14
Feature
April | 2023
Flower
Hats
Blming
in Populary
Get on board with these
statement-making
high-society-approved
fashion accessories.
By Jill Brooke
Ilana Kogan
The Hat Doctor
@the.hat.doctor
A
s a bon vivant who has traveled the globe,
R. Couri Hay has seen his share of fashionable
hats. e society columnist and publicist has
had a front row seat at the Kentucky Derby, the
Ascot in London, the Rose Ball in Monte Carlo
and the New York Central Park Conservancy's
"hat luncheon," as well as many Easter parades on Fifth Avenue.
is is why he is in a credible position to observe a growing trend
in millinery magnificence.
"Sophisticated and stylish ladies are decorating their hats with
more real flowers every year, to give them an added edge," he
observes. "It used to be about silk flowers or sometimes having
a hat looking like the Eiffel Tower or the Statue of Liberty. But
now flowers are blooming everywhere."
ere's a logical reason this is occurring for the Central Park
Conservancy, whose May "hat luncheon" has raised more
$200 million in recent years. "It fits the theme because at the
Conservancy luncheon, you are surrounded by lilacs in blooms,
hyacinths and beautiful displays of flowers on all the tables and
surrounding areas," Hay says.
Furthermore, the younger generation is also caring much more
about sustainability, which ties into using fresh flowers for
memorable bonnets. And this applies to places other than the
Central Park Conservancy. "e reason people are accessorizing
