If you’re mad about hats, take a look at this collection…

If you’re a lover of a hats, you’ll have heard of milliner Anthony Peto. With an atelier in Paris and a store on South Anne Street, he’s made his name creating fanciful headpieces for men and women from both cities and beyond. His pieces are a mix of exquisitely made traditional wear, such as fedoras, trilby’s and Panamas, and awe-inspiring dramatic designs perfect for anything from a royal wedding to a fashion week front row. All of them reflect the skill of a true craftsman and the aesthetic of an artist.

The Englishman trained in Paris and inherited his love of fashion from his father, who owned a textile business in Leeds, and his aunt Judith Lieber, who emigrated to New York and established a hugely successful handbag business, which still exists today. The milliner explains that there are two essential components of a great hat… “The first is technical. It needs to be easy to wear and it needs to be flattering, making the most of the wearer’s features…The second component, and the most important, is fantasy. A hat should be a ticket to another place.”

The designs below from Peto’s SS19 collection are certainly transportive, and very very beautiful.

Andalou straw hat, €500

Straw and butterfly Stardust hat, €520

Firebird green and red headpiece, €350

Grey striped legionnaire cap in Fermoie cotton, €110

Straw disc hat with rabanna flowers, €400

If you’re not one for wearing hats, and I must admit I’m not, this collection might make you think otherwise. I look at each image and think how wonderful it would feel to be that girl. The best way to begin with hats is to visit Peto’s store and get some advice from the milliner himself on what suits your face shape, skin tone and height. For me, trying on hats is a little like trying on glasses; I always need an outsider’s perspective. But what fun to have the perfect hat for your next occasion out? To surprise everyone, not only with a headpiece, but with one that shows you off to best effect. That’s the power of a really great hat.

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