It’s the Year of the Statement Hat

When Anya Taylor-Joy stepped out in Jacquemus’ Le Chapeau Bomba—a joyfully oversize raffia hat—at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, it became clear that the accessory is this season’s ultimate statement. On the fall 2024 runways, Chanel and Prada were among those affirming the hat as the new normal. Think: Sarah Jessica Parker’s supersize version by Maryam Keyhani, which she wore on the set of And Just Like That… earlier this year, or Margaret Qualley in Chanel’s nautical style at Cannes. These are hats for main characters. They take up space, proudly standing as a proclamation of personal style that anyone can spot well before they even approach you.

Altuzarra’s fall 2024 collection came complete with boxy toppers on some of the models’ heads. “There was a character that we were trying to evoke,” says designer Joseph Altuzarra. “It was…[about] the pleasure in wearing a full look, inhabiting a character.” It was also the first time the label did hats, aside from more casual knit and woven styles. “We did not intend to sell them,” he admits, “and we sold a lot.”

Likewise, the milliner Gigi Burris O’Hara has seen a spike in demand. She started her brand Gigi Burris in 2012, but only opened her first store late last year. “In leaner times, when things pull back, it’s an opportunity for people to find joy and have a more considered spend,” she says.

After years of dressing down, we’re finding ourselves drawn to all things expressive. The maximalist content creator Sara Camposarcone has been leaning into pieces from small labels like Potion23, known for its whimsical, witchy hats. “I feel like I can wear bolder headpieces to match my extravagant outfits,” Camposarcone says. “As I’ve been introduced to vintage fashion, I can’t help but go crazy for a great vintage pillbox or a 1920s fascinator.”

Prada fall 2024.

Independent brands like Burris’ have been pumping out iconoclastic hats for years. Take Sideara, which produces its signature velvet pillbox styles topped off with baby-size devil horns. “You can seek privacy behind a netted veil,” says designer Sideara St. Claire, “demand boundaries with a wide brim.”

Consider the hat an instant jolt of personal style gratification. And remember: Sometimes you don’t choose the hat, the hat chooses you.

This story appears in the September 2024 issue of ELLE.

GET THE LATEST ISSUE OF ELLE

Kristen Bateman is a contributing editor at Harper’s Bazaar. Her first fashion article was published in Vogue Italia during her junior year of high school. Since then, she has interned and contributed to WWD, Glamour, Lucky, i-D, Marie Claire and more. She created and writes the #ChicEats column and covers fashion and culture for Bazaar. When not writing, she follows the latest runway collections, dyes her hair to match her mood, and practices her Italian in hopes of scoring 90% off Prada at the Tuscan outlets. She loves vintage shopping, dessert and cats.