După Gard: your bear-foot holiday

No! This blog isn't about the Mad Hatter from "Alice in Wonderland". Although, when being in our region, one should start to wonder where the inspiration came to make this big variety of straw hats.
From tiny to huge, from round to cylinder, from the usual straw to more sophisticated materials, the hat is a MUST for everyone living and working in the Apuseni-region (where our Posaga-Community & Dupa Gard Bio-Retreat are located). One could argue about the source of inspiration for the hats-- the Germans & Hungarians who used to live in the region for hundreds of years claim they brought the fashion with them; the Romanians do, too. So fact of the matter is that most likely the hats ~ as we see them nowadays~ are a combination of our rich cultural heritage. Not to mention that in between the Wild Wild West trend also has had its input in our little society (see first picture with Andreas and the mustangs of Posaga).
Regardless the occasion, there is a hat for each head and situation: the huge, broad woman-hat for working on the field / garden (for men, a smaller version is available); the light, chic hat for younger workers; the holiday / Sunday hat-- mostly made of felt, but straw ones are also available; and, of course, the tiny version for children.
Regardless the faith, color or taste in fashion, one hat from Apuseni will make your day and put you in the spotlight after you returned home :)