Style: Hat Statements on Inauguration Day

story THE FADER

As Inauguration Day is winding down here on the East Coast — and hopefully an evening of festivities is about to begin — we had to remark on a stylish theme that has nothing to do with the hype of Michelle Obama’s sparkling Isabel Toledo dress. It has a more functional angle, yet it also makes for a more traditional statement of special occasion: the hat. There were plenty of interesting hats in Washington D.C. today, ranging from the loud-yet-perfectly-fitting Aretha Franklin bow top hat, to the common fedora, to the wool hunting cap. Regardless of shape or size, it seemed that today everyone was “tipping their hat” to a new era.

Muhammad Ali and wife Lonnie, photo by Doug Mills