Designer Fascinators

A fascinator is an extravagant accessory adorning the head/hair and is becoming the popular alternative to wearing hats to formal occasions. These elaborate headpieces can be found in a variety of shapes and colours and are generally made out of a combination of feathers, beads, flowers and netting.

Not surprisingly, Fascinators evolved as an alternative to hats in the 18^th Century when women began to style and decorate their hair with flowers, bows and feathers. The natural progression from hat to fascinator was evident along with the changing attitudes of women in society. However, change did not come about quickly. It wasn’t until 1957 when the death of Christian Dior, a highly respected and influential designer in conjunction with the occurrence of the feminist movement, women were prepared to forgo the hat.

Up until then, hats had always been an expression of social attitudes and were as limited by convention as any other item of dress. There were rules about when and how a hat might be worn, not to mention making statements about class, breeding and even matrimonial status. Hats were once considered to be a number of possible indicators of power and all social classes abided by the rules governing their use.

When a dramatic shift in society’s opinion came about in the late 1950’s to early 60’s the hat was no longer a prominent item in fashion and became associated with dated views and conformity. Once associated with middle aged to elderly fashion, the hat was no longer a desirable accessory for the youth aside from weddings, funerals and premium horse racing events where tradition was still imposed.

The decline in popularity of that hat made way for an insurgence of hair dressing, wigs/extentions and fascinators.