◆ Cocktail Hats Gallery ◆
The specific terminology and nomenclature surrounding this class of headwear is a hotly debated topic among milliners and enthusiasts. The quickest route to an argument in some cases might be a staunch declaration of what should or should not be referred to as a “fascinator.” In fact, these hats only gained this moniker in the 1960s when American milliner John P. John coined the term fascinator for what was then called either a cocktail hat, a clip-hat, or a half-hat.
In 2013 the Royal Ascot issued the following hat-related dress code for ladies entering the Royal Enclosure:
“Hats should be worn; a headpiece which has a base of four inches (10cm) or more in diameter is acceptable as an alternative to a hat.”
“Fascinators are no longer permitted in the Royal Enclosure and neither are headpieces which do not have a base covering a sufficient area of the head (four inches/10cm).”
The 2020 page adds “Girls (aged 10-17) … may wear a headpiece or fascinator as an alternative to a hat, without any size restriction.”
By these rules, anything with a base of over 4” in diameter is not considered (By Royal Ascot) to be a fascinator but is instead considered to be a headpiece. Most non-milliners and hat customers, however, use the term joyously for anything smaller than a fully crowned “hat.”
I dodge this contentious issue entirely by calling my jaunty, perchy offerings Cocktail Hats, but I won’t mind at all if you want a “fascinator” instead.
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