“ You can leave your hat on” as Joe Cocker puts it.
Glitter Cap by Bernstock Speirs
I am a millinery fan, one hat for one mood. Contrary to what is often assumed, wearing a hat is not an exclusive practice. Trendy hat-wearers are not only to be found among bespoke millinery clients but on the high street as well. On my way out of the Columbia Market on a Sunday morning, a store drew my attention: a window full of hats, a Japanese sale assistant wearing a glitter cap were enough to have me in the store within a couple of seconds. A couple, a brand, a store: Bernstock Speirs. No wonder that Bernstock Speirs as Stephen Jones are seen as having brought back hats into the limelights.
Paul Bernstock and Thelma Speirs studied fashion and established their label in 1982. Hats for day-to-day wear, Bernstock Speirs designs are inspired by the underground art scene. Their trademark lies in the use of traditional techniques combined with unusual fabrics and colours.
I tried some nice fedoras, lace beanies, but my “coup de Coeur” was definitely for the glitter cap.
Was it because of the lovely Japanese girl who was wearing it, was it because of the contradiction between the casual shape of a cap and the sequins that dress it up… If hats use to be worn more for protection or religious matters in the past century, today it is a personal statement; I am what my head wears. More than only a mark of style, a hat conveys a message of individuality, affiliation and rebellion.
As Anna Piaggi, the fashion doyenne says: “ Hats are the ultimate frivolity”, so let’s add some fun and lightness to our daily routine.
Since 2004, Bernstock Speirs collections are to be found in the Shoreditch store. An edited selection is also available to buy online on http://www.bernstockspeirs.com
Bernstock Speirs
234 Brick Lane
London, E2 7EB
Tuesday/Friday 11:00am – 6:00pm
Saturday/Sunday 11.00am –5:00pm
Tel: 020 7739 7385
