Fascinator headbands worked by hand in the London atelier, in silk, straw, sinamay and crystal, on a band matched to your own hair colour. A band holds itself. It sits behind the hairline, carries its own weight and needs no pins or grips, which is why it is the piece most women try first and the one they keep wearing long after the occasion.
Every band here can also be made in your colour, matched by hand to your fabric, in one to four weeks from the first conversation.
Choosing yours
Three things that decide a headband
The band is matched to your hair
The band itself is individually colour matched to your own hair before the piece is finished, which is what makes the fixing disappear. Tell us your shade when you order.
Hair up, hair down or a bob
A band is the one occasion piece that does not need long hair to anchor it. It holds on a bob, on short hair and on hair worn loose, where a comb has very little to grip.
Size and fitReady to wear or made in your colour
The bands here ship as they are. Any of them can also be made in your own colour, matched by hand to a swatch, in one to four weeks.
How a commission worksElsewhere
The occasions these are made for
Mother of the bride
Hats and headpieces for the mother of the bride or groom, colour matched to your outfit and blocked to your head measurement.
Mother of the brideWedding guests
Pieces that sit well with your outfit and stay comfortable through a ceremony, a wedding breakfast and the speeches.
Wedding guest hatsRace day
Ascot, Cheltenham, the Melbourne Cup and the Derby. Check the enclosure rule before you choose a band, because the Royal Enclosure asks for a 10cm base.
Race day hatsMade for you
Monika will work a band around your outfit, match the colour by hand to your fabric and set the trim where it suits your hair. One to four weeks from the first conversation.
Fascinators handmade one at a time in the London studio, for weddings, Royal Ascot, race days and christenings. Silk, parasisal straw, sinamay, crinoline and feather work, mounted on a band, a comb or a clip, with an elastic matched to your own hair colour. Every piece can be made in your colour, and shipped worldwide.
Every band on the shelf above can also be made in your own colour. Below is how a band should sit, what each material does and how a made to order piece runs.
How a fascinator headband should sit
A fascinator headband should sit two to three centimetres behind the hairline, with the trim set to one side rather than square across the crown. Pushed forward onto the forehead it reads as an everyday hair accessory. Set back it lifts the face and reads as millinery. Two centimetres decide it.
Which side depends on your parting. The trim goes on the fuller side, so the volume of the piece and the volume of the hair are not fighting for the same space. If you part in the centre, set it to whichever side you turn towards in photographs.
Weight is what keeps it there. A band is wired and balanced so the load sits evenly across the head instead of pinching behind the ears, and the trim is counterweighted at the base rather than left to lever forward from the top. A heavy sinamay bow set high with nothing balancing it will creep all afternoon. A hidden comb is added where a piece is tall or the hair is fine.
Made to order in your colour
Any band here can be made in your colour. Post a swatch of your outfit, bring it to the atelier or send a photograph, and the silk, felt or straw is matched by hand against the cloth. One to four weeks from the first conversation to the finished piece.
The band itself is matched separately, to your own hair colour, so a photograph picks up the silk and never the fixing underneath. Tell us your shade when you order.
Materials behave differently and it is worth knowing which you are choosing. Silk and silk velvet drape into a soft fold and photograph richest in low light. Sinamay and parasisal straw are woven and stiffened, so they hold a sharp sculptural edge and carry height without weight. Wool crepe and felt take a clean pressed fold and belong to autumn and winter. Crystal is set by hand, a piece at a time, at the front where it will catch the light.
Questions
What is a fascinator headband?
A fascinator headband is an occasion headpiece mounted on a rigid band that passes behind the ears, rather than on a clip or a comb. The band carries the weight, so nothing is pinned into the hair. It suits hair worn up, down, short or fine. It is also the easiest occasion piece to put on unaided.
Will a headband stay on all day?
Yes, when the band is wired and balanced properly. The load is spread evenly across the head instead of pinching behind the ears, and the trim is counterweighted at the base so it cannot lever forward. A hidden comb is added where a piece is tall or the hair is very fine.
Is a headband appropriate for a wedding?
Yes. A headband is appropriate for a wedding guest, for the mother of the bride or groom and for the bride herself. Royal Ascot is the one exception worth checking, because the Royal Enclosure asks for a hat or a headpiece with a base of at least 10cm across and will not accept a fascinator.
Can you make a headband to match my outfit?
Yes. Post a swatch of your outfit, bring it to the London atelier or send a photograph, and the silk, felt or straw is matched by hand against the cloth itself. The band is matched separately to your hair colour. A commission takes one to four weeks from the first conversation.
Also worth seeing: mother of the bride hats, wedding guest hats, race day hats and bridal headpieces.