Hello everyone. Anyone have any idea how old this gorgeous hat might be? It's a foldable, fan style wide brim sun hat that is a little shorter brimmed in the back. The frame is made out of very thin bent pieces of wood (bamboo?). The fabric is dusty rose pink, sheer, super thin and delicate, and it has sheer (but stiffer) creamy white ribbon around the brim which has a metallic gold sheen and gold and pink edges. The back, where the snaps are, has a white lace trim. The 2 snaps are metal, sewn directly through the wood slats. The top has a metal pin/nail thing that holds it all together. (The chin strap is new, just tied onto the wood, so ignore it). I am going nuts trying to find a similar piece online. The only ones I see are newer (70s) and they are much less delicate and different look all together. Thanks for any help!
Pretty, but fairly new. 1990s would be a good guess. It appears it may have been recovered with a different fabric than the original, as most of these are not so lacy looking. You can still buy these folding hats today. I do not recall seeing them before the 1980s.
My grandmother had folding hats in the 60s. She wore them gardening and at the river house. I *think* she got them at a little 5 & 10 near her place.
Thanks for your opinions! I would be very surprised if it was 90s, the hardware and the overall look and discoloration definitely seem older. The person I got it from found it at an antique shop and the owner said it was from the 20s or 30s, though I don't give that much faith. The newer ones are different, the wood slats are much thicker and wider, and the hardware looks newer. I'll keep searching though.
The edging looks like a shiny sheer polyester or other synthetic. So that rules out anything pre 1950s. 1960s is a possibility. They sell these locally at our beach, made of bamboo and paper for about $5.00. I don't know about dating them, sorry, as they are not something most hat collectors look for even if they are vintage.
Hat collectors maybe no. But for some reason I sell a nice vintage one quickly... they seem to go to the customer who likes going to festivals and growers' markets... and gardeners. I have been thinking about making them for just that crowd and selling them just at their venues.
