Designer Eric Javits defends his inauguration hat, which may revive millinery

Welcome to Epoch Insights with Tiffany. My name is Tiffany Brannan. Hats have a long and storied history in really the history of mankind. Head coverings have played a very important role in the cultural, societal, and even religious customs of many different human civilizations around the world since ancient times. It's common practice in all countries of Christian origin, traditionally, for women to cover their heads in religious ceremonies because of instructions in the New Testament that it is a dishonor for women to pray without their heads being covered, but likewise it is a dishonor for men to pray with their heads covered, which is in direct contrast to what the Jews traditionally do in that men also cover their heads in religious ceremonies and just in daily wear. But this basic Christian rule from the Bible started all the customs for hat wearing and different head coverings in traditional Western society. When a man wants to show respect, he takes off his hat. If a woman wants to show respect, she must wear a hat, and if she's not hat when going out in the afternoon or during the day, she's not a lady. Now these rules seem so antiquated in our society today, yet it was not long ago when these were the rules. Just a generation or two ago, ladies wouldn't be seen in church without their hats and their gloves and their stockings looking very nice as they were going to worship on Sunday, and a little before that it was commonplace throughout the week. Even as trends changed in America, or sometimes you'll see in classic films, one of the best examples of course of hat wearing, you can observe it in many different movies, but very often in the 30s, 40s, and 50s, a designer would choose to not have an actress wear a hat in many cases because they can cast shadows on the face, they can obscure the camera line, they can cover up too much of the hair. There are many different reasons, but during the late 40s and even during World War II, as Hollywood became more involved with South America and talking to the policies they had there because of the good neighbor policy after World War II, they were interested to learn that many South American audiences viewed leading ladies in some Hollywood films as not being nice girls because they weren't wearing hats, so they had to be more careful with that, and perhaps that shows how at that time South America was still more traditional and even Christian than North America, so after that they were more careful. Now, what place do hats have in our world today? It seems like most people's idea of a hat is a baseball cap or maybe a beanie on a cold morning. Do hats have a formal place besides perhaps a cowboy hat if you're going to a rodeo? Well, because of a recent important event, hats may be making a comeback. I think that everyone heard about Melania Trump's hat at the presidential inauguration. It certainly was one of the most talked about instances of that very memorable inauguration ceremony. In fact, it's been called a viral hat since then because both Republicans, Democrats, supporters, detractors, everyone is very curious and had a lot to say about the hat she wore. In fact, even a month later, it's still being discussed in the press. For instance, on the back page of the Life and Tradition section of the Epoch Times, there's an article called, When the Right Hat Creates a Wow Moment. This article was written by Anna Mason, but it's talking about the opinions of Eric Javits, who was the designer of that famous or infamous hat, as you view it, and you could say that this is his response to the criticism, the concerns, the rumors, whatever has been said about that hat. It's sort of his defending his hat and the choice of it at that moment. You can see it here in this picture. It's a boater hat, and in the article, Mr. Javits describes the history of that hat, you could say. He says how it's been a popular style for different purposes for many centuries. In fact, the name of it as a boater suggests that it does have a nautical origin, and in fact, in her navy suit with the white silk blouse and that navy hat, you can see that there is almost a nautical theme. It was quite historic that Melania was wearing a hat of any kind, as the article points out, not since the first inauguration of President Bill Clinton has a first lady worn a hat, and Hillary Clinton did not wear a hat at Bill Clinton's second inauguration. Hats had really already gone out of style to some degree, but they were popular in a lesser degree perhaps in the 80s and so forth. Nancy Reagan famously wore a beautiful red pillbox hat at one of Ronald Reagan's inaugurations, along with a matching red coat in a color that would become known as Reagan red, and it really represented the patriotic, proud, strong movement of conservatism which that couple represented. At the first inauguration of President Donald Trump, Melania did not wear a hat, but she did wear a light blue suit that everyone said evoked Jacqueline Kennedy, and in fact, with a similar suit of that kind, Mrs. Kennedy wore a small blue pillbox hat. That leads us to really consider what this hat is all about and why it has been discussed so much. Now, of course, Mr. Javits brings up all the different complaints that people have made, such as that it covered her eyes, you couldn't see her eyes, she didn't want to look at anyone, she