Fashion

Vivienne Westwood Made Some Very Silly Hats

by Arielle Dachille

Turns out, when you'd repurpose your Easter basket into a hat as a kid, you were actually super cutting-edge. Just ask punk fashion auteur Vivienne Westwood. In her S/S 2015 show, Vivienne Westwood showed upturned basket hats because, well, why not? Vivienne Westwood does what she wants. However, field-testing this style would probably elicit a million eye-rolls. Why? Because an upturned basket on your head indicates to everyone that you fancy yourself a living manic pixie dream girl.

Now, don't get me wrong. I enjoy Vivienne Westwood heartily. As the grand dame of punk fashion, Westwood is a master in subverting images of Western Colonialism and repression with anarchy and humor. Her latest collection sticks to those themes, juxtaposing historical clothing references with deconstructionist styles. Oversized military anoraks and Colonial-style caps were washed raw. A print of red, white, and blue vertical stripes drawn over with graffiti was one of the show's recurring textiles. Rich floral silk brocades were collaged with silver shag to make a cape fit for a dystopian general. As Westwood does so impeccably well, the show had a political slant, a a clear point of view, and an air of playfulness.

Gotta say though... The picnic basket hat is something Zoe Deschanel would pop onto her head in a movie to show how spontaneously endearing she was. In her throaty muppet voice, she'd squawk "How'd that get there?!" When if real life, she's just ruining the picnic.

Try this in public, and you're telling everyone in the immediate vicinity that you're the worst ever.

Put a bird on it, play the ukelele, and don't speak to me.

A cheap approximation of this hat: coming soon, to an Anthropologie sale section near you.

Image: Stuartjhalton, lorenzo_palizzolo, kickyjane/ Instagram