Perhaps the most notable return to the catwalk was fur. Whether real, faux or vintage, from full length coats to a touch of trim, the timeless elegance of fur is back without any sign of disappearing soon.

There are few hats that can so instantly make a woman feel like a turn of the century Russian Princess as quickly as a fur hat. Something about the simplicity of the style and the luxury of the fur combines to give that rare feeling of cosiness and glamour. You could match it with yoga pants and still feel like a sophisticated style icon to be worshipped and pampered! The silky soft texture, unbeatable warmth and the promise of a lifetime of wear (with proper care!) makes this an essential piece in a Winter wardrobe.

Likewise, a fur lined bomber is about as old school Canadiana as one can get – outdoorsy coolness.  They are playful and will keep your brain warm while you run about in the great Canadian wilderness! These two from Betmar are made from raccoon (tan) and rabbit (plaid). Cold ears? No more. Be smug about it.

We understand that not everyone is comfortable with fur, which is why for our vegan friends, the wonderful people at Lillie and Cohoe have come up with a great range of faux fur pieces. These are lovingly hand-crafted in Nelson.

Details can make all the difference. A flower in a buttonhole. The strawberry on a glass of champagne. A beautiful dress and a fascinator.

Not quite a hat, not quite a hair band, fascinators fall right bang in the middle of too much and too little. You have the dress, shoes and purse. The occasion calls for something a little more. Something playful yet elegant. A bit of colour. Eye-catching but not attention seeking. It’s not every day you get to wear feathers in your hair and so when its done, best to do it in style!

We love our new line of fascinators from Oh Dina! The wonderful thing about these pieces is their timelessness. To be purchased with love and cherished on many special days over a life-time.

For this reason, we love that this Summer sees the welcome return of the 70’s floppy hat. This is a hat that evokes all the right moods for long Summer days. They are at once romantic and glamorous, casual yet sophisticated – something you can throw on your head in the morning, feel like a superstar all day and turn heads in the bar at night.

That Seventies Hat (as worn by Mila Kunis)

Practically, their wide brims offer shade and UV protection, while their unstructured nature are a nod to the informality of hot days. Seventies floppy hats (or flopenties!) were actually born in the Summer of Love, 1969, their debut came at events like Woodstock.

Travelers on their way to Woodstock, 1969

The strain of war and confusion led the young and idealist to embrace everything ‘Au Natural’, a return to the land, the sea, the simple. A floppy hat is as basic as one can get in millinery and is known in the industry as a ‘capaline’ – an unstructured base the wearer can adorn with emblems of their own personality. They became symbolic of free spirits, a connection to the earth and a carefree attitude towards life.

Karen Carpenter on the cover of Rolling Stone

Musicians like Janis Joplin, Karen Carpenter and Carly Simon were drawn to them and their wordless ability to express a liberal philosophy. It was a time of hope, a belief that people power could turn the tide on all the woes of the world and that good things were on the way. Worn with a flower stuck in the side all along the West coast, they soon travelled the globe bringing with them that feeling of the Never Ending Summer.

Carly Simon

On the flip-side, Flopenties also offer more than a pinch of glamour. Movie stars in maxi-dresses and large shades dashing around New York City in their platform wedges, style icons like Faye Dunway and Bridget Bardot understood the power of a seductively drooping brim and the ‘dont look at me but look at me’ effect of a Floppy Hat.

Brigitte Bardot

In more recent years Jenneifer Lopez did her bit to bring the look back. Adding this hat to an outfit of funky shorts and simple shirt upgrades the look instantly from street to chic.

Wear with: Shorts and shirts, wide leg denim, maxi-dresses.

