What is a Fascinator Hat for Women — FranchiHatz

FranchiHatz
3 min readJan 27, 2021

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Photo by Gift Habeshaw on Unsplash

In the 17th century, the word Fascinator hat was first mentioned in the fashion world. Back then, it referred to tiny, elaborate hats clipped to the wearer’s head or a lacy scarf wrapped around the heads. It was a popular fashion choice among women from royal families, and this version of the hat gave an alluring air of beauty to women. The name also seems like a perfect fit as an eye-catching accessory. But as we’ll review, the hat was called something different until the 1960s.

History of Fascinators

In the 1960s, a man that specializes in making and selling hats named John P. John, who lived in New York, decided it was time for the fascinator to come back into the fashion world. Instead of using the headpiece’s original name, he re-branded the name of the petite cocktail hats to half-hats or clip-hats. The catty new name helped the already-popular design become even more known and popular.

When to wear Fascinators

Weddings are one of the places where you will see women adorning fascinator hats. It is ubiquitous for the bride’s mother to wear a fascinator hat when her daughter walks down the aisle to marry the man of her dreams. When it comes to a royal wedding, women cover their heads with fascinators of colors and designs to make a statement as they arrive at the church.

Fascinator hats are also a good match for your outfit when attending a cocktail event. If you want to look elegant and highly noticeable at an event, try wearing a nice gown, high heels, and a fascinator.

The fascinator also goes well on different outfits when attending a corporate event. Companies often hold corporate evening events; this can be a fundraiser, special event, annual party, or an award ceremony. If it is a more formal function, a fascinator can help you stand out.

Fastening the Fascinator

Another benefit of fascinator hat is that they are easy to attach to the hair, whether you have your hair up or down. They use headbands, pin clips, or safety pins to ensure it stays in place while you dance, walk and move with ease.

How much are Fascinators

Fascinators are surprisingly affordable. You can buy an elegant fascinator at prices from $25 to $75 dollars. You can even make your own using a few basic materials such as pins, lace, bands, headbands, and real or fake flowers. Some women really enjoy making their own and they have a great story and conversation topic.

When to not wear a Fascinator

Please be aware that if you are hosting, moving, or very active at a formal event, then it may be best for you to not use a fascinator. This includes if you are going on/off stage, moving through many hallways, going up/down many stairs, and near equipment like kitchen or audio/video wires.

As an alternative, you can consider a tiara, tea party hat, or headband. But if you must stand out with a fascinator in those situations, opt for a smaller pin on form that stays close to your head and moves with you.

Conclusion

When you have an elegant event to attend, consider buying a fascinator that wows your outfit or making your own custom fascinator. They can really lift your overall look and dress code beyond what is possible with just hair.

Originally published at https://www.franchihatz.com on January 27, 2021.

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FranchiHatz

We design, curate, sell, and chat about STYLISH HATS & ACCESSORIES