Lynn Alsobrook models one of her hats, the Peacock Fantasy, at the home of Lisa Maclellan on Lookout Mountain on Tuesday afternoon. Alsobrook has been making the small hats for about six months now.Style watchers are looking across the pond to see the latest trends sparked by Kate Middleton.
Last week, Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge and the Western world’s most influential trend-setter, made headlines with an Alexander McQueen black gown she wore to a black-tie charity event in London. It was her “biggest fashion moment since the royal wedding,” according to the website graziadaily.co.uk.
Middleton has been credited with renewing interest in pantyhose, nude shoes and military-inspired clothing, as well. Her most glamorous style, however, might be the fascinator, a delicate headpiece. CNN reported last April that because of Middleton, Google searches for fascinators had increased more than 50 percent.
Lookout Mountain resident Lynn Alsobrook, a designer of fascinators, said that though the duchess has thrust the fascinator into the limelight, it has a rich history. The hat dates to the 18th century, she said, noting that history shows the hats were heavily adorned with feathers, lace, flowers and jeweled pins.
“Fashion mavens picked up on the trend, and fascinators have become a whimsical headpiece, not only in England but in the United States,” Alsobrook said.