A user's guide to fascinators and wide-brimmed hats to automatically elevate your next guest looks

As wedding season continues, you might consider invest in a hat or A wide-brimmed hat to elevate your look As a guest . We've spoken with experts on the subject who give us tips on how to wear them like no one else.

We all remember the worldwide media impact of Queen Letizia's headdress in the coronation of Charles III which accompanied the now legendary two-piece pink outfit by Carolina Herrera. Isabel Terroso , milliner and founder of Balel Luxury Hats She was the mastermind behind the 1950s-inspired design that caused a sensation. Isabel knows well that for a hat to work, it has to be placed close to the eyebrow and tilted slightly forward. never backwards or showing the hairline. Furthermore, the wings should never exceed the size of the shoulders.

Ana María Chico de Guzmán , founder of Mimoki 's clientele includes all the elegant ladies and well-to-do young women of the capital. Her workshop on Conde Aranda Street is... A must-stop for everyone the guests who want to stylishly wear a fascinator, headband, or one of their wide-brimmed hats. Surprisingly, while in the years before the pandemic, renting their fascinators exceeded buying them, currently The acquisition of custom designs is far superior. "The guests are getting more custom-made headpieces, and they invest in and enjoy a process that we share with them with great enthusiasm," says Ana María.

"This season the winged headdresses perched on a diadem They are a customer favorite, along with our medium-sized, handcrafted bases with organic shapes, which are ideal for both for tomorrow's guests "Like in the afternoon , adorned with verlos and tinted feathers that give movement," she concludes.

The user manual for fascinators and wide-brimmed hats in 10 tips

With years of experience, Ana María Chico de Guzmán It gives us all Key points to consider in 10 points :

1. "The protocol says that headdresses They are placed on the right side. It used to be on the head, but nowadays that rule is more flexible depending on the wearer's role and the type of wedding. Depending on the hairstyle, the hair parting, the asymmetrical volume of the look, or the most flattering profile, it can be placed on the left.
2. The wide-brimmed hats and fascinators only those with large wings are allowed at morning weddings and they are always worn with short dresses, midi dresses and with suits and trousers.
3. The medium and small headpieces as well as headbands, turbans, caps or bandeaus are also ideal for guests at afternoon weddings .
4. A long dress is never worn at a morning wedding, and at an afternoon wedding... She will never wear a Pamela hat .
5. The Ideal materials for hat making in summer These are the raffia and sinamay fabrics that form the base of veils, silk flowers and organza that can be combined with dyed feathers, horsehair and natural and lightweight fabrics in silk, cotton or linen.
6. And as for colors, I always like to create Surprising and unexpected combinations . This season I love pairing muted green with a salmon-pink hue. Or lilac with electric blue, or orange with sky blue and curry tones.
7. About necklines and headpieces There's no one-size-fits-all rule. At Mimoki, we always strive for a balance that depends on several factors. The physiognomy—the length of the neck, the shape of the shoulders, chin, and forehead, the height, or even the shape of the eyebrows—can determine the most flattering style of headpiece and, therefore, the neckline.
8. In general, if the neckline is very high, we will look for hat or fascinator designs that don't cover too much of the face and to prevent the person from "getting lost" behind a large wing .
9. And we'll look for designs that leave the profile nice and clear, or designs like headpieces, headbands, or caps, which are much more interesting for looks closed at the top.
10. If you wear a wide-brimmed hat to a morning wedding, the ideal thing to wear is... an updo that allows us to see at least the earlobe and the sides of the neck, and have a neckline appropriate to the type of ceremony, but with enough air so that the effect enhances the guest without hiding her."

The milliner who takes her inspiration from the royals

Besides Paula Beneytez, founder and creative designer of Marcela&Co. has had her own brand since 2017. A lover of hats and Royal Families, she draws inspiration from royals such as Kate Middleton, Marie Chantal of Greece, Mary of Denmark, Infanta Elena of Bourbon, and Carlota Casiraghi.

In her studio at Avenida de Europa 11, in Pozuelo de Alarcón (Madrid), she sees clients by appointment. "What I love most is that women of all ages come, daughters with their mothers, but also godmothers and brides, something that moves me deeply on such a special day," she says. " The sinamay hats They are the most sought after and the headbands with net a best-seller throughout the year."

The most important thing for Wearing a fascinator and wide-brimmed hat to summer weddings -according to Paula- is that "the guest feels like wearing it, that she doesn't feel like she's in costume and that it matches her style."

When should you remove your headpiece? "Once lunch is over, it is permitted to remove your hat or fascinator."

Summer materials and colors: " Straw and flowers are used a lot in summer. The star colors of summer in my headpieces are aquamarine or light blue, pink, bougainvillea and beige."

How to choose a headpiece? "There is no rule that determines which headpiece to choose according to the outfit, but I always recommend to the client that if If the day is going to be very sunny and hot , opt for wide-brimmed hats or fascinators with the largest brim. On the other hand, if the day is not very sunny or is even cloudy, you can choose one with a smaller brim. The large brim is used, in addition to aesthetic reasons, for the practical reason of protecting yourself from the sun.