Royal Bride Sparks Fascinator Frenzy

(NewsCore) - Hats off to Kate Middleton. The new Duchess of Cambridge has sparked a trend in hat accessories known as fascinators, The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday.

Fascinators are decorative trappings made of fanciful materials such as feathers, flowers, lace or beads. They are typically attached to hats or worn in one's hair in lieu of a hat, along with formal attire.

Some American hat retailers say the accouterments have been selling strong ever since photos of Middleton wearing them began to surface a few months ago. Customers are mostly brides and fans of the Kentucky Derby, the annual race that is populated by attendees donning frivolous, oversized hats.

Middleton's "affinity for the fascinator, or cocktail hat, has propelled the style to the fashion forefront," according to Jill Hammer, spokeswoman for the Headwear Association, an industry trade group in Los Angeles. "Contemporary hat brands including San Diego Company, Betmar New York and Grace Hats have all seen recent increases in their cocktail hat business."

Laura Lyons, owner of Serendipity Tiaras, an online retailer in Cedar Park, Texas, says she sold 106 fascinators in the first quarter, up from 22 during the same period a year ago. "I had to rush orders," she said. "I can only think it's because people are seeing Kate Middleton wearing them."

Serendipity Tiaras generates most of its traffic -- 31 percent -- from organic Google search results, followed by Google Adwords, which brings in about 18 percent of sales, said Lyons.

A Google spokesman says searches for "fascinators" and "cocktail hats" are up 67 percent and 54 percent, respectively, from a year ago.

Middleton has prompted consumers to spend money on a number of other items as well, from t-shirts and mugs to fruitcake, her choice of wedding cake. Her wedding dress is also expected to inspire copycats.

Read more: Wall Street Journal