"I Cappelli" - Cortona, Toscana

"I Cappelli" -- The subtle variations in both the pallette and the shape of the men's hats in this image transport me back in time to a simpler way of life. For me, they conjour up visions of the 1950's when hats were all the rage in movies and in society at large. Was it a simpler time back then? Really difficult to say. Everyone always seemed to be in a hurry, rushing around, but isn't that really a lot like how it is today too?

The continuum of the beiges of the hats offers both a sense of personal individuality as well as a sense of community, of belonging to something that is bigger than the self. You wouldn't want to be caught without your hat in this town, lest you be considered an outsider, but you can also have your own personal, special hat, the one that fits just you, the one that says "this is me!"

Taking a closer look, you will notice that many of the hats have different shapes too. From the Super Fino Montecristi Fedora to the various Panamas including the Brim, the Downbrim, the Quenca Fino and the Optimo. While similar from a distance, they are all unique in their own way too.

Regretfully, I resisted the impulse to purchase one of the hats in the window while in Cortona. I foolishly waited until about a year later when I had the opportunity to purchase the same hat at a much higher price on the Amalfi coast. At least it finally cured my longing for a fine Borsalino Brim.

While interest in hats seems to have been fading now for several years, I do hope that such hats will begin to make their comeback in modern society one of these days soon. They bring back a formality of style that has been eluding us.