HATS and Stephen Jones

Master hatter, Stephen Jones, opens his world and milliner secrets at the exhibit he curated in London at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Infused with charm and desire, for DIYers, this exhibit inspires you to pull out any old forgotten hat, and to dress it up and make it personal. Naturally, I loved SJ's "denim" hat sketched above, created with a patchwork of worn, rugged denim, and a big bunch of blue cornflowers and margaritas that seem to have been so carelessly and naturally tossed on the rim, that you can imagine the sunny, country lane where they were gathered.
The exhibit, though chiefly SJ's hats, included also plenty of other hats pulled from the extensive V&A archives, including this pretty hand stitched country bonnet, stiffened with cord and lined in undyed linen from the mid to later 1800s, ...

and a colorful straw boater from 1937, heaped with water lilies.

Except for some uniforms and a few exceptions, hats are worn today to entertain, for our own pleasure and to fulfill some dreamy thoughts. They are a medium to express yourself and your lifestyle. Today there are no milliner rules, you can freely use the most unexpected or unusual materials - and I hope you're inspired (like I've been) to start rummaging around, through all your crazy re-cycled junk, pluck some things from the garden, or mix in some fine delicate silks and ribbons - and experiment with shape, texture and color - remaking some old hat found in the back of your closet into a happy, or romantic, or hip creation, to add some whimsical fun to your day! Hats are the newest accessory.