Hats Off to History

Transcription

1 Hats Off to History Liz Haeuptle Curator of Collections Elkhart County Historical Museum

2 20 th Century Millinery Millinery, versus hat making, is the designing and manufacture of ladies hats Women s hat can be traced back to the mid- Victorian era in 1865 to its near demise due to the cultural revolution, circa 1965 Driven by the fashion industry during the 20 th century Divided into three types of businesses: Home shops/parlors Stores/department store sections Wholesalers The glory days,

3 Fashion Industry French fashion was the inspiration for American dress throughout the formative years of the U.S., and well into the 20 th century Paris millinery designs created patterns that were often copied by women and other designers all over the world (couture houses): Coco Channel Dior Chanel Films & celebrities

4 The Earliest Hats Made of straw or felt Initially deemed as practical and moral necessity: Protection from heat or cold Notion that a modest woman must cover her head persisted into the mid-20 th century 1800s, women kept their hair covered at all times 18 th century, the bonnet was headgear of choice in Europe and a classic choice during westward expansion in America

5 20 th Century Style Selection Women carefully chose their hats to balance their silhouette and enhance an ensemble Hats were an extension of the dress or suit, and often incorporated the same colors and trimmings

6 Hatpins Hatpins purchased with "pin money have survived in great numbers Worn two or three at a time Kept handy on the dressing table in special holders 1920s, grew in importance with costume jewelry Matched brooches The heyday was between the 1880's and 1920 s, after which hair styles became short and the hats became smaller making the pins unnecessary

7 Activity Take a close look at each hat that is displayed What style it is? What year does it represent? You can only use the date and hat style once

8 1920: Cloche Klosh ( French word for bell ) Soft style of the 1920's Fashioned from a hood of chiffon or handkerchief felt Covered the head to the neck in back; it came to the eyebrows in front A flapper age, boyish style (garçonne in French)

9 1920: Inspiration Paris set the trend and was the fashion powerhouse Millinery fueled by a new development coordinated accessories Early 1920s was a mishmash that seemed to operate under the slogan Anything goes Smaller hats evolved represented by both the cloche and the flapper hairstyles What went up in the 1920s came down in 1928 hemlines and hairstyles

10 1920: Fashion Women often wore 3 hats a day, from small and chic to elaborately decorated hats in the evening The hats had a lightweight quality, since they were built on a delicate base of horsehair, stiffened lace, or woven straw The classic cloche hat dominated the decade, but wide-brimmed hats flourished simultaneously

11 1920: Materials & Decor Braided straw Wool Crepe fabrics Ribbon (trim) Horsehair Stiffened lace Woven straw Felt Furs Color palates Geometric prints

12 1920: Hats Popover hat Cloche Brimless towering topper (helmet variation of the cloche) Big droopy brimmed chapeau Gigolo Cartwheels Sports hats

13 1920: Brimless Towering Topper May also be referred to as a Fez Belonged to Goldie Greenawalt office manager at The Style Shop on North Main Street in Elkhart The shop became Newmans around 1970 She purchased all the millinery for the shop from Chicago & NY

14 1920: Droopy Brimmed Chapeau Chapeau (sha po): French word for outdoor head covering. A chapeau has a crown and a brim. Nape-hugging Crepe fabrics

15 1930: Grosgrain Chapeau Grosgrain (gro gran): A mattefinish, ribbed ribbon Chapeau (sha po): French word for outdoor head covering. A chapeau has a crown and a brim.

16 1930: Inspiration Age of Elegance Continuing conformity (headwear for morning, noon, & night) Fashion became more flexible Early: Fashion stole from history & foreign countries Late: Abandoned historical references surrealism American milliners started to flex their muscles Depression dictated millinery designs The threat of war in Europe

17 1930: Fashion Over the top decoration & style! Fearless & bold with accessories The hand knit depression hat, madcap, broke down fashion rules Early 30s fashion introduced Mae West as the female inspiration ( She Done Him Wrong ) Hats brandished spectacular trims, colors, & shapes exaggerated silhouettes

18 1930: Materials & Decor Veiling Fur Ostrich feathers Jewel toned fabric Felt Velvet Antelope Clashing color Fruit Vegetables Shells Nuts Ribbons Scarves Bands

19 1930: Hats Madcap Turbans Grosgrain chapeau Beret (grew in size) Empress Eugénie Scap cap Straw topper Wrapped crown Itsy-bitsy (fancy dress)

20 1930: Beret

21 1930: Empress Eugénie Style of Empress Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III Debuted in 1931 Trimmed with ostrich feather Highly criticized

22 1930: Empress Eugénie The Lava Soap radio program paid snide poetic tribute: Here s to the Princess Eugénie, That sits on the side of my beanie; My husband laughs, The big giraffe, Don t you think he s a meanie? Here s to the Princess Eugénie, Over one ear it does leanie; By covering one ear, Don t you see, my dear, You have only one ear to cleanie!

