DECEMBER
&
Brim Proper
ISSUE 1: MAN MEETS HAT £7,50
Head-Line
The practicality of hats in London
Man Meets Hat
The hidden treasures from the 1910s to the 1960s.
Hat Master
Edwina Ibbotson and her couture millinery studio
Dear reader, Shifting away from what has become the mainstream, we’ve created a bolder, braver magazine to celebrate the significance of an ordinary yet notable object – the hat. While placing the hat first, we have explored its prominent cultural relevance, high diversity in wearability and the rise of the hat as a statement piece. The hat has undergone an era of rapid change. While initially designed as a representation of class, as different orders within the social hierarchy, they have now become inseparable from the fashion industry. Brim&Proper aims to make hats more accessible to the common person, to shatter the notion that hats are only to be worn on momentous occasions and are not to be paired with everyday wear. Additionally, we question whether should hats be gender specific. Who says a man can’t rock a hat designed for a lady? As you devour this magazine, we hope you get your hats on your heads and simply enjoy it.
Credits SeLina lampard Photographer Commissioner ugne zukauskaite Art Director Editor & Designer Bilal bashir Model emily drysdale Illustrator
HEAD-LINE
This is a first thought account of the most suitable and unsuitable hats and how they work in and around London. Meet the Bad Bitch Balaclava and watch her get Hot-Headed.
Hat master Join us for a tête-à-tête with milliner Edwina Ibbotson at her couture studio in South West London. Edwina opens up about her discovery of millinery, her design process and whether the craft has a sustainable future.
HEAD-LINE For the next ten days my head will be trialling and testing the most on-trend hats and how they work with everyday life. Selina Lampard
Monday 22 October: Beret Day So, I started my week off with French-chic vibes. It’s easily wearable with any outfit and adds a classy element no matter where you’re heading too. Providing the fit is perfect, it will rest of your head effortlessly and show solidarity against tough weather conditions. Tuesday 23 October: Hot Headed An early morning normally means a cold one, with that I decided to try my hand at a woolly hat. I was warm and cosy on my commute to work, my ears well encased and hidden from gale force winds. However, the hat hair once it’s taken off is a whole other story and not a good one. Note to self: Not appropriate for work… Unless you’re a lumberjack. Wednesday 24 October: Fan of the Fedora? NOT WIND PROOF. Thursday 25t October: Bucket hat I questioned today’s hat of choice plenty of times; can I really wear that outside? Taking the plunge, I stuck it on my head and went diving out into the pouring rain. Pros: it kept my hair dry. Cons: I felt like Paddington the bear. Its everyday suitability is questionable, maybe I’d have felt more comfortable and less out of place if I were at a festival covered in mud with trench foot? Friday 26 October: No, I Am not about to workout It’s nearly the end of the week and I haven’t washed my hair; I saw this as an opportunity to test out another hat and its wearability. It’s safe to say, it did the job, it covered my unwashed hair well, although I couldn’t help but think that it was obvious. I saw many people running errands with a cap on too, however, they sported the look with a full set of gym gear… I didn’t.
Saturday 27 October: Baker Boy I’m running late, so I’m washing my hair, putting on a stylish baker boy hat and running out the door. It is perfect for any occasion, work, casual brunch or drinks in the evening. Your hair in a low pony tail or your locks running wild. It just works. I would personally advise anyone and everyone to buy one, you can get them in vinyl, corduroy and tweed for a more specific look. Sunday 28 October: No hat needed. Monday 29 October: Bad Bitch Balaclava Recently I’ve been thinking how I can keep my face warm during the current ice age in London. Calvin Klein came at me with the answer in the form of a £295 balaclava, I wore it, I loved it, I returned it. I did not pay that much money to have people stare at me. No thank you, Calvin. Tuesday 30 October: White Wedding High fashion has made a statement with lace hats, this is potentially the most unpractical of hats so far, its thin, flimsy and the material oh so itchy! The hat wraps around my head and extends onto my face, I felt claustrophobic and as though I was about to get married. Which I’m not, sorry mum. Wednesday 31 October: Abracadabra I’m ogre green with lazy makeup smeared around my eyes and a poor attempt at warts covering my face. I ride on a broom stick and cackle around a cauldron until the early hours of the morning. My hat is black and long with a pointy curl at the top, yes, I’m a witch. I’ve finally found the hat which fits my personality perfectly.
