You Can Leave Your Hat On

This outfit is probably my "most worn" this Fall and Winter for weekend outings and casual Fridays at the office.  Hat (AH Collection at Clay Terrace); Boots (Zulilly); Watch (Fossil); Wool turtleneck (Kasper); Sweater (Ginger & Spice); Grey jeans (J Brand, 815 via Style Swap Indy - read about this cool event here)

 The title of this post has nothing to do with the Joe Cocker song made famous during a particularly steamy scene in the movie 9 and 1/2 Weeks, though I'm sure it's going to be on repeat in my head all day now.  

I love hats, and I wear them on a near daily basis when I venture out in the Winter (my Mom will probably laugh about this because as a child, I threw temper tantrums when she made me wear a hat).  When the not so humble chapeau is an integral part of my outfit, though, I sometimes struggle with whether to leave it on while I'm indoors.  In large part, the decision depends on 1) the type of hat, and 2) where I'm at.  If it's a baseball cap worn with jeans or cargo pants on the weekend, I will always leave it on (unless, of course, I remove it briefly for the National Anthem at a sporting event).  If I'm shopping or out to dinner, I'll almost always leave it on, regardless of the style of the hat.  Even the knit hat I'm wearing in these pics, which I originally thought would be an "outdoor only" hat, is one that I generally leave on wherever I am.  It gives an unexpectedly chic edge to an otherwise fairly casual jeans and sweater look.  It also leaves a pattern on my forehead, which is extra incentive to leave it on....

But the office, however, is where I sometimes question whether I should take my hat off.  Hats are not commonplace where I work (are they commonplace anywhere anymore?)  So, wearing one in a client meeting will usually engender comment, and I don't want focus on my headwear to be a distraction from the matter at hand. But, lately, if the hat is "understated," I just may leave it on.  My burnt orange cloche, worn two ways here and here, for example, is one that I feel comfortable leaving on all day, even at the office.  This bright red, brimmed hat, on the other hand, is one that I take off when my coat comes off.  Likewise, this bejeweled ivory faux fur head wrap is a little over the top for work, but I might well keep it on for an evening out.

Do you leave your hat on?  Why or why not?

My Grandma Norma was a fan of the hat.  I'm a fan of her.

Fashion is what you buy; Style is what you do with it!

I'm linked up with Style Crone's Hat Attack - you can see lots more fab hats on her blog!