Cloche Hats

Vintage Style

The woman whose signature style reflects fashions of another era always includes at least one cloche in her hat wardrobe. In fact, if her era of choice happens to be the 1920s, several cloches are in order. Clearly conjuring the aesthetic of that time, it's a hat that complements the fashions of the period as well: chemise-style flapper dresses, dripping in fringe; dropped waist dresses with pleats, fringe, embroidery or other eye-catching details on the lower portion; trousers partnered with ultra-feminine blouses; yards of pearls; smooth, bobbed hair.

Putting a contemporary spin on this look, a cloche paired with just one fashion item from that period recalls the time in a thoroughly modern way. With bobbed hair and a cutting-edge dress, a cloche evokes the past while creating a decidedly new look. Likewise, coupling a cloche with jeans, Emma Stone, photographed traveling from Los Angeles to New York and adding your own twist with long strands of pearls, that may or may not be real, winks playfully at that roaring era.

Summer Sassiness

Hats designed in raffia or natural straw are summer staples. While wide-brim hats may spring to mind for summertime, when the hat is a cloche, it takes on a cool and chic aura unlike any other. Consider the nostalgic look of a raffia straw cloche, encircling the face in the most flattering way. Accompanying a long, flowing sundress, the total design is fabulousness made easy! Or sprinkle extra femininity on the monochromatic styling of white jeans and a ruffled white top, for instance, by adding crochet cloche hats in vivid summertime shades such as red or yellow. It's casual charm at its best.

Winter Wow

Wool felt shapes the wintertime cloche to perfection. Think of Angelina Jolie in the film "Changeling." Replete with fur-collared coat and tan-colored cloche adorned with a brown ribbon and a flower beside the crown, her look is stunningly beautiful, rivaling anything worn by the "ladies who lunch,"decked out in their finest daytime ensembles. That's the fashion power of a cloche.

To create your own wintertime look, consider the versatility of a simple wool knit cloche with a flower on the side. A style that is as striking with a little black dress as with pants and a winter coat, that single cloche could well become your go-to wintertime hat. Alternatively, a cloche rimmed in fur provides added warmth along with a good deal of style.

Wedding Splendor

Attending events as gala as weddings calls for commensurately festive fashions. Somehow, regardless of the elegance of their dress or suit, women's daytime wedding attire is instantly taken to a higher level by the addition of a hat. Moreover, selecting a cloche embellished with a glittering brooch, festooned with feathers or delicately embroidered in an elaborate pattern makes a captivating fashion statement. Sure, all eyes are on the bride during weddings, but many admiring glances are directed toward the dazzling women in cloche hats.

There's one main reason cloches have endured in popularity: Their timeless beauty enhances that of the wearer.