By Dr Sima Patel

“For me, there is very little difference between magic and art. To me, the ultimate act of magic is to create something from nothing: It’s like when the stage magician pulls the rabbit from the hat.” – Alan Moore

July is the height of summer and most of us want the sun to be shining with deep blue skies and not a cloud in sight. We can hear ourselves singing happy tunes such as ‘the sun has got his hat on, hip-hip-hip-hooray, the sun has got his hat on and is coming out today’.
Research has shown that there is a feel good factor that comes with wearing just the right clothes. At this time of year, it is wonderful to people watch and see the range of hats being worn. Everything from cycling caps and helmets, flat billed caps, sun visors and of course, the glamorous hats worn at the Chelsea Flower Show and a variety of horse racing events across Sussex and Surrey. We don’t have to be magical, we can just create our own magic with hats.

Hats are clearly a good protective factor against the rays of strong sunshine. However, they can add a whole range of other feel good factors as described below. Given that July should be a feel good month with summer holidays just around the corner for those lucky ones, why not make July fun by wearing some different hats, doing hat swaps with friends and having a good laugh in hats that just don’t suit you.

So why should we wear hats?

Hats can make you stand out. While most people prefer not to stand out, sometimes that’s exactly what you need. Have you ever found your head turning to take a double glance at someone wearing a hat that suits them down to a T? Why not mark a day in July where you wear a hat that makes you stand out and perhaps you could turn a few heads.

The right hat makes you look confident. Throwing on the right hat can make you exude confidence. Wide brimmed hats can have this particular impact. Why not try a fedora or a flat billed snapback worn in different positions. As quoted by Neil Gaiman, ‘some hats can only be worn if you’re willing to be jaunty, to set them at an angle and to walk beneath them with a spring in your stride as if you’re only a step away from dancing’. Go on, give a hat a go.

It completes the look. Hats are like the icing on the cake. You can look great without one but you can look so much better with one on. So can you think of a hat that puts that final touch on your already great style? If so, have you got the courage to wear it and feel good? Hats can frame or shape your face. Hats provide a wonderful optical illusion to make parts of our face appear less noticeable or accentuate other parts of our face. The right hat can be flattering on anyone. Wide brimmed hats bring attention outwards instead of upwards so are better at covering the forehead. For those with a short or small face, a simple beanie or beret can add to your look without overwhelming your gentle features. Go on, if you don’t have your own, you can always borrow one.

A great way to have no bad hair days. Hats are a real treat when there is simply no time to take care of your hair or if your hair can’t stand wet conditions which of course we don’t want too much of in July. So for those occasional British summer rain showers, a hat could do the trick.

Hats are just great fun. Why not have a hat party. Everyone brings a hat and everyone spends time wearing different hats, creating belly aching laughter. Or why not have a hat making party and get some creative juices flowing.

Make someone happy with a hat. Hats are wonderful gifts and souvenirs and could be just the right gift at the right time. Especially those really thoughtful ones such as the perfect panama hat or a cycling helmet.

Bakerboy caps, baseball, engineer and watch caps, beanies, cotton hats, flat caps, fedoras and homburgs, trilbies and pork pies, tweed hats, top hats and cokes (bowlers), rain hats, panamas, boaters and straw hats, bandeaus and visors, berets, boaters, cloches and trilbies, panamas and silk sun hats, all weather hats. Why not treat yourself to a lovely fun hat or borrow one; go on, you know you want to, especially for the days of joyful July when you want to feel great.

Dr Sima Patel

Chartered Psychologist and Coach

“How a hat makes you feel is what a hat is all about.”

– Philip Treacy