couldn't get close to her husband for a kiss, and he mentions all those points. You could say that people were unfamiliar with seeing a hat because it truly isn't something you see very often. I'm familiar with many of these struggles myself as a frequent hat wearer since I love vintage fashion, and no vintage fashion is complete without some kind of a hat. For instance, the hat I'm wearing today is actually a vintage hat from, I would say, about the 1950s, but you can often find many retro hats. The most popular resurgence of hats besides this moment has been the fascinator. Every time there's a royal wedding, the British ladies and all the other dignitaries who come wear the very playful, fanciful little headpieces on headbands. They're easy to wear and they don't interfere with your hair style the way that a larger hat can. They also usually don't cause some of the problems which Mrs. Trump's hat caused. If you look back at the history of all the first ladies wearing hats, especially the more famous ones in the last few decades, you'll notice that most of them were pillbox hats. They were quite small, right on the head, around the same size as mine. Not many of them had a wide brim, probably because of the very issues that people have been pointing out in great detail. In most pictures from the inauguration, you can't see her eyes at all. Now, Javits says, the level at which she wore it, there were a lot of people saying she did that to hide her eyes, but if we were standing right there with her, obviously everyone could see her eyes. The slope of the brim maybe came down low, but she was wearing it at the correct level. And he argues that the face is a three-dimensional object that can be dramatically enhanced by the right head worker. Just as a hairstyle could bring harmony and balance to a woman's look, so can a hat. Quote, someone with a long narrow face might want to pull the brim lower to reduce the length, or maybe if they have a wide round face, they might want a taller crown to give some height. When someone puts on the right hat, they recognize it right away. Their face kind of lights up. I agree. I think it is important to find the right hat for your face, but also for your outfit, and most importantly, for the situation. As a stage performer and filming a lot, I know that many hats can be problematic to cast a shadow. So perhaps that's something that should have been considered a little more. And as you see in these other celebrities who've worn his hats, most of them are similarly large. They tend to have huge brims because it's all about making a big statement. And when it's the only hat that you're going to be wearing all year, and maybe the only hat you've worn in three years, you want to make a big statement. But also, perhaps you're not as familiar with it. Just as women who don't wear high heels very often seem a bit awkward walking in them, women who don't wear hats as often perhaps are not as comfortable with all the different facets that must be considered. Now, since that event, Mr. Javis has received a few thousand inquiries about this custom-made hat, and he's making it, or a copy of it, available for an accessible price point to be purchased by consumers. For all the pictures, it perhaps was not the best choice for that day. But I can't complain if it's going to revive the use of hats, and not just fascinators, but honest-to-goodness hats, hopefully in more feminine, traditional styles, because it is a beautiful trend which really should be revived. And as we see throughout the history of presidents and first ladies, the first couple have a great power to influence the fashions of a nation. For instance, many people believe that the reason men stopped wearing hats outside and as part of their daily wear was because John F. Kennedy did not wear a hat at his inauguration. Now, many people have stated that this is in fact a myth, because he wore a silk top hat as he was in the early parts of the inauguration, which in fact was reviving an old trend because the several presidents before him had not worn the silk top hat. But he wasn't wearing it when he made his inaugural speech, and that image is what made people begin to say that. Of course, it isn't completely accurate because the three presidents before him also did not wear a hat while making that speech. Perhaps it was other events at which Mr. Kennedy was seen not wearing hats. It was also changing times in the 1960s, as people began to rebel against the social order and customs, even the organized religion and traditionalism of past generations. So, it's no wonder that hats for both men and women began to become less popular, just as more formal, modest, and traditional attire became less popular. But if a president or first lady could end a trend, perhaps this viral hat moment at the inauguration will make women interested in experimenting with hats themselves. But I would recommend, if you're going to be photographed, opt for a smaller brim. Thank you for watching. I hope you enjoyed this discussion of the history of hats, the viral hat moment at the presidential inauguration, and how you can choose different hats for perhaps your best look. If you enjoyed this video, I hope you'll like it, subscribe to the channel, share it with your friends, and leave a comment letting me know what you think about the history of hats for ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for watching.