Hats off (and on) for racedays
To look your best at the races this summer, visit Boxford-based milliner Emma Moscow who's skills will make sure that you have a head start
Like a summer wedding, a day at the races gives women the chance to to step out in their finest, which is why this time of year is one of the busiest for Boxford-based milliner Emma Moscow.
And, with racegoers at Betfred Ladies Day at Newbury Racecourse next month being offered the chance to enter their Most Stylish Racegoer competition (see box for details), it looks like she might be busier than ever.
At least, though, she can work without being a hostage to the way in which fashion can change with the wind, or at least the season. “Headwear doesn’t tend to follow fashion in the way that clothes do,” says Emma. “While fashion changes with each season, hats tend to be more classic and there is much individual variation.
Currently, I’m getting a lot of enquiries for formal hats that have a vintage feel for weddings and events. “Smaller hats have become very popular with the ‘Kate Middleton effect’, as the Duchess of Cambridge often favours a smaller hat and has become a fantastic style icon for hat wearers.
“Larger hats do remain popular however, especially for ladies’ days at the racecourse, while at the same time, the popularity of fascinators has waned somewhat since Royal Ascot stopped allowing them in the royal enclosure.”
She adds: “These ladies’ days are an opportunity to wear a statement hat, and pretty much anything goes, as long as it’s within the rules. “However I think it’s worth remembering that it is a formal occasion and that style and elegance should not be thrown out of the window in favour of standing out.” Emma’s hats are handmade to order and created out of materials such as sinamay, felt and parasisal straw, and she can also help restore damaged hats to their former glory.
Emma believes that making each hat bespoke ensures they are unique and flatter the wearer. After leaving school, Emma studied fashion at Berkshire College of Art and Design, but turned her back on the trade and set up a homeopathy business which she ran for 17 years.
However, the call of millinery was too strong to resist and she decided to return to her first love four years ago, first studying with Rose Cory, the late Queen Mother’s milliner, and subsequently launching her own business, creating stylish couture hats, fascinators and headpieces.
Emma says: “I really enjoy experimenting with shape and form and find the bespoke aspect of my business very rewarding. I love working with my clients to come up with a design that really works for them, and seeing my clients feeling confident and special wearing their hat makes all the hard work worthwhile.”
Like a summer wedding, a day at the races gives women the chance to to step out in their finest, which is why this time of year is one of the busiest for Boxford-based milliner Emma Moscow.
And, with racegoers at Betfred Ladies Day at Newbury Racecourse next month being offered the chance to enter their Most Stylish Racegoer competition (see box for details), it looks like she might be busier than ever.
At least, though, she can work without being a hostage to the way in which fashion can change with the wind, or at least the season. “Headwear doesn’t tend to follow fashion in the way that clothes do,” says Emma. “While fashion changes with each season, hats tend to be more classic and there is much individual variation.
Currently, I’m getting a lot of enquiries for formal hats that have a vintage feel for weddings and events. “Smaller hats have become very popular with the ‘Kate Middleton effect’, as the Duchess of Cambridge often favours a smaller hat and has become a fantastic style icon for hat wearers.
“Larger hats do remain popular however, especially for ladies’ days at the racecourse, while at the same time, the popularity of fascinators has waned somewhat since Royal Ascot stopped allowing them in the royal enclosure.”
She adds: “These ladies’ days are an opportunity to wear a statement hat, and pretty much anything goes, as long as it’s within the rules. “However I think it’s worth remembering that it is a formal occasion and that style and elegance should not be thrown out of the window in favour of standing out.” Emma’s hats are handmade to order and created out of materials such as sinamay, felt and parasisal straw, and she can also help restore damaged hats to their former glory.
Emma believes that making each hat bespoke ensures they are unique and flatter the wearer. After leaving school, Emma studied fashion at Berkshire College of Art and Design, but turned her back on the trade and set up a homeopathy business which she ran for 17 years.
However, the call of millinery was too strong to resist and she decided to return to her first love four years ago, first studying with Rose Cory, the late Queen Mother’s milliner, and subsequently launching her own business, creating stylish couture hats, fascinators and headpieces.
Emma says: “I really enjoy experimenting with shape and form and find the bespoke aspect of my business very rewarding. I love working with my clients to come up with a design that really works for them, and seeing my clients feeling confident and special wearing their hat makes all the hard work worthwhile.”
Like a summer wedding, a day at the races gives women the chance to to step out in their finest, which is why this time of year is one of the busiest for Boxford-based milliner Emma Moscow.
And, with racegoers at Betfred Ladies Day at Newbury Racecourse next month being offered the chance to enter their Most Stylish Racegoer competition (see box for details), it looks like she might be busier than ever.
At least, though, she can work without being a hostage to the way in which fashion can change with the wind, or at least the season. “Headwear doesn’t tend to follow fashion in the way that clothes do,” says Emma. “While fashion changes with each season, hats tend to be more classic and there is much individual variation.
Currently, I’m getting a lot of enquiries for formal hats that have a vintage feel for weddings and events. “Smaller hats have become very popular with the ‘Kate Middleton effect’, as the Duchess of Cambridge often favours a smaller hat and has become a fantastic style icon for hat wearers.
“Larger hats do remain popular however, especially for ladies’ days at the racecourse, while at the same time, the popularity of fascinators has waned somewhat since Royal Ascot stopped allowing them in the royal enclosure.”
She adds: “These ladies’ days are an opportunity to wear a statement hat, and pretty much anything goes, as long as it’s within the rules. “However I think it’s worth remembering that it is a formal occasion and that style and elegance should not be thrown out of the window in favour of standing out.” Emma’s hats are handmade to order and created out of materials such as sinamay, felt and parasisal straw, and she can also help restore damaged hats to their former glory.
Emma believes that making each hat bespoke ensures they are unique and flatter the wearer. After leaving school, Emma studied fashion at Berkshire College of Art and Design, but turned her back on the trade and set up a homeopathy business which she ran for 17 years.
However, the call of millinery was too strong to resist and she decided to return to her first love four years ago, first studying with Rose Cory, the late Queen Mother’s milliner, and subsequently launching her own business, creating stylish couture hats, fascinators and headpieces.
Emma says: “I really enjoy experimenting with shape and form and find the bespoke aspect of my business very rewarding. I love working with my clients to come up with a design that really works for them, and seeing my clients feeling confident and special wearing their hat makes all the hard work worthwhile.”
Emma’s top tips
1 Choose your outfit first as it is easier to match a hat to an outfit than the other way round.
2 Racing is a daytime event and people often wear jackets or coats. A more substantial hat or headpiece looks more balanced with a tailored outfit.
3 It is often windy at racecourses so make sure your hat fits well and is securely fixed to your head. Hair grips can be useful for securing a head piece – it might be worth stowing some spares in your handbag.
4 Choose a hat that fits well and flatters you. You will feel more confident if your hat is unique, comfortable and made-to-measure. Don’t be afraid to try everything on, as hats can often look very different on the wearer than on the stand.
5 Pay attention to how you wear your hat. There is a tendency for people to push their hats too far back. Generally they look better tilted forward and, if you are wearing a hat or headdress designed to be worn on the side, they look very chic angled over the eyebrow.
