THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, September 22, 1994 TAG: 9409220034
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MONIQUE WILLIAMS, SPECIAL TO THE DAILY BREAK
LENGTH: Medium: 66 lines
WHEN IT COMES to wearing hats, there are two kinds of women - those who wear them and those who don't. When a woman wears a hat with aplomb, she not only adds her signature to her outfit, she's also saying: ``Hey look at me. I'm here.''
``I think that women that have a certain degree of confidence wear hats,'' says Patricia Underwood, the premier designer who created hats for Donna Karan, Bill Blass, Calvin Klein and many other designers.
The hat has had many resurrections. They are popular, and then, they're not. Fashion designers love them, but the public often ignores them. Why do hats get the cold treatment?
For one thing, they stand on top of your head for everyone to see. Also, many women associate wearing a hat with church, weddings or special functions.
``I think that young women growing up today are growing without prejudice toward hats,'' Underwood says. ``They discovered that hats do alter appearance (and) add drama, and that can be quite alluring.''
Hollywood has long discovered that hats are a wonderful option to enhance a wardrobe, and they can create an indelible image in the public's mind. Think of a hatless Bogart in ``Casablanca,'' or a hatless Meryl Streep in ``Out of Africa'' - it just isn't the same.
In the '40s and '50s, American men wore hats. John F. Kennedy was the first president not to wear one.
Many women are intimidated by hats because they can't decide what looks good on them. But knowing how to pick the right hat can be tricky. A hat that is too small can make you look goofy, too large, clownish.
A large hat on a tall woman is dramatic, yet, on a short woman, the same hat will give her the appearance of a mushroom. So, scale and proportion are just as important as the kind of hat you choose.
``The wearer has to find the pleasing relationship between the width of the cheekbone and the top of the hat,'' says Underwood, adding, ``and then define what it is.''
In other words - the hat must not be perched on your head like a bird cage. It must mold your head in such way that it and you become one.
And then, says Underwood, get a full-length mirror and look how the hat affects your total silhouette, not just your head.
This fall, soft, malleable hats are closer to the head in cashmere, chenille, mohair and fake furs in colors such as cranberry, heather, Savannah and grape.
Soft leather and suede hats with deep crowns and turn-down brims are also the latest fashion.
Softness for this season is important, Underwood says, because ``softness can complement the new A-line silhouettes that is found in fall fashions.''
Patricia Underwood hats can be found in department stores such as Nordstrom's and Saks. ILLUSTRATION: Photos
EVAN SKLAR
A hat must mold your head in the right way, so you and the hat are
one.
Soft leather and suede hats with turn-down brims are the latest
fashion. The hats pictured are from Patricia Underwood.
by CNB