National Umbrella Day

Colorful umbrellas banner for Reva blog post.

Did you know the umbrella has its own day? The National Day Calendar celebrates it on the 10th of February. How very cool.

Vivian decided to use the umbrella as inspiration for a cool and colorful hat. The result is bright and fun. The Hattingdon umbrella hat is done in sections of red, yellow, green and blue with details in black. She named it Raine.

Raine Hattingdon

Celebrate

National Umbrella Day is celebrated every year on February 10th honoring one of the most practical and globally used inventions — the umbrella.

“Shielding us from pouring rain to harsh sunlight, the umbrella has quietly stood by humanity for thousands of years — proving that simple, useful ideas often last the longest.”

“While most people associate brollies with rain, umbrellas have long been used for protection from the sun. They are also seen and used in fashion, photography, art, cinema, and special ceremonies.”


Blog Hattingdon H logo in her signature brown color.

Updated 02/27/26

Etienne, then and now

Etienne updated banner featuring both hats.

Greetings and thank you for stopping by.

Years ago, Vivian was looking for something extra she could do to raise money to help rescue horses. The more she and her group rescued, the more horses there seemed to need help.

It was also becoming obvious they were not going to get all they needed financially to help the horses simply from donations. So what could they do?

Then Vivian had a spark of inspiration. She would create something they could sell — and that is how the hat wearing cartoon horses Hattingdon Horses came to be born.

The first Hattingdon of course was Curtis. He was “it” for a long time. Then someone suggested I create a “lady” hat wearing horse to go with him. That encouraged the creation of a second Hattingdon horse — Harper in her large pink wide brim fashion hat. Hmmm. So what came after all of that? A whole lot of hats — created by V.

Etienne

A big time favourite

The hats you see below are from Vivian’s early design years. She named the design Etienne. The hats are fabulous. Red, white and blue always catches the eye. And Hattingdon wears them well . . . very well.

Etienne Hattingdon, L2R the original and the new.
Etienne by V

Hope you love seeing Hattingdon and her many hats. —Hattingdon & Co.

© Vivian J Grant. All Rights Reserved.


Blog Hattingdon H logo in her signature brown color.

Updated: 12 Feb ‘2026.

A beret and trio of feathers

Jenna three feathers. Red. Yellow. Blue.

Hello and welcome. Thank you for stopping by. We have one of your all time favorite designs today. It has always been a big hit. And now it has a new name and a fresh look.

Jenna

Vivian renamed this design Jenna following a “write in” by Hattingdon fans. What a lovely name they chose.

The newly named Jenna design features a fabulous black beret with a cascading trio of feathers in red, yellow and . . . now blue. We have all drawn to this design. Just love it. See Color Meanings below.

Jenna Hattingdon.


Color meanings

Color-meanings.com reveals and explains the symbolism and meanings of feather colors.

RED. “Red is the color of the Root Chakra, which is the source of energy of life, and vitality. Red is one of the fascinating colors that uncover various symbolisms, meanings, and associations. It is usually linked with our strong emotions, such as love, desire, and anger. From red hair to the red carpet in events, it is a color that’s regarded as a head-turner due to its warm, bright hues.

Red is a primary color. It represents passion, warmth, and sexuality, but it is also known as a color that stands for danger, violence, and aggression. Red sits between violet and orange on the color wheel. Colors that are similar to red are rose red and red-orange. The hex code for the color red is #FF0000.”

YELLOW. “Yellow is the representative color for the Solar Plexus Chakra, therefore, the yellow feather is connected to the Gut Instinct. It is charged with the sun’s energy, and is pulsing with blessings and wisdom.

Colors make your brain release different chemicals. In the case of yellow, this color makes the brain release serotonin, which in turn can make you happy! A yellow feather also draws attention to intelligence and mental alertness, joy, cheerfulness, and playfulness.”

BLUE. “Blue is a symbol of loyalty, peace, and relaxation. It’s a bold color that goes well with a variety of other colors, and people all over the world are drawn to its positive connotations.

Blue is the most common favorite color around the world, and it’s beloved by people of all ages and genders. It’s unclear why so many people adore the color blue, but it likely has to do with how calming it is. It’s also the color we see surrounding us in the sky and water, so it may be a familiar hue that people feel comfortable around.”

GREEN. The color of harmony and health. Green is a generous, relaxing color that revitalizes our body and mind. It balances our emotions and leaves us feeling safe and secure. It also gives us hope, with promises of growth and prosperity, and it provides a little bit of luck to help us along the way.

Most prominently found in nature, the color green embodies rich foliage, lush greenery, and vast landscapes. This earthy hue is commonly associated with Mother Earth, which is why it’s thought to be calming and ubiquitous. Offering relaxation, green soothes with its gentle and peaceful undertones. Green squelches chaos, making it a force to be reckoned with.


Learn more at Color-meanings.com »

A ‘Hatful of Smiles’


Hattingdon H logo letter in black.

Contents © Vivian J Grant. All Rights Reserved.

Updated 16 January 2026.

Cloud Dancer named color of 2026

Phthalo green header artwork.

but not for long . . .

Pantone choose billowy white ‘Cloud Dancer’ as its color of the year. They stated:

“Pantone [has] named its Color of the Year for 2026, and the choice is quietly telling. Dubbed ‘Cloud Dancer’, the soft, billowy off-white shade signals a shift away from loud statements and toward shape, texture, and intention—an approach already gaining traction
across fashion and interiors.”


Writes Vivian, “It appeared to some that they ran out of color ideas so simply chose . . . white. We were all pretty surprised and there was a lot of head shaking. It was then that social media began to look for another color. Thankfully Marie Claire took the issue in hand and chose — shall we say — a more relevant color for 2026″.

Enter ‘Phthalo Green’

Marie Claire writes:

Open quote in Hattingdon brown.

The social media rejection of “Cloud Dancer” was just the beginning. Nominations for a substitute 2026 Color of the Year quickly arose. I saw a couple of alternatives like oxblood and dark purple in the hour or so after the announcement. Within the day, there was a near-uniform consensus on Threads: The true color for 2026 isn’t white, but something prettier, something richer, something with actual color—a pigmented, deep, slightly blue-tinged shade called “Phthalo Green”.

Phthalo green is a dark bluish-green color that is used in various media,
such as oil and acrylic paints, inks, and cosmetics.
_______

Learn more about this color and it unique qualities of phthalo pigments at Jackson’s »

Hattingdon. ‘A Hatful of Smiles’.


Hattingdon letter H logo in deep green.

Contents © Vivian J Grant. All Rights Reserved.

Updated: 12/30/25