Twenty years ago I was someone who wanted to wear hats. I loved the way women looked in hats. I loved the styles and whimsy and history of hats. I could imagine how it would be to have a room full of beautiful hats. But alas, I was not the sort of women who could wear hats.
Then someone very wise (thanks Bill Klos!) said to me: “If you want to become someone who wears hats, just buy a hat and start to wear it. You’ll probably feel really weird and uncomfortable for awhile, but sooner or later, it will be a part of who you are.”
Bill was right. My first hat was a large-brimmed purple felt hat that a friend in Los Angeles gave to me, along with a spotted orange chiffon scarf. I started wearing that hat. I was uncomfortable at first and then I wasn’t. I started buying hats from thrift stores, garage sales, boutiques, vacation spots. After a very short amount of time, I felt delightful and happy when I was wearing my hats. I forgot that I wasn’t the sort of person who could wear hats.
Today, I have more than 100 hats and even when I’m not wearing them, they make me happy! I love their colors, shapes, and textures. I love the way they make me feel, on or off my head.
I lost the purple hat in London. But I still have that whimsical orange spotted chiffon scarf. Now, if only I could be the sort of woman who wears scarves…