Combs and pins (I still have some somewhere!). I love hats and have many...can't say I'm a fan of the fascinator, but they have been in vogue for many years. I think it was the 1800's when tiaras would have little jewelled attachments that moved and caught the light, often in the form of butterflies and birds. The fascinator stems from that. Hats are pretty popular here in Australia (for special events) and you can buy all the bits and bobs to make fascinators at fabric stores (Spotlight in particular).
I think headwear adds a sense of "dressing up" and I rather like the idea....whether some people can carry it off, well that's another story.