Be careful, the bob is back in fashion!
He. East. Back. Her presence rocked one of the most anticipated shows of Paris Fashion Week. At the end of February, Dior marked the spirits by declining the bucket hat in multiple versions: checkered, in leather, in Vichy print.
Yes, the bob. This little hat informs that your grandpa wears to go fishing, this very soft headgear that your 4-year-old grand-niece wears to avoid sunstroke. Some pioneering signs could have seriously tipped us off last year……………. In particular, the fact that many brands, such as Prada, Lacoste and Versace, loudly asserted their love for the Cheap Bucket Hats during the fall fashion shows. -winter 2018-19. Admittedly, the soufflé could have fallen. But everything suggests that on the contrary, the bucket hat promises to be one of the hits of the summer.
How did we get here? Does the threat of the bob hang over us? And is it such bad news after all? Don’t style adventurers have a golden opportunity to stand out? 20 Minutes investigated the mysterious return of hype for the bob.
From the “indoor” to the “outside”
The comeback of this headgear, which has been seen in exhibits for the second year in a row, is not shocking.” “We’re seeing such a revival of the bob in possibly a bit more Haute circles,” says Dinah Sultan, a wedding planner at mobility consulting firm Peclers. It’s been a while since we saw him return to streetwear. It has been re-establishing itself well since 2016, and what is interesting is that it is going back to the creators. But where was the bob hiding before this recent comeback? And where does it ultimately come from?
The bucket hat like appa bucket hat, and Leather Bucket Hat in English first emerged in the early twentieth century and were worn by the American army, notably during the War In Vietnam. “It was often waterproof, with straps to put the ammunition; it was a real utility hat. Like many surplus products, it was quickly taken up in fashion, says Dinah Sultan. It reached its peak in the 1980s, thanks to the Kangol brand, which brought it up to date with new materials: terrycloth, velvet, toupee… B-Boys. It has since taken root in the streetwear wardrobe, worn by many artists, from LL Cool J, Jay Z, to Rihanna.
In France, unfortunately, the bob does not know such hype and is quickly reduced to the “bob Cochonou” of the Tour de France. “It was positively identified as a ‘has been’ item,” complains the originator.
But his story does not end there. “In 2013-14, he came back with the ‘norm core’ movement [which consists of digging into the popular and simplistic dressing rooms of parents and grandparents to create his own style]. In pop culture, there is always a certain admiration for this military wardrobe, and we have also seen a slightly more functional bob come back in outdoor collections [sportswear and outdoor activities]”. Add to that the considerable place of streetwear in our wardrobes in recent years, and voila.
For whom, why, and when?
And today? The bob has invested in the worlds of luxury and ready-to-wear. When you glance through the hat portion of any e-commerce site, you’ll start noticing that the bucket hat categorization has witnessed tremendous growth. A crazy comeback was confirmed by the Asos sales site. We have indeed witnessed a rebirth of the bob in the public and on social media platforms (particularly Instagram) this season, adds Aisling McKee fry, the site’s artistic director, with a style heavily influenced by the 1990s and 2000s. There is definitely a strong demand for this accessory, in different forms; it goes from its winter version with warm materials to the more utilitarian side in neon nylons for example.
Question budget, there is something for all bank accounts, from 320 euros at Prada (if you feel like breaking your PEL), to 55 euros at Lacoste, to ten euros on the Asos site.
For who?
We are not going to hide it, for the moment the trend of the bucket hat rather targets a young, relatively trendy audience. The idea is to “cool” this accessory.”If a bob is not changed, it will undoubtedly take on its somewhat more outdated tint,” Dinah Sultan observes. You have to have a matching look. The bucket hat rather signs a silhouette and it’s complicated to wear it if the style doesn’t match. When you leaf through look books or during the Prada show, you see that the look is ultra-neat, it’s not just a bucket hat, jeans and sneakers”.
When?
Do you have to wait for sunny days to unsheath your bob? For Aisling McKeefry, “the profile of the bob is genderless and inter-seasonal, even timeless”, so no. It will keep the ears warm during cool periods, and protect them from the sun during the summer. And is it okay to go to work? We want to say yes, let’s free ourselves from our shackles,
Why?
And why not? “It’s really an alternative to the fedora, the hat, even the cap. It brings a slightly more modern touch,” says Dinah Sultan. Afterwards, to be frank, we must recognize that it is a great risk-taking, as a certain old-fashionedness still sticks to the skin of the bobsleigh. But it is trying. Especially since there is a good chance that the accessory will be installed permanently, like its little friend the banana bag. So for the most reluctant, courage.