Fashionable fun

There is one shop on my road in Berlin which really stands out from the rest. Himo is nestled in between a closed-down supermarket and a quiet, tired-seeming hairdressers. It looks somehow mischievous. Himo has silver tinsel hanging down from the doorframe, and a handwritten note on the door announcing that it is open Wednesday to Saturday -- apart from those Saturdays when its owners are at the opera. It’s a hat shop. In fact, it must be the most exciting hat shop in the world. Through the window you can see a huge headpiece made from one big lamp shade and lots of little ones; you can see hats which resemble food, and toys, and animals; and you can see cases, boxes and drawers overflowing with colourful bits and bobs for making things. Looking through the window, you don’t just want to try on every hat you can see; you want to ask if you can come in and make one too.
I grew up thinking that ‘fashion’ was a terribly serious thing. I used to read the kinds of magazines which showed you pictures of fashionable people wearing expensive clothes, and then told you where you could buy cheaper, normal-person versions. ‘Fashion’, I thought, was for the rich, and the famous, and the beautiful. Those people were allowed to experiment with different styles and fabrics, but everyone else had better stick to H&M or New Look, where all of the important decisions had already been made, and you just had to choose a size and colour. I wish I had grown up over the road from Himo, and not a British newsagent, where all the glowing, glossy magazine-faces would remind you every day that you could read about fashion, but you certainly couldn’t take part in it.
What I like about shops like Himo – and there are a number of shops like it in Berlin – is that they make fashion not only accessible and affordable (the prices in Himo start at 10 euro), but they also make it look like really good fun. Why should cutting and sticking and gluing be things that you stop doing after the age of 11? Why should you feel that the things you wear have to come ready-made, and packed and folded into plastic bags? I firmly believe that what you wear is a great way of telling the world a little bit about who you are and what you like. You shouldn’t have to learn about who you are from magazines and manikins, you should be able to find out by yourself. So maybe the next time you find yourself on the high street with some spare pocket money, you could skip the magazines and head over to an arts and crafts shop...?
Comments
I like wearing caps. A lot. Basically, I love them. I usually wear my caps the other way round, and it annoys my grandparents so much! So much, that I actually love it!! It's like, you know, "They way kids dress up these days! It used to be a very fashionable thing wearing caps!!"
I don't wear hats much. I don't like them, actually. They are way too silly for me, and I look horrible when I wear a hat. Especially cowboy ones!!! :)))))
I usually wear scarf on my head because it's very common in our country that girls usually wear scarf on their heads (mostly). Well! yeah, I also wear hat.....................Mostly when we have a sport's day in or school! We wear hats of our house color (actually my school has four houses named on our national leaders and are also having specific colors) So, as I am the head of Jinnah House ( green color) O wear green hat and it's fun! :)))))
I love wearing hats, but only fashionable ones........I specially adore the hats which the duchess of Cambridge (Kate) wears....... They look sooooooo grand and charming.
i dont like hottt i like cold and vinter
Yes, I really like hats and I often wear them. I like sun hats very much and woolen winter hats too. There aren`t hat shops in my country but you can find them everywhere.
İ DON`T LİKE TO WEAR HAT .:::::.:(((((((((((((
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I like hats in summer,
I do not like hats.I never wear hats.
Hi Negar, seba, and justcricketforme.
That's a good point you've all made -- wearing a hat probably *would* look very silly with a headscarf!But your comments made me think about other situations: like, do girls ride bicycles in your countries? And if so, do they wear helmets on top of their headscarves? It would be really interesting to learn more about your countries!
Jen
Hi, Jennifer!
It's not MUST here in Pakistan to wear a headscarve but it's in our religion so I do. Yes, girls do ride bicycles here wearing helmets but that's very less finding someone with a helmet while riding a bike. No one cares for this here. Well, I do have to wear helmets on my headscarve because of cycling and cricket.
Zaynab
Who's your favourite cricketer?
no girls can not ride bicycle in iran!! because if they do this every one stairs at them!!!! its awful!!!!.....
I agree with negar, I'd look very idiotic with a hat on my scarf!!!!!
hi justcricketforme. where do u live? our country is........!!!!! im sure that muslims have this problem!!!
Not really! You can do what you want as long as your religion doesn't prohibit you from doing so.
Hey, Negar!
I live in Pakistan, what about you?
hi i live in iran. nice too meet u! :-)
I do not love hats. I have a big head, haha :) It's truth.
oh negar i have the same problem in our stupid country u can't even wear a hat!!!!!!!
how can i wear hat? is it useful for me when i should wear scarf?!!!! hat on the scarf its funny! heh!!.....! :(
I don't like straw hats, only winter hats.
I don't like hats.I think it's really uncomfortable wearing it.
i hate hats they are so annoying
hats ?? no it used 2 be common among women in Iran ... but not now !
this photo is so funny !!! :) :)
Big collection of em! I always am stuck in a hat shop and my mum's always trying to pull me out! :D
i love hats especially straw hats for summer
i will buy one this summer. sure here where
i live are too many stores where has straw hats or another type of hats.
I like hats
I like hats
in my place there are not any hats shoop but i can find on clothes shoop.
I like wearing hats!
I like to wear hats
Hats are cool......Himo is definitely a shop that I will visit.
I like hats very much, in every color and shape. I have a nice collection at home. I like hats that Audrey Hepburn used to wear and those worn by Blair Waldorf in Gossip girl. They are amazing.
When I see a girl with hat, I know that she has style and I think that hats are made esp for women, in order to make them mysterious and beautiful.
I can't to wear hats, but I love people who wear hats. They have a nice appearance...)))
i love hats.i have 26 hats @ home ... isn't this amazing????
I love hats :%
I love hats.big hats in fact...///
I'm not a big fan of hats.. but some of them are really cool! :)
I like hats there are beautiful
I like hats but not to wear every time :))))
I like to wear hat.... :)))
I don't like to wear hat
I wear hats usually.
I like to wear hat.
I love hats...i have made a collection of them.... i like all hat shops....
beautifullllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll
Amazing!!!!!!!!
I don't wear hats,but I love seeing a girl wearing a hat especially a big one.As i mentioned,I like big dark hats because they cover your whole head,protect you from the sun and with them you can look mysterious :D
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