Mathilde Hat?
- Thread starter foofoogal
- Start date
Rue_de_la_Paix
VFG Member
Hello,
That is one sweet hat. I have no information on the milliner. The hat style could be 1930's, or it could be post WWII, late 1940s early 1950's. It is hard to tell...can you show it on a head without the big hair? Can you show the inside of the hat? The graphics on the label show a lady wearing a hat from circa 1939-1945, but it is possible that the hat itself is later. If Mathilde had these labels in stock after WWII, she likely may have continued to sew them into her hats until she used them up. The velvet looks like silk velvet. Is it a heavy and very dense velvet, or is it a thinner lightweight velvet? That can actually help in dating.
One more question...what is that little jewel thingie hanging off the end? Is it rhinestones, or maybe crystals? If you can show that close up it is another very good clue.
I really love that hat, it is a rich color and appears very well made.
B
That is one sweet hat. I have no information on the milliner. The hat style could be 1930's, or it could be post WWII, late 1940s early 1950's. It is hard to tell...can you show it on a head without the big hair? Can you show the inside of the hat? The graphics on the label show a lady wearing a hat from circa 1939-1945, but it is possible that the hat itself is later. If Mathilde had these labels in stock after WWII, she likely may have continued to sew them into her hats until she used them up. The velvet looks like silk velvet. Is it a heavy and very dense velvet, or is it a thinner lightweight velvet? That can actually help in dating.
One more question...what is that little jewel thingie hanging off the end? Is it rhinestones, or maybe crystals? If you can show that close up it is another very good clue.
I really love that hat, it is a rich color and appears very well made.
B
Rue_de_la_Paix
VFG Member
Hi,
After seeing the added photos, my best guesstimate is it is very late 1940s to early 1950's. I cannot get more accurate than that unless I had it in hand. Many of the thick dense velvets are actually "newer" than the lighter velvets. Some of the finest velvets used in millinery were post WWII, 1946 through the late 1950s. then they sort of just disappeared. 1930s velvets were usually thinner and lighter weight, or were velveteens. Not better quality on either one necessarily, just different in weight and feel.
Your hat (from the pix) looks like that denser, late 40s - 50s velvet.
If you sharply fold the velvet, can you see the nap/pile standing up separate from the base fabric, and can you see the base fabric underneath when folded? Higher quality velvets won't show much (or at all) the fabric underneath.
B
After seeing the added photos, my best guesstimate is it is very late 1940s to early 1950's. I cannot get more accurate than that unless I had it in hand. Many of the thick dense velvets are actually "newer" than the lighter velvets. Some of the finest velvets used in millinery were post WWII, 1946 through the late 1950s. then they sort of just disappeared. 1930s velvets were usually thinner and lighter weight, or were velveteens. Not better quality on either one necessarily, just different in weight and feel.
Your hat (from the pix) looks like that denser, late 40s - 50s velvet.
If you sharply fold the velvet, can you see the nap/pile standing up separate from the base fabric, and can you see the base fabric underneath when folded? Higher quality velvets won't show much (or at all) the fabric underneath.
B