Winter break is a time to have some forced family fun, to refresh, to figure out what to do over the summer and beyond. It’s also a time to plot what looks to serve when classes start up again. One easy way to elevate any outfit is with a hat. Not only will it keep one warm during those those 20-minute treks across campus and cover a bad hair day, but it also makes a statement. Here are five hats to complete your wardrobe.
Pink Fuzzy Flat Cap
The internet told me the correct term for this pink angora, $8 thrift store find is “flat cap.” When I wear it, I am part Elle Woods from “Legally Blonde” and part Ryan Evans from “High School Musical,” who each wear a nearly identical cap. Both style it matchy-matchy and stripey, Elle with a pink off-the shoulder top and Ryan with a pink button up, but I would pair it with something a little more simple, like a plain black top.
While wearing this hat, Ryan performed “What Time Is It?” and Elle introduced herself to her Harvard classmates, saying “whoever said orange is the new pink is seriously disturbed.” Iconic.
Basic Stocking Cap
During an Ohio winter, a stocking cap serves the most practical purpose. I like to style an emerald green beanie I bought at a skateboard store with pigtail braids and a grungy outfit. It makes me feel like I’m cool enough to be in skateboard club.
Pro tip: since this hat rests really close to the eyes, try to get a hat that matches or compliments your eye color. This one brings out the green in my eyes.
Mom/Ariana Grande cap
My answer to the“dad cap” basic baseball cap is the “mom cap,” which, in true mom fashion, I actually bought from a craft store. Typically, I like the classic no-nonsense look of a ponytail out the opening in the back of the hat. But one day I was watching the Ariana Grande “Side to Side” music video and compulsively decided to cut a hole in the top, so I’m now forced to take the fashion risk of rocking a mega high ponytail. A scrunchie can really elevate this look as well.
Newsboy Cap
If you are a college-aged female, there’s a high chance that you’ve worn a newsboy cap with a buckle on it at some point in your past — probably paired with a poncho and probably to a Cheetah Girls or Hannah Montana concert about 10 years ago. In fact, when I was 11, my favorite band was actually called Newsboys. Pay homage to your former self by pairing it with straightened hair, flare jeans and a basic long-sleeved shirt.
Beret
I imagine berets have been fashionable since the beginning of time. The only thing tarnishing its record is the high school marching band, which could actually explain why I’m so attached to them as a former “band geek.” This gray studded number is a little more edgy than the typical, more prim, beret look. I like it with a turtleneck to keep it simple and make it the standout piece of the — it’s kind of mime-ish, but cool at the same time. If you’re feeling extra dramatic, pull a Mary Tyler Moore and do a turn and throw it up in the air. Because you are going to make it after all.
