by Annie Poirier

Hats are back, and the world is so much better for it. A chic chapeau brings an undeniably effortless style to just about any ensemble (though velour tracksuits are irredeemably ghastly). This columnist can personally attest to this, as a fedora fiend. In my early teens I liberated a felt broad-brimmed one, in a stunning royal blue, from my Mother’s collection–never looked back.

For this year’s return to eras of elegance, the chicest chapeaus are classic and easy to wear (dare I say, sometimes even sensible?). Hats are some of the most varied accessories on the planet- from a charming crocheted cloche to a daring derby, find the right one and you’re damn well set for life.

Sadly (not really), as with all modes, there are things to avoid. Bucket hats are terribly juvenile (best saved for the under 12 set), and cowboy hats were turned into tragic clichés by clubbers in the late 90s and early 00s. While these hats are not completely unacceptable, they should really only be worn by people of the vocation they were intended for. Bucket hats are for buckets, and cowboy hats are pretty self-explanatory.

In sporting a dapper topper, you enter a new league of class and style. Who would Napoleon be without his height enhancers, or Bogart without his fedoras? Who has made a bigger mark on history, Frank Sinatra or Men Without Hats?