Footwear has been grabbing all the fashion headlines in recent months – especially when a shoe is just a little bit “wrong.” Take Alaïa’s mesh ballet slipper, for instance, which has captivated Vogue editors and international It-girls alike. While Jennifer Lopez knows how to make a statement below the ankles – think of those transparent platform heels by Valentino Garavani – her latest ensemble puts another of her signatures centre stage: the wide-brimmed hat. In J Lo’s world, it’s a case of the higher the hat, the closer to heaven… or however the saying goes.
While shopping in Capri (perhaps on the hunt for some baggy jeans or an Hermès Birkin in a new colourway?), Lopez’s ensemble incorporated all the quintessential holiday elements: a cream linen top and trouser set adorned with floral motifs, a black bikini, oversized square-framed black sunglasses, cork wedge platforms and a capacious straw tote bag. But the focal point of her look? A mammoth black felt hat boasting not only a wide brim, but also an unusually towering crown.
In addition to her expansive collection of fedoras and panamas for her off-duty outfits, Lopez has a habit of wearing statement-making hats on the red carpet, too. Look no further than her 2021 Met Gala appearance, where, dressed by Ralph Lauren, she embraced a Western-inspired vibe with a leather cowboy hat. And who could forget her show-stopping moment at the 2019 Grammy Awards, for which she chose a Ralph & Russo piece with arguably the widest brim known to man (reminiscent of the comically expanding sheriff’s hat in Scary Movie 3)? For Lopez, any outfit is improved by a dramatic hat.