Straw boater - img. The Cherry Blossom Girl

These hats instantly conjure the fuzziest of Summer feelings – hazy, lazy days, cool grass on your feet, cotton dresses, al fresco eating. Born in the late 19th Century, these hats were initially worn as part of school uniforms in Commonwealth countries, the colour of the ribbon denoting the loyalty to the wearers institution. They were quickly adopted as part of the dress attire of many sporting activities, as the upper classes became pre-occupied with the leisurely life-style which marked this brief period in post-industrial, pre WW1 history. Garden parties, boat races, afternoon tea on the lawn were the mark of a pleasure seeking classes and were always graced with the Straw Boater Hat.

A sea of boater hats in London

Like so many other things in fashion, style doyenne Coco Chanel took it upon herself to re-invent this look. It is well known that Chanel began her career as couturier almost accidentally. Her hand-made outfits were much admired by the fashionable and famous ladies of Paris who adored her quirky take on hats in particular. Her simple boaters adorned with a Camellia were the perfect antidote to the large, fussy and heavy headwear of the time.

Today, these simple round hats with a flat top have again taken on a new life and sprung back into fashion. Marc Jacobs may have brought them back in ’09, but their popularity is only growing and the fashion world has fallen in love with this simple and elegant look.

Marc Jacobs SS '09 collection - still going strong!

Whether its a day at the beach, BBQ, or evening drinks this hat can be taken through the day. Add a fresh or silk flower to match an outfit for a sophisticated touch of detail! Edie Hats is stocked to the ceiling with simple, plain boaters or wonderful extravagant pieces as hand made my Edie herself!

Wear with: Denim dresses, pleated skirts, shorts and white tees, flats, heels.

We like to shine a light on artists who rock our world and have an on-going love affair with legendary blues man, Jim Byrnes. His gravelly, soulful tones never fail to receive swoons and smiles whenever we play him.

Jim Byrnes playing at Edie Hats

From long time loves to new ones, we are thrilled to announce the release of Folly and the Hunter‘s debut album, ‘Residents’, on Saturday, 5th March. Edie’s son, Nick, adds his creative and theatrical gifts to this Montreal based foursome.  To Edie’s great pride, they have captivated us with their indie/folksie sound and their beautifully resonant lyrics.  With an already growing following we can’t wait to see what the future holds for these young poets.

To show our support for these musicians, we sell their CD’s in store. All the money goes directly to the artists.

Hats turn heads. This is an unquestionable yet often neglected fact of fashion. A good hat can hold the attention of an entire room, much to the envy of those unhatted heads. Long before Scarlett ‘O Hara used a green bonnet to charm Rhett Butler, women have been using hats as a playful part of seduction.

A hat is a great tool for flirting. Wearing something eye-catching is your way of giving yourself permission to be looked at. Hats are safe, you can hid or highlight.  A flick of a brim or some drooping veiling entices onlookers, inviting them to attempt to discover what lays beyond the barrier. The occasional flash of an eye that is easily concealed again with a slight lowering of the head is a gauntlet hitting the floor, a playful move that says , ‘I dare you’.

Hats help create the persona one wishes to achieve when attracting a partner. Confidence and curiosity. Such is the power of a well selected hat that wearing one instantly creates an aura of mystery. The vast population has lost its confidence in hat-wearing, so in doing so you evoke an air that comes with knowing a secret (The secret simply being that all you need is to figure out what shapes and colours work for you – just like dresses or jeans or any other fashion item!).

We are drawn to those who are confident, and few fashion items speak more highly of ones sense of self than a hat that reflects their character and mood, boldly on display for all to see.

Wearing an out-standing hat creates a distinction between you and all others, making you easily identifiable and almost definitely commented on. It gives you the freedom to be bold, and if nothing else, an easy ice-breaker with ‘Nice hat!’.

Hand stitched black veiled piece with hand dyed Indian silk (Photo by White Album Weddings)

Her home is speckled with hat-making schmutz. Veiling sits on top a bookshelf, glass beads linger next to tea cups and a guest should always take care to ensure no needle has been stood up on a cushion. Most of us pack swimsuits and clothing for holidays, Edie packs a bag full of ‘blanks’, feathers, fabric and threads.

Edie attempts to pack for a vacation to Nova Scotia!

