Welcome to...Derby Hat Panache by Holly Ralston Oyler Originally published in Today's Woman Magazine April 2000 Also published on the following websites; Taste of Kentucky Hats by Georgi Gutman Derby Hat Panache . . . What Makes The Perfect Hat? By Holly Ralston Oyler Some people will say a hat is a hat. Those people have not been to the Kentucky Derby. The perfect Derby hat is just that . . . perfect.  Hat makers and manufacturers are not dumb - they come from near and far to accommodate the Louisville woman's search for the perfect Derby hat. In years gone by, the big name hat designers like Frank Olive and Marc Jacobs have visited Louisville with their collections. Today's woman is a little more hat-savvy when it comes to her choice. She is looking for comfort, proportion and uniqueness. First and foremost, your hat should be comfortable - not an easy feat when you think about it. Women do not wear hats on a regular basis anymore, so they are not use to the feel of a hat. Selecting the design elements needed in order to have the proper proportions for your body structure is a major consideration (a hat-hint: the brim should not be larger than then your shoulder width). So, how do you find the perfect Derby Hat? Look for a hat designer who will custom design your hat, and Louisville has the best of them. The hat on the cover of this magazine was designed by local hat designer Georgi Gutman. "This style is considered the Kentucky Derby hat by visitors to the city during Derby," said Gutman. The baby's breath, flowers, and bows are finished off with 20 yards of ribbon in the back. Gutman's hats vary from year to year, and after designing Derby hats for the past 15 years, she knows what Derby hat wearers want. All hats are hand sewn, so the process is rather labor intensive. "I use a lot of horsehair and hand sewing in my designs," she said. Gutman does not try to forecast colors in her work - but she does have some tried and true favorites. "Black and white are the biggest sellers by far." Bright colors are also popular. "This year you can expect some new designs and luscious new colors," Gutman says. Even though she works on her hats year-around, the hats are available only during the Derby season. She also limits the sale of her hats to three weeks prior to Derby. "By doing this, everyone has an equal chance of getting a great hat for Derby, especially the out-of-town guests," she explained. Last year she sold over 100 hats and expects to double that this year. Her hats are range in price from $39 to $100. Gutman keeps her prices reasonable so "you can have a new hat again next year." Gutman's tip for Derby hat wearers? Take a large plastic bag and fold it up small as possible. Slip it into your handbag - just in case of rain. She also suggests taking at least two large hatpins to secure your hat if there is wind. "No one wants to hold their hat on their head all day long. Using the hatpins will secure your hat for a comfortable day at the Downs." Hat Tip by Holly: Prevent hat-hair and make your hat secure by rolling the top of your hair in brush rollers and securing to your head with bobby pins. Secure the hat to the rollers with the hat pins. When you remove your hat, take out the rollers, run your fingers through your hair, put the rollers in your handbag and you are good to go - without the dreaded hat-hair look. ... Holly Ralston Oyler is a regular feature writer for Today's Woman
	Copyright 1994 - 2009 by Holly Ralston Oyler, Holly Cosmetics, Hollycosmetics.com and Medical Image Products. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner and publisher. Individuals may download and print pages for their personal use. All articles and content are available for reprint used with permission and author credit. For permissions, email Holly at hollyoyler@mac.com

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