- Quality & Designed Hats
When buying high-quality beautifully designed hats, most women understand that they will be spending a little more. Because of this, they are much more inclined to carefully consider their options before selecting the perfect centerpiece that will make them stand out in the sea of hats. This can be the difference between looking good and looking great!
- It’s not about the race, it’s about the MATCH
Most individuals spend a considerable amount of time putting together a Kentucky Derby outfit. The selected hat should work in perfect harmony with the rest of the ensemble: dress, shoes, and accessories. Regardless of how beautiful a hat may be, it won’t “wear” beautiful if it doesn’t work with everything else. “We have a ton of customers that send us pictures of their entire outfits,” says HitB operations manager Megan Meneely. “We can help them determine if the Kentucky Derby hat they want will match everything else. The hat is usually the last thing they buy, but it should be the first. It’s much easier to find a dress to match a hat that you love than vice versa.”
“The Kentucky Derby is one of those events on everybody's bucket list, so people take a lot of time to plan and organize their attire,” says Christine A. Moore, Featured Milliner of the 144th Kentucky Derby. Buying the most memorable piece of the outfit first only makes sense.
- The Height to Brim Ratio
It’s all about proportion, people. For women who are taller then 5’8”, a hat with wider brim will work well. For women on the shorter side, brims that are too large can visually pull them down. One style that works on everyone is a hat that has an asymmetrical brim. The asymmetrical brim dips down on one side but up on the other. Consider where you are on the height spectrum and adjust your hat brim size accordingly. And if these options don’t work, there is always the versatile “Fascinator” that can be the proverbial “cherry on top” if a brim doesn’t work for you.
- Permission to Flaunt, Pose and Look Great
Even for women who don’t generally wear hats, the Kentucky Derby is that ONE day to truly be outrageous, wild or simply the center of attention. That’s because it’s the norm instead of the exception. Everyone wears a hat. Regardless of what hat you choose, nobody will stare too long.
“The theme for the Derby is ‘go big or go home’ and it’s a time to flaunt your personal style! ‘Have a Blast’ is the theme of the day. Dress up, have fun and find the perfect hat that complements your face, your outfit, your style, and watch those photographers’ cameras find you,“ encourages Christine A. Moore Featured Milliner of the 144th Kentucky Derby.
Some opt for crazy, others for elegance, but at the Kentucky Derby, everyone is in a place where NOT wearing a hat will get more looks of disbelief than whatever design you could possibly choose. “It’s the Super Bowl of Hats after all,” concludes Hats in the Belfry’s E-Commerce General Manager - and Preakness Stakes aficionado - Keith Pfeffer. “The right derby Hat is the difference between just looking good and looking great!”
