40 Derby-Worthy Hats

With the 2014 Kentucky Derby coming up in the first week of May, women and men alike are flocking to find the perfect hat to wear. After all, the Kentucky Derby is just as much a fashion event as it is a horse race.

Did you know that hats became a Kentucky Derby tradition because women were banned from holding up parasols during the races? Now, even in the year 2014, the Kentucky Derby is famous for the people sporting outlandish and eccentric headpieces. Months of planning the colors, materials and accessories goes into constructing these wearable works of art -- and the more attention-grabbing the piece, the better.

From floppy straw hats to sky-high facinators, check out these headpieces to find the most outrageous hat for the 2014 Kentucky Derby.