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Hats are a tricky business. It always seems like the kind of person that can truly pull off statement headwear also has an unshakeable personal confidence, an X-factor. Someone like… Cher. In fact, Cher may be one of the most prolific hat-wearers of our time (royal family notwithstanding)—having worn a vast assortment of hats, headbands, and headpieces during her five decades in the entertainment industry.
This morning, in London, it was a patchwork monochrome leather beret (very Chanel Métiers d’Art ’21), worn with a matching oversized coat to attend an appearance on the BBC. She paired the look with straight-leg stonewash jeans and heeled suede boots, looking every part the fashion icon, even at age 74.
Cher’s love affair with headwear has been present through every decade of her career, from the cowboy hats and pageboy caps she favoured in the early ’70s (including a particularly memorable dance floor moment at Studio 54), to the remarkable Bob Mackie statement headpieces she wore on the red carpet during her Oscars years in the ’80s and ’90s. The camp extravagance that dominated her Las Vegas residency from 2008 to 2011 continues to inspire the drag community; while everyone from Jennifer Lopez to Emily Ratajkowski paid homage to her headpieces at the 2019 ‘Notes on Camp’ Met Gala.
It’s no coincidence that Cher’s chic toppers feel so timely. Millinery has been making a high fashion comeback for the last couple of years, thanks to the efforts of inimitable new designers like Jacquemus, Harris Reed, and Ruslan Baginskiy. Dior and Celine have been experimenting with high-fashion bucket hats (Kendall Jenner approves); Dolce & Gabbana are selling ’50s riviera-esque boaters with a silk scarf finish, and Gucci’s wide-brim felt creations inspired ’70s nostalgia and Florence Welch cosplay in equal measure. Tempted to try one for yourself, but lacking confidence? As always, channel your inner Cher: “I’ve always taken risks, and never worried what the world might really think of me.”
See Cher’s best headwear moment below.
