Age of hats - any advice?

[Liz Turner]

Hi there. Here are some hats, some of which are sadly a little squashed. I'm hoping they'll bounce back with a bit of tlc and steam.

Are you able to give me any opinion as to the age of these please? I've included a photo of the hat and interior.

Beige flower hat with net over the top. Wired hard edge shaped at front and back
Red velvet hat with wired edge. Shaped at back. Ruched over top. 'flowerpot shape'
Blue material with bow, beret?
Yellow with fantastic 'bobble' on the top - Mitzi Lorenz London- looks beret style too. This is a bit grubby - any tips on how to clean it (should I clean it?)

Thank you, Liz

 

[Rue_de_la_Paix]

Liz,

All are 1950s and 1960s. Hats from the late 50s to mid 60s often look very similar in style and materials and it can be a little difficult to be 100% sure on the year, just from a photo.

The first (beige) hat is early 1960s. Possibly late 1950s. Nice lining in that one. Sort of a matronly style, but nicely made.

The red looks late 1950s. I call this style Shar-Pei hats, after the Chinese wrinkle dog (my funny term, certainly not the right name!). I have had a number of this style over the years, always in velvet, and very "Mad Men".

The 2 berets have wonderful top stitching. Velveteen berets made in the mid to late 1940s often had this lovely stitching, although it remained popular for velveteen hats (big brims too) through the 1950s and even 1960s. I would date your berets to the late 50s-mid 1960s. Very cute.

As far as cleaning the gold hat, you can test a small hidden area on the inside of the hat to see if the dye is water proof. A gentle wiping with a damp cloth with warm water and mild soap should remove surface soiling.

Unless you intent to sell them, you may not want to bother with cleaning if you have doubts about their survival.

 

[Liz Turner]

Thanks Barbara - really helpful information. I love the description of Shar Pei hats - very appropriate and I know exactly what you mean! Yes I am intending to sell them, so will try a little test on the gold one as you suggest. I have other hats to look at in the store, so may well be posting up some more.
Liz