Hoe te schoffelen

Prince's Day. Then we can talk about the throne speech, about why that golden carriage wasn't ready on time, about why it still hasn't been possible to form a cabinet, but we choose the hats. All the ladies from The Hague pulled them out of the closet, some successfully (Marianne Thieme!), others less so. That's why I dove into the depths of the internet to dig up the hat etiquette. For learning and amusement.

When do you wear a hat?

When the dress code or tradition calls for it. On Prince's Day, it's a given. If an invitation states ‘Tenue de ville’, it’s not required, but it is allowed. If you have a black tie event, you can wear a hat or a fascinator (a smaller head decoration) with your knee-length cocktail dress (because yes, you can wear a knee-length dress at a gala). With a long cocktail dress, a hat is less appropriate, but I would choose either nothing or a fascinator.

Think of a hat if you have a wedding or a baptism. At a funeral, I would let it depend on the company. It can quickly seem a bit exaggerated, and if you are not part of the immediate family, it could be perceived as somewhat inappropriate. Struggling with what to wear to a funeral? I wrote this about it.

Should it come off upon entering?

No, a man takes off his hat, we keep ours on.

How do you wear it?

Either straight ahead, but if you want to wear it at an angle, tilt it slightly to the right. In the past, the man always walked to your left, so you could see your beloved on your left arm well and your view wasn't blocked by your hat. And oh yes, make sure your eyebrows are always visible.

And oh yes II

A beret can be worn with loose hair. With a hat or fascinator, I find it more appropriate that you have done ‘something’ with your hair. A bun, a nice ponytail; something.