Silicon Valley Street Style is a weekly feature that looks at the intersection of fashion, technology and taste.
Is the Selfie Hat the ultimate evolution of wearable technology, or just another eye-catching insult to women already choking on pink? Making its debut at London Fashion Week, the glittering Selfie Hat is only a prototype. But would we every want to see it on the street? In this very special edition of Silicon Valley Street Style, ReadWriters Lauren Orsini and Adriana Lee debate its merits … or lack thereof.
The Selfie Hat Is Art For The Ages
Not everyone will be able to pull off a big, pink, glittery selfie sombrero.
Indeed, the Acer’s Iconia A1-840 isn’t meant for just anyone. Christian Cowan-Sanluis, Lady Gaga’s own outfitter, devised this haute couture design for London Fashion Week in collaboration with Acer.
Are you sure you’re not just making fun of it because you’re jealous you can’t have it? If your argument is that this look wouldn’t suit everybody, look around you—most high fashion doesn’t.
The selfie hat won’t be available to anyone less famous than Lady Gaga, who wore a similar look this spring. However, if you have an Acer Iconia A1-840 tablet like the one that hangs off the brim of the selfie hat, you can buy a own miniature version of the sombrero. There’s nothing like a pink, glittery hat for your inanimate tablet to shield the screen from the sun while showing onlookers your extreme knowledge capacity for Internet inside jokes.
See also: This Business Suit Onesie Is Ingenious Laziness In Clothing Form
A century from now, the selfie hat will be a reminder of the opulence, luxury, and most of all, the promise, of the early age of wearable tech. Like a breathless 1950s concept smart home, the selfie hat shows us that the bounds of connected clothing are limitless. — Lauren Orsini
The Selfie Hat Is A Pink, Glittery Insult To The Senses
Good thing this was intended for Lady Gaga, because really, no one else could pull this off.
High fashion sometimes acts as culture commentary, and in this way, the hat succeeds—in the most outlandish way possible—at highlighting modern humans’ very strong attachment to their gadgets. The tablet is literally tethered to the wearer’s head. It also happens to position the device at a perfect distance for selfies, a movement so large it has invaded our dictionaries and TVs.
But egads—there’s no getting around the fact that this thing looks ridiculous. In fact, something about it reminds me of a 1960s-era Minnie Pearl and the price tag hanging off her wide-brimmed hat. To seal the deal, the model in the photo even dresses in a retro-inspired look.
See also: Normcore Nerds Flock to Gingham Shirts
Sure, Gaga-wannabes may drool at the sight of this monstrosity. But for the rest of us, haven’t we all moved on from the notion that all it takes to appeal to women is a pink hue and glitter? — Adriana Lee
