Breakout Accessory: The Oversized Floppy Hat

Hedi Slimane’s debut collection for Saint Laurent Paris in March was the subject of widespread attention and controversy. His designs, heavily influenced by Saint Laurent’s Le Smoking and safari moments from the ’70s, shaped up to be the rock star uniform du jour, worn by everyone from Keith Richards to Gwen Stefani on the January cover of Vogue. But if there were a single take away from YSL’s spring collection, it would be the massively oversized floppy hats that crowned the heads of every model. The style was quickly reproduced at the high street level, appearing on the racks of The Gap and H&M before Saint Laurent had a chance to issue the hats in its own boutiques. When the show season starts up again in February, it’s the floppy hat that will be gaining the most street style snaps of all.