Mad Hatters were out in full force at the Easter Parade 2012 in New York

This young lady was perfection. Happy to be there, smiling broadly with the fun twist of
putting the purple, pink and green daisies on the inside of her wide brimmed hat.

All it really takes to get the hat makers at New York city's Easter Day Parade to talk about their fantastic headpieces at New York City's Easter Day parade is to wear one yourself. This is the third year I've gone to the parade, but the first time I took the hat-making business seriously. So I got to chat up those with the best, most amazing hats. I inquired as to who they were, how long it took to make their hats and what inspired them. Some of these people have been doing the parade with hats for 15 years! There were the usual themes to be found; birds, birds and more birds (in bird cages, on branches, in nests,) as well as bunnies, eggs, flowers and watering cans, but this year new hats themed like The Titanic and an early airplane strolled by perched on high. There were hundreds of people parading in hats and thousands upon thousands watching and photographing them. I myself was asked to pose for dozens of photos. Some of the outstanding Easter bonnets are here:

"The Easter Parade Rocks" writes out one jauntily bonneted young girl. 

Shades of green, a nest perched on a twig and a huge smile.

This sweet girl created a symphony atop her wide brimmed straw hat.

There was so much amazingness going on with this gentleman's getup, that it took me a few minutes to notice that the gray parrot on his hat was alive! And that the base of his hat was an upside down quilted handbag.

As this gentleman moved in front of Saint Patricks Cathedral, he picked up his ever constant poodle
out of its stroller for a photo with the menagerie. The neon dye job on the poodle coordinating
with the neon plastic bracelets is a particularly nice touch.

Very minimal nest-as-hat with a sheer dress embellished with brown feathers.

Nothing more adorable than sisters in pastel matching hats and outfits.

Clever Nor' Easter couple (who come every year) stopped to chat with a mother
and daughter trio who also come every year. "Did you get interviewed by Fox News?" Nor Easters inquired.
 "Yes, they asked what my hat meant," the Southern Lady under a trellis mom replied.

This couple was parading and texting.

Watering can gents do simple, effective matching hats. Last year they wore hat boxes.

Old fashioned meets thoroughly modern peeps-mini.

Effective small hats covered with plastic eyeballs and pom poms.

Flower pot trio.

This hat encompassed three favorite themes, flowers, bunny and carrots.

Carrot top hat and boy with orange basketball bunny posed together. Hilariously the lady carried a spritzer bottle and pulled it out to moisten her carrots from time to time.

Roses and more roses engulf a black hat.

Memorial Hat for Michael, Whitney, his dad and other beloved past souls. 

Memorial to the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the SS Titanic with a crew and passenger
 list of chicks and bunnies natch.

A reproduction of the Wright brothers first plane on display at the Air & Space Museum in Washington, DC.

Gents were part of the Horoscope Signs large group. 

Horoscope Sign Aquarius.

Chihuahua's in cute sheer coats with preppy owner wearing a ubiquitous bunny hat.

Hats off to all the fun of Easter in New York!

I have new found respect for what's involved in making an Easter Bonnet, from putting one together this year. You first need to think of a theme that will stand out. Newbies (me 2 years ago) will hot glue as many peeps and fake flowers as they can to a wide brimmed straw hat and pray it holds together. (My vase of flowers from the first parade fell off in the last half hour.) I had a bird watcher hat idea in mind, where no birds can be spotted because they are all on the top of the hat. What really impressed me from the past two years were hats that showed subtle, elegant craftsmanship. Black and white also really stands out from the Fifth Avenue sea of pastels. My materials? H & M hat ($9.99), black & white stripped ribbon from Tinsel Trading (1 and 1/2 yards for $3) and four white birds, black feather and the nest from Jamali Gardens in the flower district ($22) $35 total and 1/2 hour to put it together. Voila!

--Monica Forrestall