Three Different Ways to Wear: A Hat

One of my biggest obstacles when it comes to dressing up is accessorizing. I acknowledge that is the area where I am weakest, so I make the effort to go out of my ways to try harder at times. One night I bought this black hat on a whim; it's not a sun hat, and it's not a cowboy hat, but it's something in between.
It cost me $20 which I think was extremely expensive just for a hat ($20 could've bought me another outfit!), so I make sure to get the most use out of it as I can. Over time I've developed three specific ways in which I like to wear it. I will technically be showing 5 different outfits, but I consider 2 of them to be extremely similar styles, so there are only 3 looks.
With summer coming up, I figured getting inspired by these looks may encourage you to go out and experiment different ways to stay stylish and shady under a hat.

A Dress

 

Pictured: A black long sleeve dress from Old Navy, shoes from Traffic, necklace from Walmart, rings unknown, and hat from Charlotte Russe.

This first look is simple - you can never go wrong with a little black dress. The key to this look is all in the other accessories; I have on gold rings and a black and gold necklace to match the black and gold sandals I'm wearing. Simple and effective! This is my go to look for graduations because the sun stays out of my eyes so I'm not squinting in pics, but I still look classy next to my graduating friends.

 

Pictured: Print dress from Forever 21, purse from Target, sunglasses from Big Lots (yup), shoes unknown, and hat from Charlotte Russe.

The print and neckline on this dress is very busy so I keep the accessories minimal for this look. A bag and some chunky bootie heels go a long way. With the wind and sunny weather coming up, sunglasses and a hat are a perfect match to keep cool and collected in the summer.

Black Jeans

 

Pictured: Grey shirt from Forever 21, black jeans from Old Navy, necklace from Charlotte Russe,  sunglasses from Forever 21, shoes unknown, and hat from Charlotte Russe.

This is probably my favorite look of them all because it's so casual and simple. I can pair this look with so many different types of graphic tees, but this grey draped one seems to be my go-to and the shoes add a bit of dressiness to the look without being too over the top.

Cover up & Shorts

 

Pictured: Leopard print cardigan from Crazy Train, white tank unknown, shorts from Charlotte Russe, shoes unknown, and hat from Charlotte Russe.

What I like about this style option is that it's not as monochromatic as the first three looks. I've said it before but I'm a sucker for leopard print (always!) and I think it styles up something as basic as a white tank and shorts. I used to have a large oversized pair of sunglasses that were perfect with this outfit and it made me feel like I was going to Coachella so even if they're not pictured here, they'd make the perfect add-on accessory.

 

Pictured: Flannel from American Eagle, t-shirt from Rue 21, shorts from Charlotte Russe, knock-off shoes from Rue 21, glasses from Zenni, and hat from Charlotte Russe.
All photos by Samantha Martinez

With the 90's back in style, this look actually inspired me to buy this hat in the first place. It's the perfect hipster accessory that made me stand out at the 90's party I was going to in this outfit. With this look it's obvious that any type of graphic tee or a pop of color would work well with this hat and you don't have to stick to one color palette exactly.


So there you have it - even though I gave 5 different outfit options, I really only consider this 3 different styles. I never thought I'd be the type to own a hat, but it made me try out some new outfit ideas and that's my favorite part of fashion. Let me know what else I should style three different ways to inspire more outfit ideas!



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