A fascinator is a formal headpiece for women, a style of millinery, originally of lightweight knitted fabric, since the 1990s the term refers to a type of formal headwear worn as an alternative to the hat. It is usually a large decorative design attached to a band or clip and is adorned with anything from flowers, feathers and pearls. Sometimes incorporating a base to resemble a hat, in which case it may be called a hatinator.