Hats, Happiness and Hang-ups

What is it about the ‘hat’ that captures our hearts? It’s a status symbol, a fashion accessory, a decoration, an icon, a safety tool; in spite of which it’s very much overlooked in everyday life ans gets little attention in comparison to its close relative ‘the handbag’.

After returning from a very cold outing with a particularly season appropriate woolly hat complete with bobble and tassels, I was very reluctant to take it off. For glasses wearers among you this may ring a few bells. With the hat on I felt comfortable slightly protected, rather like when one wears glasses especially of the current large heavy framed style, a sort of protection barrier is erected between us and those we interact with.

I propose the hat has been undervalued. When flinging open my wardrobe to find a hat I could wear the next day I was very disappointed. The sense of experimentation, dress-up and playfulness a hat can bring seemed lacking from my wardrobe. The happiness of wearing my bobble-clad winter woolly pull-on had all but disappeared.

So what’s the hang-up in our relationship with hats? Why do we shy away from making fashion statements with such a versatile item and why if we do use them is it on ‘special occasions’ or ‘intermittently’ rather than weekly or daily? A picture of a high street from the 1940′s or 1950′s would be awash with hats and headgear donned by the public,even children.

Whilst the trilby has had some mild fame in the past 5-10 years, closely followed by the more recent return of the 70′s floppy hat.. More is needed. Although the hat invariably means compromising on the ability of hair or hairstyle to make the biggest fashion statement near our face it has greater impact and can be far easier changed to suit our various moods.

So perhaps next time you choose an outfit, spare a thought for the hat, don’t let you hang-ups put you off and unveil the unique feeling of ‘hat happiness’.

Tinsel, time out and taking stock

Whilst taking time out from the planning of Christmas starters, baking treats, frantic last minute shopping, I came across this rather unique little ’gold’ Christmas tree (pictured above). Yes, another crime against Christmas tradition I hear you cry, but this little tree made me stop and take note.

It was exactly the reaction this tree gave me that inspired this post, how those things which make us ‘stop’ even if just for a few seconds have the potential to impact upon us. Maybe Christmas has such impact because it makes us stop, pause in the chaos of family, work and leisure.

The ‘shock’ tactic is cliche, but the ‘stop’ factor, the ability of something to hold your attention, that’s gold.  Too often we do not give ourselves time to be ‘stopped’, ‘facinated’ or even surprised, trudging along seemingly ignorant. Chirstmas works like a ‘Mary-Poppins’ medicine coaxing us from the comfort of a year drawing to a close into the unknown depths of the new year ahead. For this reason, it is important to embrace ‘time-out’ to reflect, to be inspired, to pause.

Whether your putting tinsel on the tree, trekking outside or tucking into turkey, don’t forget to take stock this Christmas and give attention to those little ‘gold’ moments.

Taking the first step

Today I started my first blog, but why today? Maybe because as 2011 draws to a close I reflect on those things I have achieved, those which I haven’t and those which I would have liked to achieve.

For months family and friends had been nagging at me to start a blog, being coy I followed the party line of many cynics that blogging was ‘vein’ and ‘self-indulgent’. I can honestly say my first fifteen minutes of blogging have been absolutely wonderful.

So back to my original question, why today? New years are, for me, about challenges, as someone who is terribly impatient I felt the anticipation of the challenges to come in 2012 just to far away, what better excuse than to create my very own challenge of ‘rosielessseewhatyoucanbe’ to curb my impatience.

‘Rosieleeseewhatyoucanbe’ has been in my mind (albeit in skeleton form) for sometime, I am currently in the process of creating and designing my own fashion range, trying to finish a degree, and ensure I have some sort of career at the end of it all.  Already I have learnt some valuable lessons about ambition and impatience which I wanted to share with others,  so that  ‘taking the first step’  seems that little bit easier.