Colour-Matched Hats for Weddings, Ascot and Special Occasions

Finding the perfect hat is not only about choosing the right shape or style. The colour matters too – sometimes it’s the most important aspect.

At Vivien Sheriff, we offer a colour-matching service for bespoke ladies hats and headpieces, helping you create a piece that works beautifully with your outfit, accessories and the occasion.

Many of our designs can be ordered in the sample colourway shown online. However, if you would like a different colour, or you have a specific outfit you would like your hat to complement, you can select ‘Bespoke’ when ordering. Once we receive your order, we will be in touch to discuss your colours, styling preferences and event date.

Our colour matching service can be used for weddings, Royal Ascot, The Kentucky Derby, race days, garden parties, investitures and other special occasions.

How Our Colour Matching Service Works

The process begins with a conversation with you!  You can get in touch by email or phone, or book an in-person or online appointment with one of our stylists.

We will discuss the outfit you plan to wear, the occasion, the styles you are drawn to and the colours you would like to include. Our team can then advise on the best hat shape for your face, the most suitable design for your outfit, and whether an exact colour match or a tonal match would work best.

For the most accurate colour match, we will need to receive either your outfit, a removable part of your outfit such as a belt, or a fabric swatch at our studio. Photos are very helpful during the early styling discussion, but we cannot guarantee an accurate colour match from an image alone.

Once the design and colour direction have been agreed, we will select the base, trim and finishing details. Where appropriate, we can also amend an existing design to ensure the finished piece pairs beautifully with your dress or outfit.

Please note: Our hats are made to order, with a usual lead time of 4–6 weeks from order confirmation.

What We Need from You

To help us create the best possible colour match,
please send or provide:

· Your outfit, if possible. This gives us the best chance of achieving an accurate colour match.

· A fabric swatch, if the outfit itself is not available. The bigger the swatch, the better.

· Photos in natural light. These are useful for the initial discussion, although they cannot be used as the only reference for colour matching.

· Details of your shoes, bag and jewellery. Seeing the full look helps us make sure everything feels balanced.

· Your event date. Please let us know when you need the hat and when you would ideally like to receive it.

·  Your preferred style. If there is an existing Vivien Sheriff design you love, let us know. We can advise whether it can be made in a bespoke colourway or adapted to suit your outfit.

See Our Bespoke Hat Service

Colour Matching for Online Appointments

You do not need to visit us in person to use our colour matching service.

We offer online appointments where we can discuss your outfit, preferred styles and colour options. For the actual colour matching, however, we will still need a physical garment, removable detail or fabric swatch to be sent to our studio.

If you are sending a garment, we recommend using a tracked and insured postal service. A fabric swatch is also suitable if the outfit cannot be sent.

Once we have reviewed the colour and fabric in person, we can continue the process by email, phone or video call.

Book an appointment

Should Your Hat Match Exactly?

That depends on your outfit and the look you want to create.

Some customers prefer their hat, shoes and bag to match closely. Others prefer a tonal approach, where the colours sit beautifully together without being identical. Our design team can advise on both.

If your dress includes a floral print, embroidery or pattern, we may suggest picking out one of the colours or design details within the outfit. A floral dress, for example, can work beautifully with a headpiece that includes floral elements.

Contrast can also be very effective. Soft pastel shades can be mixed together for a gentle, elegant look, while stronger colour combinations can feel more confident and contemporary. Pink and orange is one of our favourite colour clashes, but different tones of the same colour, such as pale pink and bright pink, can also work beautifully.

Lead Times for Colour-Matched Hats

Our usual lead time is 4 - 6 weeks from order confirmation. This includes sourcing components, colour matching, blocking and making your hat or headpiece.

Bespoke designs may sometimes take longer, depending on the complexity of the piece. If this applies, we will discuss timings with you during your appointment or enquiry.

We recommend getting in touch as early as possible before your event, especially during busy periods such as Royal Ascot and the summer wedding season.

If you need a hat sooner, please contact us. Rush orders are considered on a case-by-case basis, and we will always do our best to help where possible.

Enquire About Colour Matching

To enquire about colour matching, please contact us by email, phone or through our appointment booking form.

It is helpful to include a photo of your outfit, the date of your event and any Vivien Sheriff hat styles you are interested in. We can then advise on the next steps and discuss whether an in-person or online appointment would be best.

FAQs

Yes. You can select ‘Bespoke’ as the colour option when shopping online, and then send your outfit or fabric swatch to our studio so we can create your colour-matched piece

When we have the physical outfit or swatch to work from, our aim is to create a beautifully accurate match. We will also advise if a tonal match or contrast may be more flattering for the overall look.

Yes. We specialise in colour matching and can advise on the best way to create a hat or headpiece that works beautifully with
your outfit.

The actual outfit gives the best result. If that is not possible, a fabric swatch is the next best option.

Yes. A fabric swatch is very helpful if you are unable to send the full outfit. The larger the swatch, the better.

Photos are useful for initial styling conversations, but we cannot colour match accurately from a photograph alone. We need the physical garment or fabric swatch for the best result.