Salon Privé is a British concours that collects some of the most beautiful and prized cars from around the country for a week of poshness. I have never been, so I was surprised when I went over to the press gallery and saw a bunch of awesome hats. It turns out, this is part of a hat competition for Salon Privé Ladies’ Day presented by Boodles, which is apparently a fancy jewelry store.
Specifically, here’s what they say about the hats:
Boodles ‘Best Hat’ Competition
Don’t forget your hat if you want to be in with a chance to win a spectacular piece of Boodles jewellery! As ever, it’s a fun day and an opportunity to really ‘push the boat out’ with your favourite piece of millinery attire.
Dressing to the nines is not unique to this event as Pebble and Goodwood both encourage sartorial excess, though the hat game here is extremely strong.
I think this is the woman who won:
And a closeup:
The engineering alone, here, is pretty impressive.
Photos: Salon Privé
Green and pink feather-tree lady was ROBBED.
100%!!!
Ah, my favorite subject aside from cars, HATS! Some of these would be perfect for a holiday my nom de plume on Instagram made up.
Whimsical Whednesday Hat Day!
Whereupon Quirky Carver posts whimsical hats for this special day every Whednesday (well mostly on Wednesdays). Join Quirky and post Whimsical Hats on Whednesdays!
https://www.instagram.com/quirkycarver/
I have a problem with hats, why is it just those of the lady persuasion are today given license too wear such confections. As a Gent I have a choice, all dull, a topper, a fedora, a panama, so many names so little flair. Why cannot a well dressed man not sport an ostrich trimmed tricorn, or a daily trimmed ordinary?
No one is stopping you – have at it. 🙂
I have an array of more or less utilitarian hats, as required by law for men my age. Harrumph.
No one wore a radiator mascot, or car emblem, hat?? That would have been the dog’s bollocks!
To be faaaaaaair, some of the millinery advertised as “hats” here are more akin to “fascinators” and even “substantial fascinators.”
I do agree, but I’ll argue that deliberately conflating them greatly opens up the range of expression and makes things generally more fun.
It is easy to dismiss the hat competition as silly rich person games but the same sentiments apply to glossing up your 60 year old Ferrari to park on a manicured lawn and win a fancy trophy.
It is a testament to the success of the human race that we have to invent such mundane fripperies to make our lives relevant.
Or one could look at it and see that the ladies were just having a bit of fun.
Cars that never get driven are worse than goofy hats
The fix was in. That hat clearly demonstrates a relationship to the Esso Motor Oil Drop Man.
These ladies’ lids make the selections seen at the Kentucky Derby seem simple.
There is
A hat
In the Salon
They call the rising sun
You win
I was going to make a rising sun comment, but yours is so much better that I’m not even disappointed
Thank you! Though I probably owe Eric Burdon and friends an apology.
This is the kind of in-depth hat analysis that you will only find on the Autopian.
3rd picture, lady on the right side: There’s a sniper somewhere desperately looking for the missing part of their ghillie suit.
I’m waiting for a load of car parts to be delivered today. The only thing that’s turned up is a massive box containing the fancy hat Mrs Muppet is going to wear to Royal Ascot in a few weeks.
She’ll be delighted. Unfortunately you can’t keep the coolant inside a BMW N52 using delight.
Where does one buy a fancy hat?
More importantly, will you be wearing a fancy hat as well and what type?
One commissions a milliner. Or you buy from a shop and hope no one else bought the same one (it’s like turning up at a car show and having to park next to the other Alfa Romeo SZ, but somehow riddled with shame). I’m not sure what she’s done this time.
I’m not going, I never do. I tried going to the races once and found it to be nearly as boring as being delayed in an airport. Plus I’m not posh enough to mix with drunk toffs and not want to start a revolution. She’s going with a bunch of friends and family with the plan of getting tipsy and losing money. They definitely don’t want me there saying things like “but why do we even have a king?”
Also I used to wear suits for work all the time and the idea of dressing up for fun seems very much the wrong way round.
I’ve been to Salon Prive, and even though the champagne and lobster was free, I still came away with the overriding desire to chin every fucker there.
Come join me round the brazier brother Muppet, we’ll start the revolution once the weather warms up.
Sounds like my visceral “bring back guillotines” reaction to Pebble.
Those hats look like range targets to me. Then again this is England, not Milan, Italy. Like their food, clothing styles is not their forte.
Why bother with style or food when you’re just 21 miles from France?
Outsource that stuff to people who’re good at it.
It amazes me that the British empire sailed the world in search of spices and now refuse to use any of them.
Are you referring to the same Britain that has chicken tikka masala as it’s national dish?
I’m referring to the one that has fried fish wrapped in newspaper as it’s[sic] national dish.
Oh, fish’n’chips Britain. The one where we all drive Union Jack Minis with teeth like Stonehenge and talk like Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins.
Like in the Austin Powers movie where you can see the Hollywood Sign from Carnaby Street.
I assume that future Autopian meetups will also include hat competitions (for Autopian swag–I don’t expect you to get a jeweler involved unless one is willing to make some taillight jewelry).
I think we need to, yeah.
This is a great idea! Now I just gotta figure out how to make a hat look like a wheelbarrow full of shrimp.
That’s easy. Wear a wheelbarrow full of shrimp as a hat.
I’ve worn a Puffalump as a hat before and I’LL DO IT AGAIN!
There is also a Boodles gin that would make a reasonably priced award.
https://boodlesgin.com
Didn’t David already try this years ago wearing that hubcap thingee on his head (see his avatar) and it went like uh so Nowhere’s-ville?