DOING THE DERBY

VEILING THE TRUTH – HATS ARE HOT IN KENTUCKY

Paris Does the Derby the Kentucky Way (we love this hat)

It was a good week if you were a race horse (you could show off your speed) or a jockey. It was also a great week for hat lovers to strut their stuff at the Kentucky Derby. And, if you know the Kentucky Derby then you know that hat watching has become a spectator sport (almost as popular as watching the horses). Oops, did I say that?

And Hat Life is not the only publication to say that. The Kentucky Post also said:

“The Kentucky is about more than fast horses and minty bourbon drinks--it's really all about the hats.

In true Derby tradition, the fashion continued to be one of the attractions at the 135th Kentucky Derby. Hats were everywhere, and there were no two alike.

From feathers, to bows and lace, every woman topped off their attire with the much-anticipated Derby wear.

Women come from all over to watch a day of races, drink mint juleps and finish it all off with a fabulous hat. Men are also known to wear their fedoras, straw hats, and cowboy hats and this year, one gentleman wore even a sombrero.

One woman was at the Derby for her bachelorette party and donned a veil for her headwear. Many decorate their hats, but not just with the beautiful and traditional feathers, ribbons and glitz. This year, there was a hotdog hat; a hat with Christmas ornaments attached, as well, many hats that have miniature, plastic toy horses on the rims. It is, after all, a horse race.

From pillbox to large-rimmed hats, that you imagine that true Southern Belles wore back in the era of "Gone With the Wind," there are no hats that duplicate each other’s design nor originality. I think that is an unwritten Derby law between the female Derby-goers each year: ‘though shalt not wear thy neighbor’s hat.’

And the colors. Oh the colors. They vary from multi-colored to solids in orange, yellow, gold, blue, red, silver, black, white and black and white, of course.

This year; however, pink seemed to be the main color of choice on both Saturday at the Derby and Friday at the Oaks.

At the Kentucky Oaks on Friday, approximately 135 breast cancer survivors donned in pink hats took the winner’s circle in honor of Susan G. Koman Fight for the Cure.

We also heard this on a fashion blog – Metromix

“At the 135th Kentucky Derby, celebrities headed for the races wearing their finest, floppiest fashion accessories. From Brooke Shields' Grey Goose vodka hat (which she signed and auctioned off for charity), to Paris Hilton's tiny black hat (to match her tiny black dress), these celebs pulled out all the stops for tradition.”

Paris in a cocktail hat

Wendy Haight of Louisville

Kim Kardashian

KIM KARDASHIAN Up Close

Lynn Whitfield

Christine Moore Millinery Hat at the Derby