The Autumn Carnival is upon us, and that means it’s time to consider all things fashion to make sure your looking fabulous on the fields. There are so many things that need to be considered; dress, style, colour and most importantly your hair piece.
We spoke to friends of the Australian Turf Club, Nerida Winter and Robert Carroll for their expert advice on how to find the perfect hat or head piece, because no outfit for the races is complete without one.
RESCU: What do hair piece do you recommend for different face shapes?
Nerida Winter: Look, there are probably some people out there that thinks this only goes with that. Personally, I don’t agree with that at all, and that has nothing to do with the way I work. I see people from the inside out and try to get into their head as to what their comfort zones are, what suits their personal style, and what suits their personality. This way I find that my customers walk away very pleased and comfortable on the day.
The proper hat for specific face shapes can change every year depending on hairstyles, fashion and current trends. Because everything is handmade here, everything is adaptable. What I can do is if there’s one particular shape that they really love but it looks a bit high on their head or a bit wide, I can tailor it for each individual. So really, it doesn’t matter about the shape or size of your face. There are no rules for me because I create them from scratch!
RESCU: Is there a specific head piece you recommend for different occasions?
Nerida Winter: When you look back through the eras, people wear different things to different occasions and it keeps on changing. You can keep on adapting to what’s going on in fashion and what people are feeling at the time, but at the end of the day, headpieces do really enhance an outfit. At the track, whether it’s a head piece or a hat, you’re going to feel underdressed if you don’t have one. But of course, a headpiece you wear to the races is not necessarily what you would wear to a formal wedding.
For casual daywear, I just love the modern appeal of a boater. You can wear it in so many different ways. You can wear at the front and make it look quite couture. You can wear it on the back of your head and channel that little French ‘it-girl’ look. And you can wear it to a festival just as much as you can wear it shopping. And same with a Fedora actually – a fedora is also quite universal. Also! The fibre used to create each piece can really transform how formal or casual your headpiece or hat is.
RESCU: What do you recommend that men wear to Sydney Autumn Carnival? Is face shape a factor that is taken under consideration?
Robert Carrol: The shape and size of ones face definitely comes into play when selecting a hat. For men with a smaller face, a trilby hat is probably best. This is a soft felt hat with a narrow brim and indented crown. For a bigger, round or square face, we tend to go for a slightly bigger brimmed fedora, because that tends to be a bit more proportional.
RESCU: Is height a factor as well?
Robert Carroll: Yes. Normally for different heights, the rule is the shorter the person the smaller the brim. However, a wide brim is quite on-trend at the moment, so this is not a hard and fast rule.
RESCU: Would you recommend different hats for different occasions?
Robert Carroll: For a more formal look, I’d recommend a derby or a bowler. If you are wearing a morning suit I would recommend a top hat.