For Edie, hat-making is more than a commercial enterprise. It is a passion and a meditation which consumes her completely. The process itself is, in her own words, ‘a tactile conversation’ between her and the hats. The experience can be exhausting, as she will rarely put down a piece until it is completed. Once completed that piece is over, with a new one already burning in her mind. Often, she may not even recognise her own hat later on!

There is a priceless element to some of Edie’s pieces.  The materials used are not always found at the local haberdashery. A recent hat contained a brooch that belonged to her mother, stage actor Joan Orenstein. Another contained Victorian glass beads of unestimatable value. Edie will gather flotsam from her travels, her home, her life and weave them into the stories of her hats. She will take apart older hats or costumes and re-construct them into something new and truly unique.

 

Folded veiling sitting on a shelf, waiting...

In combination there is a touch of magic and maddess in making these hats. They require an unflinching focus. Edie is at her best when creating her art. Energy flows and she is grounded. The rare periods when hats are not being made is a time for concern for those who know her best. Luckily, these times are seldom and after a brief departure from her craft in recent years she is back creating her famous pieces of millinery art!

Edie Hats Staff wearing hand-made pieces. (Photo by White Album Weddings)

Antonio Garcia - available at Edie Hats

The Cordobès Hat is a round, stiff felt hat which hails from the Cordoba in Spain. While originally it was popularised by workers for the shade provided by its stiff wide brim, it has very much infused itself into the traditional culture of Spain.

The Cordobès Hat in the elegant equestrian arts

Today it is an icon in many great Spanish Artforms – Flamenco, Bull fighting, Equestrian Arts and other traditional festivals in Southern Spain. The Hat has become an integral part of the pageantry and spectacle. Dancers use the Hat as a focal point in many routines and the Hat regularly appears in costumes and celebrations.

Flamenco Dancer performing with Cordobès Hat at Cafe de Chinitas in Edie Hats

21st Century fashion has finally recognised the defined aesthetic of The Cordobès Hat. Chanel is the latest couture label to celebrate its unique character. It is the rigid structure that creates a striking image that is both strong and romantic.

Chanel's S/S 2010 Campaign celebrating the alluring Cordobès Hat

Hugh Jackman as 'Drover' in the movie 'Australia' - wearing an Akubra!

 The Akubra Hat is a thoroughly authentic Australian Icon and no other product embodies the spirit of the country so completely. Born in 1874 in Hobart, Tasmania by an English immigrant who combined hat-making skills and an inventive nature to create hats that could withstand Australia’s varied extremities. With many different styles, Akubras are traditionally worn by drovers, farmers and essentially anyone who works outdoors. Like the wearers, these hats are tough and work hard in any environment.

Their versatility and strength comes from the many pelts of rabbit fur in each hat. Rabbits, a foreign species, have had a fiercely destructive impact on native Australian fauna and flora, which is why there are constant efforts to cull their growth. This lends to an easily sourced and widely available fur whose cultivation is actually beneficial to the environment. A typically practical Australian solution to an Australian problem!

 Today, the ‘Sydney’ is one of the last traditionally shaped fedoras. The rounded, open crown and soft fur allows the wearer to decide the shape. With a quick karate chop and light pinch of the crown one can tell the hat how to look. A bit of steam will help shape the hat more permanently (we are happy to do it for you!). Its twelve pelts of rabbit fur makes this is one of the most waterproof hats available. Simple and stylish, the charcoal colour and plain black band means it can be worn with almost anything, jeans, smart trousers, floral dress, wool coat. Men, women, Summer, Winter.

Jack White wearing a 'Sydney' purchased at Edie Hats

Likewise, the lighter coloured ‘Snowy River’ with its classic cowboy shape and up-turned brim flatters most heads and is comfortably worn throughout the year. This is a hat that denotes strength of character with an eye for looking good!

Akubra makes hats that last a lifetime. Take them on the journey with you, they become a part of your story.