Please Stop Wearing Bear Face Hats.

When guilty pleasures go wrong.

  YOU ARE NOT A TODDLER, DON'T DRESS LIKE ONE.

Panda Face Hat, River Island. 
 

With the recent snowfall and arctic temperatures I have enjoyed keeping my ‘money-maker’ warm with a nice woolly hat as I only get thrills from self-induced brain-freeze when it is courtesy of a Slush Puppy . 

This year, however, many innocent bystanders have been horrified by the sight of a new trend on the hat scene, one that is so sickly sweet it makes your eyes water (and then freeze over in these conditions). On babies they are acceptable, on young children they are tolerable, but unfortunately, there is no excuse for anybody above the age of five to be wearing them: hats with bear faces stitched onto them and woollen ears stuck on the top - it’s the stuff of nightmares! 

 

This cutesy facade is dangerous. If you are going to have a bear's face on your head, why stop at the bear hat? Why not go the whole hog and let out your inner grizzly bear in an all-in-one costume?  The temptation to become overly cute is too great.

I think a hat should be all about warmth and so if these creations do actually fit the bill and keep your head toasty then by all means go ahead and wear them.  Although I think many will agree that a trusted woolly beret or beanie is the way forward, especially if you live in the countryside and want to go for walks without being shot by farmers protecting their land from rogue animals.

Woolly Beret, handknitted by Lizzie's mum.

I tend to go for a plain navy or grey woollen beanies as these basic colours will go with practically everything. But if eccentricity is what you’re after I say pom-poms all the way!  With a slight ski-theme these make you look acceptably quirky; something that the bear hat doesn’t quite allow you to pull off.  Alternatively, if hats aren’t quite your style, earmuffs or woollen “headwarmers” are always a way to keep your Britney Spears’ warm. 

Wool Pom-Pom Beanie,  Topshop

Furry Cossack?!? Hat, H&M Men.

Furry Pillbox Hat, Vintage.

Same hat, a treat for the ladies.

Written by Sophie Harrison.

Pictures of Lizzie Lewis and Perry Higgins.

Guilty Pleasures: The Night Remix

Why I Just Can’t Stop Wearing ...

In my previous article I discussed my daytime Guilty Pleasures, perfect for slobbing and hangovers, today we take it up a notch and consider those items that I just can't stop wearing on nights out.


I went home this weekend to visit the family; a highlight of my stay, aside from my parents’ witty banter, was ‘The Sunday Times’ provided at breakfast (free food and entertainment!).  Being the young hip chick I am, I nabbed the Style, and was pleasantly surprised to see the front page exclaiming “The Death of the Killer Heel”.  

Reading the article made me realise my guilty pleasure in wearing flat shoes on a night out.  I want to express how annoying it is as a girl to be expected to dress up by wearing stupidly high heels that often make you fall over before you’re even drunk.  

Thankfully, with celebs like Alexa Chung flying the flag for the ‘flatties’, it seems like it is becoming more acceptable to go out clubbing minus your heels and the consequent bunions.  The advantages of flats include a dramatic improvement in your dancing – I said ”reach (jump) for the stars!” - and an additional excuse to end your night using your spare change on some cheeky chips instead of being bundled into a taxi, alone, nursing your swollen feet.

My mom still has not got over the fact that the youth of today have no problem with having visible underwear.  I can understand her confusion as 99.9% of the time it looks ridiculous, but every so often I do enjoy flashing a cheeky bit of bra on a night out.  

Let me explain before you judge me.  I’m expressing the guilty pleasure of wearing a lacy number that reveals a flash of a nice bra, as modelled Hayden Panettiere. 

Her look is very (very!!) daring but us normal people can also pull this look off. As long as the bra is a neutral colour and matches the colour of your outfit you can avoid looking like a stripper.  Although, if wearing a white bra beware of the UV light!! 

Head bands literally burst onto the fashion scene, alongside the ‘boho’ look being pioneered by Mischa Barton and her cronies.  I am a fan and after wearing my gold headband during the day I decided it was time to ‘work it’ on a night out.  I was aware of the possibility that everything could go wrong given its elastic nature, and so spent hours attentively fixing it into place with millions of curby grips.  Although I do have quite a large head, there is no excuse for the horror I had to endure at the hands of my headband.  Shamefully the thing actually ‘popped’ off my head, hit the ceiling and fell into a crowd of sweaty students and was never to be seen again.  But they look so good ... so what if I cause an accident?

Written by Sophie Harrison.

Guilty pleasures.

Why I Just Can’t Stop Wearing ...

1. Ugg Boots – every year magazines place these beauties in the ‘what not to wear’ section but they have managed to survive!! Personally, I do not understand the abuse they get because they allow you to basically wear slippers outdoors. Okay they may make you look a bit like an Eskimo and boys HATE them (often referring to them as ‘UGG-ly boots’) but so what! Sometimes comfort has to come first!

2. Granny Pants – continuing the winter theme, keeping your bits warm, it’s the granny pant! They are highly unattractive and not really a turn on in the bedroom but still every girl has at least one pair. And why not? Although, as demonstrated by Bridget Jones, choose the days you wear them wisely so as not to be caught off guard.

3. Denim Jackets – if not worn properly these can bring back memories of year-6 school discos where the fashion icons were members of S club 7 or B*witched. As long as you have learnt your lesson and NEVER team it with another denim item then a denim jacket can remain a classic addition to your wardrobe, as they always come back into fashion each year.

4. Parkas – the perfect hangover item because you can literally hide most of your body AND your face. Unfortunately in the process of doing this you look like Kenny from South Park, but sometimes that look is better than the beast that is lurking beneath it after a heavy night out.

5. Jeggings – following the successful resurrection of the legging from the 1970s, some (arguable) ‘genius’ decided to combine them with jeans to create the ‘jegging’. On first glance these look really weird and like they would probably be the most unflattering piece of clothing possible – ‘cough, cough’ camel toe. But when worn with a loose fitting top they are actually a more flattering version of skinny jeans, and are much easier to tuck into boots than normal jeans. You do have to be prepared to embrace your curves as they leave little to the imagination, so before wearing them listen to ‘Bootylicious’ by Destinys Child and shake your jelly! I do...

Written by Sophie Harrison.