It's official. That frigid bitch winter is here to crash our party. And we have a feeling she's planning on overstaying her welcome. Time to dig out the unflattering parka and, ugh, the winter hat. Does anybody really look good in a winter hat? Yes, says haute hat designer Marie Galvin of GALVIN-ized Headwear. "If you have a head, you can wear a hat," the local milliner told us. Interest piqued, we picked her well-adorned brain for some fascinator — er, fascinating tips on the fine art of the hat.ON BUYING HATS: "You should be able to fit your index finger between your head and the hat. It's like buying a pair of shoes. If it's too tight, it'll give you a headache, not to mention serious hat head. Choose a style that brings out the best in you. Don't try to be something you're not. Don't let the hat wear you. Most importantly, don't take yourself so seriously, and don't worry about what people will think of you. It's just a hat!"
ON INDOOR HATS: "It's now acceptable to wear hats in restaurant-type environments. However, always consider the material and weight of the hat. After a couple of bevvies and some tasty morsels you'll start to overheat, and a big red face isn't as attractive under a winter woolly chapeau indoors."
ON TRUCKER HATS: "Unless you look like Pharrell Williams in a trucker hat . . . forget it! I loved them back in the day until Ashton Kutcher and the like started wearing them. I have to say, the kids at Artists for Humanity on A Street are totally rocking the style again, in a really good way. But please, leave trucker hats to the artsy skater kids."
ON THE WORST HATS: "I'm not a fan of the polar fleece ski hats with the fake dreads. Those should only be worn on the slopes, and even then, ugh."
ON THE BEST HATS: "While it's slowly becoming the replacement for the all-American baseball cap, fedoras are always relevant. Why? It exudes sex. You walk, talk, and dance differently in a fedora. They're empowering. They're here to stay. From Gene Kelly in Singin' in the Rain to Andre 3000, it's one of the sexiest hat styles."
To tie in with its ongoing exhibit "Hats: An Anthology by Stephen Jones," Salem's Peabody Essex Museum is hosting Galvin for a special trunk show. Check out her creations at the Museum Shop on December 1 from 2 to 4 pm.
GALVIN-IZED HEADWEAR ::450 HARRISON AVE, BOSTON :: 617.426.4885 OR GALVINIZEDHATS.COM
