The Wonderful World Of Vintage Hats..

elvenom

elvenom

Registered Guest
Hi All,

I am venturing into new territory. I will be expanding into accessories, and have been looking into acquiring some vintage hats. Can anyone tell me what era these hats are? Also, is there an era or style that is more popular among buyers and collectors? If you know of a good book or website that is a handy guide for dating hats and styles that would be great. I think this first one is pretty unique..but what do I know. ;)











Mr. Howard:





 
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Hello,

Nice hats! The first one is from the 1950s, probably the first half of the decade. The second hat is more contemporary, and the style is so classic that it fits several decades, but I would place it in the 1980s or perhaps 1990s. I am not 100% sure, believe the bow pin has been added.

My own suggestion as to a good book for research and beginning a collection is by one of our own VFG members, Susan Langley. Title is "Vintage Hats and Bonnets 1770 to 1990" and there are 2 editions, each published about 10 years apart. There are a few other books that are good also, but Susan's is by far the most comprehensive.

I really can't say as to what era or style is more popular with collectors today. It is all over the map. That is because there are many different types of hat collectors out there. It does seem in general, that the more unusual or outrageous a hat is, the more easily it sells. Feathers on hats remain very popular, as well as certain designers early work. 1940s fancy trimmed tilt/doll/toy hats have remained very popular. Big brim platter hats from the 1950s seem to be sought after. Almost anything from the 1920s sells well if it is in good shape. Some folks only look for true antique hats of the Edwardian and Victorian era. I myself look for quality of materials used, and the workmanship, and a sense of flattering design.

There is no 1 source, either in a book or on the web, which will give you everything you need to know about dating and collecting hats. Some sources are excellent, some sources are inaccurate or misleading. Like many other things, it just will come after a time, after you have handled many hats in person and read everything you can get your hands on about hats. And still, there will always be more to learn. I myself learn something new every day about hats!

I wish you great success selling and collecting hats.
 
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Thanks, Rue. I will pick up those books this weekend; I'm anxious to get started. :)
I forgot to include this one, which I was told is 1920s..yes?





 
Thanks Barbara - I'm not a hat expert like you but the colours look very '30s so it's good to know that I wasn't far off. I love your comments about desirable hats too.

I find that the most popular in my shop are the '30s side-tilt ones, the '40s tiny topper styles, the late '40s-early '50s black or brightly colourful cocktail hats and early '50s big brimmed ones ala Dior.

Sadly, most early vintage hats are too small for modern heads and most on the market are post late '50s. Another issue is that many vintage hats are misdated - there's insufficient knowledge held by many sellers. For example, most '20s cloche styles are actually '20s revivals from the '60s. I saw one recently that was actually an early '50s cocktail hat that someone had added maribou feathers too. This is why understanding the materials can help.
 
Yes, I dont want to misdate anything; that is such a faux pas! I've noticed that most hats are too small for the average head. What is considered a decent sized hat? I've seen a few that were 21", maybe s 22". I dont wear hats myself..I guess I could measure my own head for an idea. :)
 
The average (contemporary) woman's head is about 22.5-23.5 inches (57-60cm). In my experience, the average man's head is approximately 24 inches around the crown.

My head is 23.5 (59cm) so I use it as a judge when I buy hats - if it's too small for my head, I'll have trouble selling it. Also, I suspect that modern wearers prefer to wear them looser than our grandmothers did, so need a bigger hat too. I've fitted a lot of correctly sized hats to ladies who complained the hat was too small.
 
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