How Wine Helped Me Find a Fascinator Fit for a Royal Wedding
We’ve all been there: In the backseat of a Lyft, happy-hour buzzed and homeward bound, fingertips occupied in an endless Insta scroll. And then it happens. That must-have purse or shoe pops up and you impulsively make the call to buy. This series explores the modern phenom that is shopping when you’re a little sauced and the sweet satisfaction or dreadful dismay that follows.
In this month’s installment of Buzzed Fashion Buys, we’re revisiting one of our favorite events of all time — the royal wedding! Ok, not exactly, but we got your attention, didn’t we? While preparing for her big trip to the United Kingdom, Brit + Co VP of Editorial Annette Cardwell got a little tipsy with her friend and soon-to-be traveling partner, Yoko Senga. “We were planning our girls’ trip to our friend Simon’s wedding at a beautiful pastoral country estate in Wales, and we knew the one thing we had to buy for the occasion was a fascinator,” says Cardwell. “We were definitely still high on the Meghan Markle and Prince Harry royal wedding vibes.”
Although they’d been perusing the internet — specifically looking for fascinators — for months, they’d left *ordering* one until the last minute. About a week before the wedding, the two met up over Chinese dumplings and perfectly chilled Sauvi B and proceeded to get their online shop on via Amazon Prime. “Because we’re both Japanese ladies (half for me, full for her), [Senga] originally had the genius idea to buy these amazing ramen bowl fascinators, but we just couldn’t justify the $60 price tag,” she says. “And also they required some advance ordering time, which we were well past.”
They eventually discovered the Toplay Fascinator Hat ($10) that was not only the right price but also came in a wide variety of colors. The free two-day shipping didn’t hurt either given their relative time crunch. “I ended up buying two since my dress had tones of navy blue and cream and yellow,” she says. “Plus the fascinators were so inexpensive — why not buy two?”
Cardwell’s fascinator was a big hit at the wedding, and her extra-buzzed purchase ended up coming in handy too. “When I realized that one of my fellow ladies hadn’t brought her own fascinator, I lent her my second one to wear,” she says. “Sisters helping sisters to be fascinating!”
Retail Hangover Status: “It was 100 percent worth it. On top of looking stellar amid the Welsh garden-party setting, I managed to get nearly every man in our party to wear my fascinator, including the groom. Win-win, for sure.”
What’s the best or worst buzzed purchase you’ve made lately? Tell us your story for a chance to be featured on Brit + Co!
(Photos via Amazon and Annette Cardwell)
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