I acquired this hat from a woman who said she got it from a friend who purchased it in London—no clue from her as to when or where. It is lined in acetate, and has a thin elastic to hold it on the head. There is no hint of a label and the whole thing is like new in condition. The lining would usually make it early (like 30s-ish) if purchased in the U.S., right? The elastic is tilt hat-era? But the whole of it makes me think it might be relatively recently made. Any help appreciated!
It looks like you stumped us all. I get an 80s vibe from it, but the lining is unusual for that year, unless it was made by a hat maker
hmmmm... i'm no help for you, Maggie. But, gosh, that sure is a gorgeous hat, it looks amazing on you!!
Yes, the hat looks great on you, Maggie. What is it made of? Is it a fur felt, wool felt, or is it velvet? I cannot tell for sure from the photos. The chandelles (turkey feathers) are an indication of a more recent hat, as a general rule. As would be a wool felt vs velvet or fur-felt. The elastic looks like the ones that milliners give to a customer or add to a hat, just an elastic with metal pronged end. they still make these today the same way as they did 75 years ago so that is not the best clue but usually indicates a more recent hat. If it is not a contemporary hat, I get a general idea if it is velvet (?) that it was made in the late 50s to early 1960s and that someone has added the feathers (which look great on it by the way). While it is true that linings pretty much disappeared from most hats after the early 1930s, you can still find many hats with linings, especially ones made in France and England. And as you say, hats made by a custom milliner could often have linings and still do. That style lining could be bought pre-made and were not too much trouble to put in a hat. Not sure on this one!
Gosh, Maggie, that hat looks so fabulous on you! But, it is a hard one to date. I would tend to agree with Barbara that it looks like 50s-60s, too. It is velvet, isn't it? And, if she's not sure, you know it would be difficult for anyone to date!
I appreciate all your thoughts...and kind words! Barbara, it is velvet as Bonnie speculated, and to me the roughest thing might be the stitching through the back of the hat, including the lining, attaching the feathers. However, the feathers do match perfectly.
How interesting. From the pictures the hat shape looks similar to the shape of a horse riding helmet, minus the side flaps and straps of course. I wonder if that is intentional in the design. Always been a huge hit to add notes of equestrian in fashion especially in the uk. Ah, just realised the trim turns up nearly all the way around. I'm also wondering if it was designed with Ascot in mind, probably the uk's biggest hat day! And of course there are horses.
Do tell! It does remind me ever-so-slightly of an equestrian helmet. Something about the feathers in back perhaps?
My first thought was '80s but the chocolate brown velvet always makes me think of late '70s. As a costumer, I was taught to line hats this way. I wonder if it's a costume hat, made in more recent times but based on an earlier style.
I think it is later, too. I feel (without any evidence at all) that is 1980's. It is such a becoming style at any decade. Marian
Thank you for your thoughts! I've gone ahead and listed the hat as a somewhat difficult to pinpoint 1980s-vintage. I see Lady Di...
I agree that hat was a 1980s "feel" to the look. But I still think it is 1950s or early 60s. The feathers have been added. My reasons for sticking with an earlier date is the fact it is indeed made of velvet. At least in the USA, by the 1980s, with dressy hat wearing still fairly unpopular, most dressy hats were made of wool felt, or the better lines were sometimes made of fur-felt. It would be unusual to find a hat made of structured velvet like this one. It is fairly labor intensive to make a hat like this. you would have to first block the foundation material/materials (such as buckram) and then block and sew on the previously pattern cut velvet. add a wire around the inner brim (usually). usually then you might add a narrow layer of muslin type fabric along the brim edge over the wire. and then sew in the lining and then sew in the grosgrain ribbon. I have made hats like this and it is a LOT of work. So if it is a custom made hat from London, then perhaps that might be the case as a milliner would have made it special for that woman. But if it was a ready-to-wear made hat, it would not be made like that as it would be so labor intensive as to make it much too expensive to make. Just my thoughts. The band in the back was also a popular style in toques and pillboxes in the late 50s and early 60s.
