Hat help please!

[ImmieLane]

I would really appreciate recommendations for where to buy a good quality, affordable, black hat, to wear at a funeral.

Loving Princess Catherine’s choice of felt/wool pilbox style hats but know that some of hers are near to £1,000.

I can also see Light in the Box and JJHouse have similar styling but I'm not sure on quality.

Maybe Whiteley but not sure on stockists.

Thanks for any help.

Something similar to these.

Type in on Google: Chapeau Claudette Hats

She is a magnificent hat maker with very similar designs to the ones you posted above.

Let me know what you think OP! 💐

I have seen similar on Etsy. The two companies you mention are dreadful, speaking from friends experience of promdresses

Thanks both, really helpful.

@Doggymummar I do always avoid the usual ‘Chinese tat’ websites. I assume those two are just more of the same.

@onceuponatimelived - off to google!

Also worth looking on eBay!

Actually I've bought a couple of wedding hats from Light In The Box and they're surprisingly good quality.

Amazon might be worth looking at? I have this hat (although it doesn't come in black) from Amazon, there might be something else from the same company. I did buy a black cloche felt hat from Amazon for a winter funeral in Canada (for warmth as much as anything).

I would love to wear a hat everyday like in the 30s/40s but I rarely wear one to funerals. I tend to wear a black knotted velvet hairband.

I lied: it does come in black now.

@ImmieLane hire one?

Thank you for the updates. I am still following up.

This?
https://caprilite.com/collections/black-fascinator-hats-and-hatinators/products/black-pillbox-fascinator-swirl-on-headband

....or this?

https://www.majorwear.co.uk/catalog/product/view/id/9657/s/e34-159/category/29/

This is really helpful.

Such a range of prices though. It is a strange place to be where I am worried that some are too cheap…🤔

I think for the number of times you are likely to wear it that the majorwear one is a good price point, not that cheap that it's complete tat...and not that expensive that it would need to become a family heirloom 😁👒!!

I do wear proper hats as everyday wear in winter, bought from an actual hatter's shop. I wouldn't however wear one to a funeral unless it was the sort of funeral where Royals and MPs attend in formal dress.

Proper hats are always a bit "look at me", which isn't appropriate at most funerals. Cold weather hats excepted.

You might get something here which is less cosplay and could be worn everyday as well. The shop has a much larger selection than online.

Fabhatrix

I agree regarding not wearing hats at "everyday" funerals (apart from one rather glamorous branch of the family where they're de rigeur).

I do stand by the quality of the hats I've shown though 🙂

And @CharlotteStreetW1 - oh that is a shame, the reasoning around not wearing a hat at a funeral.

I will need to consider further. This is the funeral of one of my parents.

@ImmieLane

I'm very sorry for your loss.

You know your family and if a hat feels right, please do wear one. Some of the hats on the site recommended by *IHaveAlwaysLivedintheCastle are beautiful.