The Finishing Touch13 accessories
Accessories
Bags, belts, eyewear, headwear — the nuances that complete a look.
Beanie
A beanie is a soft, close-fitting knitted cap without a peak or pompom, sitting snugly on the head and covering the ears. It is one of the most popular and practical winter headpieces, combining warmth with a relaxed, versatile style. The beanie came from the work and sports wardrobe (worn by workers, sailors, fishermen), and later became an icon of street, hip-hop and everyday fashion. It is worn pulled over the ears or pushed back on the nape, and voluminous models may hang a little at the back. Beanies are knitted of wool, acrylic or cashmere. A beanie is a soft close-fitting knitted cap without a peak, in which practical winter warmth combines with a relaxed, versatile street character that made it one of the most popular and democratic headpieces of the everyday wardrobe.
Beret
A beret is a soft round brimless cap with a characteristic flat shape that fits snugly to the head. The homeland of the classic beret is the Basque Country and the south of France, from where its firm association with French charm, bohemia and the artistic milieu comes (it was worn by painters, poets, and later by revolutionaries and soldiers too). The beret is remarkably versatile: depending on how it is tilted, it can sound coquettish, intellectual or bold. It adds a note of Parisian elegance and a retro mood to a look, going well with both the classic and the romantic style. Classically berets are knitted or felted from wool. It is a refined, characterful yet cosy accessory that is instantly recognisable and lends the silhouette a special artistry.
Bucket hat
A bucket hat is a soft hat with a narrow, downward-sloping brim all around and a simple cylindrical crown resembling an inverted bucket (hence the name). Born as practical protection from sun and rain for fishermen and farmers, it passed into mod fashion in the 1960s, became an icon of hip-hop culture in the 1980s–90s, and today is a current item of street style. The down-turned brim shades the face well. Bucket hats are made of cotton, denim, nylon or fur, in a multitude of colours and prints. A bucket hat is a soft hat with a down-turned brim all around, in which practical protection from the sun combines with the cult status of hip-hop and street culture that made it a recognisable, effortlessly fashionable accessory across generations.
Cap
A cap is a soft headpiece with a rigid peak at the front that shields the eyes from the sun. The best-known kind is the baseball cap, which turned from a purely athletic attribute into a universal item of the everyday, street and sporty wardrobe worldwide. A cap adds a relaxed, youthful and sporty character to a look, and also serves as a convenient 'carrier' for logos, slogans and team or brand insignia. The rear adjuster allows the size to be adapted. It is worn peak forward, backward or to the side. A cap is a soft peaked headpiece, in which practical protection from the sun combines with a versatile, effortlessly sporty character that made the baseball cap one of the most widespread street accessories and a popular carrier of insignia worldwide.
Earmuffs
Earmuffs are a winter accessory of two soft, often furry cups that cover the ears, joined by a band over the head (or sometimes behind). Their chief purpose is to protect the ears from cold and wind while leaving the hairstyle open and not flattening the hair the way a hat does. Earmuffs are at once practical and cute: the fluffy furry cups add a playful, cosy and slightly glamorous winter charm to a look. They are made of faux or real fur, fleece, knit. It is a popular accessory of the cold season, especially combined with a coat. Earmuffs are a winter accessory of two soft cups on a band that warm the ears, in which practical protection from cold combines with a cute, fluffy and slightly glamorous character, making them a cosy and playful accent of a winter look.
Fascinator
A fascinator is a light decorative head accessory fastened to the hair on a band, comb or clip, instead of a full hat. It consists of striking decorative elements — feathers, flowers, a veil, bows, beads — gathered into a refined composition. The fascinator is an inseparable part of British social etiquette: it is worn at weddings, horse races and ceremonial events as a lighter alternative to a hat (though since 2012 the Royal Enclosure at Royal Ascot has required a hat, not a fascinator). It adds festivity, elegance and aristocratic chic to a look. A fascinator is a light decorative head accessory of feathers, flowers and a veil on a clip, in which the role of a refined alternative to a hat combines with the British social etiquette of weddings and races, adding festivity, elegance and aristocratic chic to a look.
Fedora
A fedora is a classic felt hat with a soft crown creased lengthwise, characteristic pinches at the front and moderately wide brims. It is one of the most elegant and recognisable hats of the 20th century: the fedora was an inseparable part of the men's wardrobe in the 1920s–50s and became a symbol of Hollywood noir, gangster chic and gentlemanly elegance (recall Humphrey Bogart or Indiana Jones). In fact women made the fedora fashionable first: the name comes from Victorien Sardou's 1882 play Fédora, written for Sarah Bernhardt, and in the late 19th century the hat was a common women's accessory. It is made of felt, straw or other materials, often with a decorative band on the crown. A fedora is an elegant felt hat with pinches and moderate brims, in which the timeless classic of the 1920s–50s men's wardrobe combines with the symbolism of noir and gentlemanly chic, making it one of the most recognisable and noble hats.
Hair clip
A hair clip is a hair accessory that secures, holds or adorns a hairstyle by means of a clamping mechanism (spring, claw, snap). Hair clips are at once functional and decorative: they keep hair off the face, fix strands or a whole hairstyle and serve as an adornment. They come in the most varied kinds — from tiny bobby pins and practical claw clips to large striking clips adorned with stones, pearls or enamel. Recently expressive decorative hair clips have undergone a powerful fashion revival, becoming an accent of a look in their own right. A hair clip is a hair accessory with a clamping mechanism, in which the practical function of fixing a hairstyle combines with a decorative role that ranges from an inconspicuous bobby pin to a large, striking embellished clip — an accent of fashion in its own right.
Hat
A hat is a headpiece with a crown and brim that combines protection (from sun, rain, cold) with a powerful style statement. The shape and size of the brim set the character: the wide brim of a floppy hat sounds romantic and bohemian, the narrow brim of a fedora elegant and a touch gentlemanly, the rigid form of a top hat ceremonial. Historically a hat was an obligatory mark of etiquette and status: one did not leave the house without it. Today it is a choice, not a rule, so a hat always draws attention and makes a look complete and confident. Materials range from summer straw to felt and wool. A hat frames the face, sets the mood of the whole silhouette and instantly adds individuality to a look. It is an accessory of character that cannot be overlooked.
Headband
A headband is a hair ornament or accessory in the form of an arch (rigid) or ribbon (soft) that wraps the head, holding the hair while adorning the hairstyle. It is an ancient accessory, known since antiquity. A headband is at once functional (it keeps hair off the face) and decorative: it may be thin and inconspicuous or wide, adorned with fabric, pearls, stones or a bow. Headbands now return to high fashion (recall the aesthetic of the 1950s, 1960s or the modern revival of embellished headbands), now become a simple everyday accessory. A headband is a hair accessory in the form of an arch or ribbon around the head, in which the practical function of holding the hair combines with a decorative role that ranges from a modest everyday item to a lavish, embellished accent of a festive hairstyle.
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