23 1940: Beret Simple One-note ornament rooster tail plumage Characteristic of late 40s

24 1940: Inspiration WWII changed the means and the mode of millinery Restrictions Materials were limited (except flowers) Couture houses went into isolation, until 1945, and American fashion had a chance to show some spunk American fashion was made up of equal parts patriotism & Hollywood design

25 1940: Fashion Limited materials (silk, wool, & leather) Intricate handmade accessories made up for the lack of first-class materials 30s hats fell out of favor, because they weren t male bait. Vogue wrote, The way not to look this year is hard, sharp, cold, even bold. It s out because the men can t bear it. The new hats are not crazy, zany, don t-let-your-husband-see-ithats they are the Lady Hats. Ad-libbed style Signs of hatlessness

26 1940: Materials & Decor Flowers (unrestricted) Cotton Kerchiefs Scarves Upholstery fringe Cork Shells Wild color palettes Raffia & starched cotton lace (substitute for straw) Rabbit fur & skim milk = felt Luminescence (fashionable during the blackouts)

27 1940: Hats Easter Bonnet Hand-knits Turban (wrapped head) Hat-with-a-scarf Capbots Giddy toppers Mermaid cap Beret (simple)

28 1940: Beret

29 1950: Toque Toque: is a type of hat with a narrow brim or no brim at all Straw Veiling Represents aerospace look

30 1950: Inspiration Increase in ornate hairdos, causal lifestyle, and diversity Wedding of Grace Kelly & play My Fair Lady Dresses inspired hat designs Late 50s, millinery brain fatigue & hat wearing code was under review 50s stands as the millinery twilight, the last great decade of hat wearing Introduction of hairspray & rattail comb Beauty aid increased 280% from , while hat sales slumped 31%

31 1950: Fashion Trimming was abundant that the clothing lacked Face-framing styles Cloche reintroduced fixture for the rest of the decade Hybrids were introduced 1955, extreme shapes evolved hattier hats Bulk without weight fabrics Color was used with a bold new freedom

32 1950: Materials & Decor Teddy bear cloth Fleeces Shaggy/knobby wools Feathers Tiny mirrors Ball fringe Braid Glass jet Rhinestones Beads & pearls Flowers Veiling Straw Raffia Terry cloth Linen Printed fabrics

33 1950: Hats Toque Pillbox Head-hug-ging hats Mushroom Cloche hybrids Greenery Big hats: Flying saucer Platter Deep dish casserole Terry cloth or linen kerchiefs Bonnets Boozing bonnet Fabric hat Bubble-turban Wig-toques Veiling Beehive

34 Circlet of greenery represented bulk without weight 1950: Greenery

35 1960: Pillbox Small cap Flat crown Straight sides Made popular by Jackie Kennedy

36 1960: Inspiration Youthquake Selling & purchasing changed Jackie Kennedy coordinated costume Space age Romanticism of Far East Traditional fashion vs. streetwear Masculine inspiration Unisex hippie-inspired (flower power) hattery Beatles Travel-by-jet mania

37 1960: Fashion Early 60s clung to styles set in 1950s Late 60s hats had become mere lampshades Name milliners branched out into clothing Hairdressers replace milliners as chief head decorators Wigs, falls, switches, and hairpieces replaced hats Ready-to-wear lines revolutionized fashion

38 1960: Material & Decor Straw Felt Organdy Silk Tulle Wool Fur (mink) Chiffon Patched fabrics & colors Reptiles: cobra, water snake, alligator/crocodile Suede Flowers

39 1960: Hats Straw beehive Cotton bubble Pillbox Helmet hat Wig hat Fur hat Knit cap Cloche Cosmonaut casques Baby bonnet Scarf hat Triangular silk scarf Turban Hood Postiche Beatles cap

40 1960: Pillbox

41 Designers Notable hatters & labels: Lilly Daché ( ) was a French milliner and fashion designer Mr. John ( ) was an American milliner. According to the New York Times, "in the 1940s and 1950s, the name Mr. John was as famous in the world of hats as Christian Dior was in the realm of haute couture".

42 How to care for your felt hat: Handle your hat by the brim. (Do not pinch the crown to pick it up as this will result in misshapen crowns and may split the felt.) Do not rest your hat on its brim. Turn it upside down and set it on the crown, so that the brim doesn't flatten out. Clean your hat regularly using a soft bristle brush or a hat sponge. Brush counter clockwise with the nap, starting at the bow. If you get caught in the rain, turn the sweatband out and let the hat stand on the crown until dry. Do not apply direct heat to your hat as this will cause it to shrink and/or lose its shape. Store your hat in a hat box to help keep it clean and looking new.

43 How to care for your straw hat: Do not get your straw hat wet. This will cause the straw to swell and lose its shape. Handle your hat by its brim. Don not pinch the crown, this will result in cracked straw and misshapen crowns. Do not rest your straw hat on its brim. Turn it upside down and set it on the crown, so that the brim doesn't flatten out. Dust your new straw hat with a soft bristled brush to keep it clean. Keep your hat stored in a cool dry place in a hat box to help it retain its shape and stay clean.