Any look at a 1970s wedding photo will show a lot of the women wearing wide brimmed floppy hats in a wild variety of styles and colours. However, in the stylish 70s, hats were not only worn once for weddings and then stored in the back of the wardrobe. Back in the day, lots of women wore floppy hats as part of their usual look and often kept a hat selection for different outfits. Very occasionally men wore them too although this look was not as popular in the UK as it was in the States where the male floppy hat is known as a pimp hat.
Hats could be made from straw material – remember the girl in the Cadbury’s flake ad, whose painting ran in the rain? You could get them in a natural tint, sometimes with a coloured ribbon around the brim or find them in a range of colours such as purple or bright green.
Alternatively, your hat could be made from felt or fabric and ideal for providing some extra winter warmth. You could accessorise the hat with a colourful band or scarf tied around the brim for a jaunty look. Alternatively, simply wear the hat plain, like Annie Hall in the Woody Allen film.
Hats could be smart and suburban or create a pretty country style look. You could wear hats with jeans, pretty dresses or anything you like. The 1970s floppy hat was adaptable and could be used for a range of styles and looks. My cousin had loads of floppy hats and wore them as often as she could get away with it!
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