Fascinated: Saskatoon hat maker eyes royal wedding fashion

While most eyes will be fixed on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle during Saturday’s royal wedding, one Saskatoon woman says she can’t wait to see the guests.

Specifically, what’s on their heads.

Sherri Hrycay is the owner of Sova Hat Shoppe in Saskatoon. She’s been designing and making headpieces in her hometown for the past 18 years.

“It’s always interesting to see what’s going to end up on camera,” she said. “Especially with (princesses) Beatrice and Eugenie – they like to push the envelope a little bit.”

Hrycay noted women are required to hear hats, or other headpieces such as fascinators, during the ceremony.

“It goes back to the church and protocol,” Hrycay explained.

“Women, for centuries, have had their heads covered. Whether it’s more modestly with a scarf, or – as times progressed – with a hat. The British have certainly carried the tradition on.”

Hrycay added part of the evolution of royal head pieces came as a response to a government-imposed Hat Tax in England during the late 1700’s.

“To get around it, they started wearing fascinators, which are brimless hats,” she said. “Those have evolved as well into different headpieces.”

She noted while men can choose to wear a hat – typically bowlers or homburgs – protocol states they need to remove it during the ceremony.

The hat trend isn’t just for royalty, either.

“I just had to whip up a fascinator yesterday for a heading this weekend,” Hrycay said, adding more weddings are starting to include hats as part of the dress code.

“Even in the invitation, ‘please wear a hat.’ Which is quite nice considering just a few years ago denim was a big thing at a Saskatchewan wedding,” she laughed.

Hrycay said she’ll be watching the royal wedding in the early morning Saturday.

“Whether it’s from the comfort of my home or somewhere else – I do want to be up. This is what I do.”

The shop owner said customers this week have told her about their plans for home viewing parties – whether it’s with friends or solo, sipping tea.

650 CKOM and 980 CJME will have live coverage of the royal wedding beginning at 5 a.m. Saturday.