Vintage Black Feather Hat

Aintweswank

Aintweswank

VFG Member
Hi everyone~ I was at an estate sale yesterday and picked up this really unique hat. The owner who will be 90 this Sunday has had it her entire life and she says she’s never seen another like it. It’s a wire frame on the inside with black netting and then feathers tucked into a headband. I tried it on yesterday and it’s funky cool. Any thoughts on this? Thank you!

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MagsRags said:
Wow! Lord knows I am no feather (or hat) expert, but those look like egret, and it makes me think Edwardian, which I am not well versed in either. On an internet search, the closest I could come to the vision in my head was this period photograph, labeled as 1910s Belle Epoque
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Thank you for the information! The owner said it was really old, but wasn’t sure on the exact age. She gave me the original box it came in, but I didn’t get much of a lead on identifying the age of the box either.
 
add some images of the box, maybe it would give one of our hat experts some ideas?

btw, that is a fabulous hat!!
 
Please don’t take my partially informed impulse as worth hanging your hat on.
:BAGUSE:
Hopefully Barbara @Rue_de_la_Paix will be along soon to render an actual expert opinion.

I will say that I was at the Met on Labor Day for the last day of Sleeping Beauties (wonderful!) and there was one whole section devoted to birds and hats of that time period. That gallery was pretty dark, and not suitable for photography,
 
anothertimevintageapparel said:
Can you show it on a head form so i can see the shape? I can't quite make it out.
The box doesn't look that old to me.
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Yes~ I will photograph it after I get done with work. I did ask another knowledgeable source and she checked her reference books. She thinks this is 1870’s Victorian era due to the high swoop structure. The hat box probably is not the original in my honest opinion, but can’t be certain.
 
Hi,

Well that IS an interesting hat. It does not appear to be antique. It is not a mourning hat. As has been mentioned, a photo of the hat on a head or similar object will give a better idea of the shape. The feathers are burnt ostrich. If you can show a better photo of the interior of the hat, I can date it for you. Definitely not 1870s!

Adding that perhaps this is a marriage of an antique band of feathers or cut down hat, made for a costume. If I see a close up of the inside and the materials used to make the hat I can give a better idea of what you have there. It is just so odd. does not fit any one particular era that comes to mind. I can see late 'Teens era, 1917-1919 WWI era but the ribbon looks newer and the narrow band looks off for that time too.

Just wondering, who is your knowledgeable source?
 
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Rue_de_la_Paix said:
Hi,

Well that IS an interesting hat. It does not appear to be antique. It is not a mourning hat. As has been mentioned, a photo of the hat on a head or similar object will give a better idea of the shape. The feathers are burnt ostrich. If you can show a better photo of the interior of the hat, I can date it for you. Definitely not 1870s!

Adding that perhaps this is a marriage of an antique band of feathers or cut down hat, made for a costume. If I see a close up of the inside and the materials used to make the hat I can give a better idea of what you have there. It is just so odd. does not fit any one particular era that comes to mind. I can see late 'Teens era, 1917-1919 WWI era but the ribbon looks newer and the narrow band looks off for that time too.

Just wondering, who is your knowledgeable source?
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Hi~ thanks so much for the help on this. I’ve added photos of it displayed on my mannequin. Hopefully it sheds a better light on the piece. My source is one that has an extensive collection of antique clothing and accessories.
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Thank you for the added photos, they are very helpful. I am going back to my assessment of this being a marriage of parts, a hat made for costume use. The crown of burnt ostrich and wire is antique and I would date it 1918-1919. That is a unique and very extreme style and that was pretty much the only period it was in fashion, and for a very brief time, coming out of the top modistes in Paris. I have had examples similar and have seen them in some of my old millinery magazines too. The band of straw material could be a cut off part of the original hat, or could be newer, and the black ribbon looks fairly new to me. The inner sweatband is not only crudely sewn in, that ribbon band would not have been used in a hat from that time (late Teens). So that pretty much clinches the deal that it is a costume piece to me.

All that said, I love it! What will you do with it?
 
Rue_de_la_Paix said:
Thank you for the added photos, they are very helpful. I am going back to my assessment of this being a marriage of parts, a hat made for costume use. The crown of burnt ostrich and wire is antique and I would date it 1918-1919. That is a unique and very extreme style and that was pretty much the only period it was in fashion, and for a very brief time, coming out of the top modistes in Paris. I have had examples similar and have seen them in some of my old millinery magazines too. The band of straw material could be a cut off part of the original hat, or could be newer, and the black ribbon looks fairly new to me. The inner sweatband is not only crudely sewn in, that ribbon band would not have been used in a hat from that time (late Teens). So that pretty much clinches the deal that it is a costume piece to me.

All that said, I love it! What will you do with it?
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Thank you very much for your insight. It has been most helpful! My plan is to sell it. I appreciate your time and effort!
 
Aintweswank said:
Would this be considered as a mourning hat?
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I would not be mourning wearing this incredible hat! But maybe then they would... It's just so freaking fabulous!
 
Aintweswank said:
Of course! I have no idea how to price it though. And I know that this platform does not allow for valuation of items.

Thank you so much!
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oh, but that is part of the beauty of being a VFG member!! for MEMBERS, like you, here on our private side of the forums, we DO discuss pricing. :)

i don't have a clue, though. we sell quite a few Frankenstein hats, especially at Halloween, and we don't really get much for them. However, the feathers on that are so fabulous, you'll be able to get more than what we typically ask for in our Less Than Perfect shop.

good luck!
 
The Vintage Merchant said:
oh, but that is part of the beauty of being a VFG member!! for MEMBERS, like you, here on our private side of the forums, we DO discuss pricing. :)

i don't have a clue, though. we sell quite a few Frankenstein hats, especially at Halloween, and we don't really get much for them. However, the feathers on that are so fabulous, you'll be able to get more than what we typically ask for in our Less Than Perfect shop.

good luck!
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Thank you so much for the information. I’ll let you k ow when I decide to sell.
 
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