What does your hat say about you?
HATS ARE HIP, but choose wisely if you want to stay cool this summer. Hip-hop music has made hats more mainstream, says top local designer Barney Cheng, but be picky to avoid making a fashion faux pas (see Trendspotter, P.2).
Hats are without doubt a fashion statement, but what else do they say about you?
Most of us have a hat tucked away at the back of our wardrobe. Why did we choose that one? We asked six teenagers - three from South Island School, one from Island School and a couple that have been liberated from school altogether - about their favourite hats. We then asked clinical psychologist Dr John Koo Hsiu-chuan, founder of the GAIA Institute in Hong Kong, to tell us what he thought their choice of hat said about them.
Dr Koo did not meet the teenagers, he was simply shown photographs of their hats.
TALKING HATS :
BLACK BYBLOS:
Daniel Lefkow, 15: 'I picked this hat up cheap. I like it because it's comfortable.'
What Dr Koo says:
'This is an Urban Cowboy hat. The wearer probably has a wild lifestyle. He is energetic and adventurous.'
BEIGE CORD CAP
Katrina Chow, 15: 'I was attracted to the fabric of this hat. The only thing I don't like about it is the pink lining.'
What Dr Koo says: 'I call this the purity-is-my-middle-name hat. The wearer is innocent, clean and lovely.'
RAINBOW BEANIE
Kate Harvey, 15: 'I got this when I was on holiday in Thailand.'
What Dr Koo says: I call this the come-and-love-me hat. The vibrant colours radiate hope, the wearer is full of life.
BLACK CAP
Jun Lyn Kok, 15: 'A friend gave this to me.'
What Dr Koo says: 'This is a clannish- looking hat, reminiscent of what Irish immigrants used to wear. A person wearing such a hat is sending out a message that they want to be part of a clan.'
CHEAP PLASTIC HAT
Jaron Deerwester, 18: 'I bought it because it was cheap - which meant more money for whisky and cigarettes.'
What Dr Koo says: 'This is like an imitation Sherlock Holmes hat. The wearer probably has a light-hearted, playful personality.'
BLACK BEANIE
Francis Tidball, 15: 'I got this in Switzerland - I was attracted to the logo.'
What Dr Koo says: 'Beanie's are intended for winter, so if someone wears one when it is not cold, it suggests they are not loved enough.'
