HIGHLIGHTS

I’m not a hat person, not by any stretch of the imagination. I feel pretty stiffled in hats and caps…even hoods are a no-go. But I think I could become a hat person if it meant that my dabbles into the hat world were limited only to the wide-brimmed sun hat.

I know exactly where my obsession with the sun hat started. I was eleven years old and my mother purchased one for herself on a family trip to South Carolina. I loved the feel of her wide-brimmed straw sun hat; I loved the intricate weaving and the elegant touch it added to and dress or swimsuit. My little hands would snag that hat and stuff it on my head any chance I got.

My desire for the wide, sun hat was only further fueled when I started working at J.Crew and we received a shipment of them as part of our spring and summer collections. The way those hats paired with almost everything in the collection-from shorts and simply V-neck shirts to dresses to swimsuits-made their versatility and simplicity more desirable to me. “Where are you actually going to wear that hat?” my mom asked when I came home one day talking nonstop about the product. “Umm, where WON’T I wear it?” I retaliated.

The thing about hats is that there really isn’t a wrong place to wear them. Baseballs caps aren’t just for baseball games. They’re also for covered premature receding hairlines, for days when we didn’t have time to wash our hair and are trying to hid it and for any warm-weather event where sun is present. Cowboy hats aren’t for Western sheriffs or lone rangers; they’re essentially a required item at any Kenny Chesney concert. And wide-brimmed sun hats aren’t just for the beach. They are a staple item at the Kentucky Derby, perfect for a summer barbecue, picnic or poolside trip, or in my case, going to be quite useful when walking around town daily.

Hats, in my belief, are like any other hair accessory. They compliment and can complete revamp any outfit-I guarantee that for any occasion, there is a hat that can glam up your style. I have made the solemn decision to celebrate spring with a fun sun hat, and I’m going to stick to this. Come sundress weather, you can catch me around town decked out in an oversized tote, designer sunglasses and a fabulous wide-brimmed sun hat to complete any look.

P.S. Interested in rocking out a sun hat this season? Check out these adorable ones from J.Crew!

http://www.jcrew.com/womens_category/accessories/hatsscarvesgloves/PRDOVR~74503/74503.jsp