an art form. Marc Jacobs and Luella turned heads at London Fashion Week this year and France's Stéphane Jacquet has revived the iconic French beret (for the bobos!) while Gallic chapeaux are smaller brimmed than before. Hats dominated the catwalks at Mercedes Benz's Fashion Week in New York from slouchy caps to little Edwardian numbers clearly influenced by Audrey Tatou's wardrobe in Coco Avant Chanel.

Hats can be sexy as fashion forward celebs like Penelope Cruz proves and you don't have to be over 40 to wear them - although they do look quite fantastic on an older woman.



A hat doesn't have to be a hat per se ... it can be a headdress or some sort of flattering head covering too!

So who are OUR local hatboxes and where can YOU get a wonderful piece of headgear?

Some of the ladies about town who are complete hatboxes include Carolyn Steyn who always wears a fabulous hat to functions, Jennifer Su who collects hats, some of which are pretty whacky, Tselane Tambo who always wore her mother Adelaide's collection to great effect, Peta Eggierth-Symes who owns a shop that sells hats (that helps!)

I spotted some great hats at the recent Spero Villioti couture show that reminded me of the kind of hats that the Italians make, almost like decadent desserts (without the meringue). Check out the picture below...



Another great hat day was the BHP BILLITON race day where the hats were auctioned off for charity. Didn't quite know what to make of Kobus's Dippenaar's numbers though, don't think Coco would have approved. After Edith Schwartz (no longer Venter) had auctioned hers off her husband Johnny popped a big rose number on his head, so hats are for the boys too it seems.