Black and White Fascinators (Eight Hand-Made Pieces from Our London Atelier)

The two-colour combination that solves more outfits than any other, and the eight pieces we would put your money on.

A black and white fascinator is the most useful headpiece a wardrobe can hold, and the reason is arithmetic rather than fashion. Black on its own is cautioned against at a celebration. White on its own belongs to the bride. Put the two together and both problems disappear at once: the black supplies the formality, the white lifts it out of solemnity, and the piece reads as a decision rather than a default. It also matches almost everything you already own.

Why the pairing works where a single colour does not

British occasion dressing carries remarkably few rules about colour, and for a guest there are really only two. Head-to-toe white or cream belongs to the bride. And unrelieved all-over black reads as too sombre for a celebration unless it is broken with colour. A monochrome headpiece answers both in one object. It is not white, so it takes nothing from the bride. It is not all black, so it never reads as mourning. If your dress is the black one, our guide to what colour fascinator to wear with a black dress covers the wider palette.

There is a second, more practical argument. Monochrome is achromatic, which means it has no complement and nothing to clash with. A navy suit, a red dress, a printed silk, a camel coat: black and white sits against all of them without a colour decision being made. That is why it is the one combination worth owning before any other, and why the pieces below span straw for June and wool felt for November rather than belonging to a single season.

How these pieces are made

Every piece here is designed and hand-made in our London atelier. The bases are blocked by hand over traditional wooden hat blocks, a shape held under steam until the material takes it and keeps it, which is why a hand-blocked brim holds its line where a pressed one softens. Trims are built separately and stitched on by hand: silk petals cut and shaped one at a time, feathers stripped and curled, beadwork applied by needle rather than glue. Merve Bayindir is a member of the British Fashion Council with pieces selected for the Royal Ascot Style Guide. Work is made to order as part of a deliberate, low-waste way of working, and every order arrives in a custom box, with worldwide DHL Express shipping included.

The pieces below run across four material families. Sinamay is woven from abaca fibre and stiffened, which is what lets a wide brim hold a sweeping curve unsupported. Wool felt is blocked wet and dried hard, giving the sharper architectural shapes. Straw is sewn in a continuous braid around the block. Feathers, whether goose or burnt ostrich, are hand-stripped and curled over a blade to set the shape.

Eight black and white fascinators and hats

Ranged from the most substantial to the most wearable, with prices including UK VAT. Inventory is frequently a single unit.

NOCTEL WIDE BRIM HAT

£2,900

A black and ivory wide-brim hat in sinamay and crepe, with dramatic black floral detailing worked across the brim. The ivory keeps the scale from turning severe, which is the whole difficulty with a large black hat. The most formal piece here, and the one that photographs from a distance.

AVA HAT

£2,100

A sculptural black wool felt hat in a wool and crinoline blend, cut with sharp white and black goose feather accents. The feather work is the reason to choose it: it gives the silhouette movement that a plain felt crown cannot. The atelier states dispatch within twenty working days.

KAUI WIDE BRIM HAT

£1,350

A white wide-brim hat in A-grade sinamay carrying a single black burnt ostrich feather that curves against the clean white base. One gesture, done properly. For a summer wedding or a garden party where a strong shape is wanted without a strong colour. Dispatch within twenty working days.

NUITE FASCINATOR

£1,250

A blush ivory couture pillbox fascinator in sinamay, topped with a black beaded floral spray. The ivory is warmed rather than stark, which suits complexions that optic white drains. Small, stable and entirely suited to a receiving line.

CORVINA PILLBOX FASCINATOR

£700

A graphic black wool felt pillbox with sharp black and white goose feather blades radiating from a white beaded centre. The most architectural piece on this list and the most photogenic in close-up, because the blades catch light from every angle. Autumn and winter.

VITRA FELT BERET HAT

£500

A soft white wool felt beret with hand-applied black wire flowers in copper-based metal. The wire drawing is the detail: it reads as line rather than volume, so the beret stays soft where a felt trim would stiffen it. A quieter way to wear the combination.

SWAN FELT BERET HAT

£450

A pristine white wool felt beret carrying a sculpted black swan worked in metal, rhinestone and goose feather against the creamy white base. Witty rather than solemn, and the least formal piece here. For a winter lunch or a day at the races rather than a church.

ONYXEL HAT

£325

A black straw hat banded with a black and white striped silk ribbon. Straw sewn in a continuous braid, so it breathes in a way felt cannot. The entry point to this palette and the one to take on holiday, since straw recovers from a suitcase better than felt does.

At a glance

Frequently asked questions

Can you wear a black and white fascinator to a wedding?

Yes, and it is one of the safest strong choices a guest can make. The two colour conventions worth respecting are that head-to-toe white or cream belongs to the bride, and that unrelieved all-over black reads too sombre for a celebration. A monochrome piece is neither, so it clears both at once.

Is black and white suitable for Royal Ascot?

In the Royal Enclosure the rule is about scale rather than colour: hats should be worn, and a headpiece is acceptable only if it has a solid base of four inches or more in diameter. Fascinators are not permitted there. In the Queen Anne and Village Enclosures a hat, headpiece or fascinator may all be worn.

What should I wear with a black and white headpiece?

Almost anything. Monochrome is achromatic, so it has no complementary colour and nothing to clash with. Keep the outfit to one strong colour or one print, and let the headpiece be the only pattern at the face.

Find your piece

Every piece above is hand-made in our London atelier. If none of these eight is quite right, the wider black collection and the white collection hold more, and the complete range of hats and fascinators is worth browsing before you decide. When the date is close, our ready to ship pieces go out quickly. A black and white fascinator is the one headpiece most wardrobes should own first, and it will still be right in five years.