MARVELOUS MILLINERY: Just about every fashionable item that had its heyday from the middle of the 19th century through the 1940s has been revisited over the last two decade. Yes, there is a hipster element to a lot of the newly popular again pieces -- monocles, for example, never seem to arrive back on the scene without a healthy dose of eyebrow raising (something you shouldn't really do while wearing a monocle) -- and there is some sheer outlandish fun to the proceedings, too. Spats? So smart. Evening gloves? Elegance defined. Cravat squares? What the discerning gentleman turns to when he tires of ordinary neckties. Bonnets? Well, hmm. The tie-under-the-chin, bow-laden hats haven't made quite the hipster splash that garter belts and pocket watches have in recent years, but maybe they just need some higher profile events. Say, a bonnet parade through the heart of Old Sacramento. If you know your bonnets in popular culture, then you know that Easter weekend is the best time to admire them.
AND ADMIRE THEM YOU SHALL... if you're in the historic heart of our capital on Saturday, April 19. People in bustles and ruffles and petticoats shall chin-tie a bevy of bonnets on and go strolling. Quaint? For sure. Picturesque? Absolutely. Very spring-y? So spring-y. But could it start a fashion wave? We'll cross our fingers -- or parasols -- and hope. The time is 11 a.m., the bonnet promenade begins at the History Museum, and it is free to admire. Or do you have your own bonnet to rock? Or several? And how to choose? We do like that it keeps the back of the head warm, the face nicely framed, and a big gust cannot blow it off your noggin. Plus? The design possibilities are plentiful. If spats can come back, and, yes, monocles, why not the bonnet?