Man Meets Hat From top hats to cloche hats, explore the hidden treasures from the 1910s to the 1960s. Selina Lampard & Ugne Zukauskaite
1960s: Women’s version of the 1800s men’s Top Hat flourished during this decade. While it was a symbol of status in the 1800, it was revived as an emblem of high fashion.
1950s: Wider-brimmed floppy hats gained popularity; associated with the hippy and boho movement.
1940s: A take on hats worn during World War I, when military styles influenced millinery designs. These closesitting, netted headwear lasted until the 1940s.
1920s: Hairstyles grow shorter, hats sit closer; the beginning of the art-deco period, when hats take taller profiles to compliment the high-collared fashions.
1910s: Following the Edwardian era, hats were worn with widder brims, that balanced fuller pompadour hairstyles and flowing skirts.
THE GREAT hat exhibition
London Hat Week is a collection of hat-related events run by individuals and organisations across London, celebrating the art of hats in the City that is home to some of the most talented hat designers in the world.
Details Date: April 3rd 2019 Time: 11:00 am - 18:00 pm Cost: ÂŁ7,50 Nearest sation: London Bridge Station Venue: Menier Gallery 51 Southwark Street Bankside, London SE1 1RU, London
Tickets available at: www.xterrace.com/hat19
Hat master Milliner Edwina Ibbotson welcomes us into her couture studio, where she creates bespoke headwear pieces for members of the Royal Family and whose designs are featured in leading fashion magazines, such as Vogue. Edwina chronicles her design aesthetic, brand identity and sources of inspiration over a warm cup of tea.
Ugne Zukauskaite
As I walk into Edwina Ibbotson’s millinery studio in South West London, I find our subject unboxing a bouquet of hats that have just been returned from Vogue. As she hunts for her pieces in a massive hatbox, packed in piles of thin paper, she apologises for the mess and laughs about the busy months she’s had. While Edwina organises her collection, I wander around the store, admiring each bespoke piece of her creation. On exhibition, there are currently about thirty hats; each made to order, for a variety of special occasions. Our tête-à-tête begins in her compact studio, at the back of the store. Surrounded by a variety of fabrics, her assortment of brightly coloured threads and pages of sketches, she talks about her path to millinery and her experiences of almost 30 years of working in the field. Edwina Ibbotson discovered millinery while studying photography in Edinburgh. She recalls her experiences as a photographer vividly. She says, “my partner at that time always took a better photograph, so I used to wear a lot of hats and go to charity shops and add cardboard inside them. I said I had to do something better because I wasn’t as good as him.” That was the push that made Edwina change her major to millinery. The millinery training that began in Manchester, soon led her to New York, Paris and London. She chuckles saying, “You just have to throw yourself into it and eat, drink, sleep hats.” Her designs begin with a client looking for a special accessory for an occasion. Clients are invited to the store to meet Edwina and to try on some hats. Edwina admits that she has is extremely good at picking out the hats for her clients to try on. She says, “99% of the time, clients will chose the first piece I put on them.” While Edwina explains the design stages she goes through, I can’t help but wonder what comes first: the outfit or the hat? It turns out that while some clients come in with their attire in mind, the hat commonly comes first. The key word that Edwina uses to describe her millinery is “Stylish,” designed for the fashionable and chic woman. The clients are her sources of inspiration. She says, “I don’t actually look at any vintage pictures or go on Instagram to get inspiration. It’s all about
who walks in through the door.” Edwina is currently busy preparing for her Spring/ Summer collection and a range of hats for next Autumn/Winter. She briefly describes her designs as “more casual, it’s very Chelsea and for people who are hunting, shooting, fishing.” You just have to throw yourself into it and eat, drink, sleep hats. While millinery is currently prospering in London, I wonder if it has a sustainable future. When asked, Edwina laughs saying, “I hope so. Definitely with Kate and Megan, or I should say the Duchesses of Cambridge and Sussex, as long as they keep wearing them, we will be wearing hats again.” Lastly, we converse about the significance of the hat and what they mean to her. She remarks, “For the very best hats, it’s a sculpture on your head. It’s much more than just an item of clothing, it finishes and enhances your look.” As we end our discussion, Edwina picks up her needle and thread, and puts a thimble back on her index finger. I walk through the store one last time, admiring every hand-sewn piece of embroidery, considering every touch of a client’s character and the hours of work that go into every creation. What hat would Edwina design for me? Would I stand taller? Would it give me confidence? Or would it be something to hide behind or under?