Hats on for Hats Off

Saratoga boasts a tradition of donning dramatic hats; it is the expected track attire for the months of July and August. The fashion trend is all about seeing and being seen; nobody knows this better than Natalie Sillery, owner of the Saratoga Trunk boutique. Located at 493 Broadway, the store has been a mecca for hat-enthusiasts for 13 years. Her rooms are filled with feathery cocktail hats and fantastic fedoras, rose-laded sun hats and wide brims trailing silk. Hats Off rejoices in the “biggest, best, most fanciful, whimsical and wild hats,” says Sillery. “Millinery mavens flock to the Trunk for Kokin, the king of glamour lids; Le Beau Chapeau with her fru-fru feathers and flowery accents; Christine A. Moore’s easy-breezy straws; Mona the Mad Hatter and her signature sideways styling; and Lisa Battaglia’s free-form crinkled creations.”

Saratoga Trunk not only offers a selection of striking hats but a stunning collection of sun dresses, cocktail dresses and gowns by such eminent designers as Badgley Mischka, Betsey Johnson, Nicole Miller, Kay Unger, Terri Jon, Tadashi, Marc Bauer and Alberto Makali. It is a one-stop shopping experience, carrying clothes to fit any woman’s size and budget, and accessories to accent the perfect outfit. “For us, a woman’s clothing is something much grander than simply something she wears,” says Sillery. “Depending on cut and color, it’s a bold statement of her mood, and of manner: of who she is and what she chooses to convey about herself, whether sassy, secretive, sexy, whimsical or mysterious— but always, always elegant.”

Stop by the Trunk to be dressed “hat to hem,” fit for the Winner’s Circle and ready to enter the 16th annual hat contest to be held Sunday, July 29, at the track. The contest features three categories: Uniquely Saratoga (calling for the most innovative and zany creations), Fashionably Saratoga, and Kreative Kids for those under 18. Registration for the competition commences at noon under the grandstand, and after the second, third and fourth races, participants of each category will parade along the apron for the judges to marvel and measure. Prizes include betting vouchers, gift certificates and baseball caps.

Commemorate Saratoga’s spirit, join in the tradition and flaunt your fabulous hat!