Happy Hunting…
Bonnets & Hats -- Part II
by Cheryl York-Cail

Last month’s "Happy Hunting" column looked at some of the many styles of bonnets and hats of the 19th century, and gave brief descriptions of the fashions which were worn with each. Part II of this article will deal with hats of the 20th Century, and show some of the hats available for acquisition in area shops.

The advent of the 20th Century was like a breath of fresh air clearing away cobwebs, and bringing change. The death of Queen Victoria in 1901 officially ended the Victorian era, and began the Edwardian era. The stiff Victorian manners, and overly modest -- often prudish customs gave way to somewhat freer expression, and for those who could afford it, an opulent lifestyle. The elaborate clothing of the fashionable echoed this lifestyle.

Paris was still the fashion capital of the world, and the rich continued to buy haute couture garments which were copied by the lower tier of designers, and influenced fashion right down to the small town dressmaker and milliner.

The styles of the Edwardian period were not all that different from the preceding period. Tiny waists were still "in" which meant that ladies still wore tight corsets. Full figures were the ideal. The "pouter pigeon" chest paired with the wasp waist line exemplified this ideal.

The Gibson girl still represented this ideal, and the elaborate high neck waists worn with a long bell shaped skirt were still very popular. The white cotton "lingerie" dresses were popular for summer wear.

One of the most popular hairstyles was the pompadour, and hats continued to grow larger to accommodate this hairstyle. The most popular trim was feathers; so much so, in fact, that various laws concerning plumage were passed to protect the birds! Other popular decorations were flowers, fruit, bows, and lace. At the start of the decade, popular hat styles included various tricorn-shaped hats with wavy brims, high torques, and large sailor hats. These fanciful creations required long hatpins to hold them in place. These often very ornate hatpins have inspired another whole category of collecting. When the "modern" woman went motoring she wore a large veil to help anchor her hat to her head. Perhaps the veil along with her duster also gave some protection from the horrible dust of these early auto trips!

By the middle of the decade, dresses had grown slimmer. This new "Directoire" look featured a raised waistline, which was also less tight. The tunic look became popular. The huge brims of the hats that evolved to cover the new wider hairstyles balanced this new slim silhouette. The "Merry Widow" hat - a re-creation of the 18th Century Gainsborough - was the most popular hat of the Edwardian era. The hat was named after Thomas Gainsborough, whose painting of the Duchess of Devonshire portrayed her wearing this style of hat

The second decade of the 20th century started with similar fashions to the latter years of the preceding decade. The slim silhouette was still popular, and tunic style or a variation of the tunic remained popular throughout the decade. Waistlines were looser, but the skirts were so narrow at the hem that they were referred to as "hobble" skirts because the woman had a hard time walking, as did horses when hobbled. However, soon the skirts developed slits to aid walking. Another innovation in style was the new V or square neckline, instead of the tight high neck style.

By the time WWI started in 1914 skirts started to widen, and within a few more years hemlines had risen to 5 to 8 inches from the floor. These more "practical" fashions were due in part to women’s increasing role in the workforce as they took part in the war effort. By the end of the decade styles featured a loosely belted normal waistline, and a straight mid-calf skirt.

Along with these simpler fashions, hairstyles underwent drastic changes with the advent of the "bob"--a short blunt cut which looks like the haircut of a Dutch boy. This new hairstyle was considered quite avant-garde and perhaps a bit scandalous by some. The permanent wave was also invented, and becoming more popular. During the first half of the decade the Gainsborough remained popular, but soon smaller hats with narrower brims were gaining in popularity. After the silent movie, "The Three Musketeers" came out "Cavalier" hats were a fad. They were made in the tricorne or bicorne styles. Another fashionable new hat was a small round hat with a chinstrap, which was dubbed the "poke bonnet". A large picture hat that featured a deep crown, but narrower crown than the Gainsborough was very popular. It often has a "transparent" brim of horsehair or lace. By 1917, early versions of the cloche hat – "The Hat" of the Roaring 20s had appeared.

Famous designers to look for when searching for hats of this era are Paul Poiret, Jeanne Lanvin, ReBoux, Lucile, Maria Guy, Erte’, Suzanne Talbot, and Coco Chanel.

The next decade of the century is of course the Roaring Twenties! And by all accounts they roared! When one thinks of this era, visions of Speak-easies, bathtub gin, and flappers dancing the Charleston come to mind. The fashions of the twenties emphasized the young, not the mature full-blown figure of the earlier years of the century. An asexual straight up and down silhouette was the fashionable look. Some had to resort to breast flatteners to achieve this look! The long tubular silhouette of the last decade remain popular until about 1924, and then waistlines started to drop, but the real shocker was the hemline which by the mid twenties rose to the knees. Evening dresses sported layers of fringe or were covered with beads or sequins in Art deco designs.

In the early years of the 20s many styles of hats from the last decade continued to be popular; however, by 1924 the cloche had gained wide spread popularity. Cloches went well with the new bobbed hair. The cloche fit the head snugly, and was worn well down on the forehead - almost to the eyebrows. They had a very small brim that turned up in a small roll in front and were often trimmed with a flower or pretty pin on one side. Then with the art deco influence the cloche became simpler often brimless, almost like a helmet. They also featured art deco decorations. Some of the popular hat trims included Art Deco Bakelite and celluloid ornaments, straw braid, beads, and fabric flowers. Usually the smaller, plainer cloches were for mornings, and the more ornate for more formal afternoon occasions.

In the evenings the "Bright Young Things" wore headbands with feathers and jewels, sequined turbans, or helmet-shaped cloches covered with jewels as they danced the Charleston in their beaded or fringed dresses. Although the cloche is certainly the hat that epitomizes the 1920s, the cloche style continued into the 1930s. Towards the end of the 20s, wide brim hats were gaining popularity, and this period produced some lovely examples of that style also. Some of the top designers to look for when searching for hats of this era include Rose Vales, ReBoux, Lucile, Rose Descant, Chanel, Agnes, and Paul Poiret.

There is an old saying that hemlines go up when the stock market goes up, and hemlines go down when the stock market goes down. The 20s and the 30s certainly support this adage. When one thinks of the 1930s the great depression and the stock market crash quickly come to mind. And yes, hemlines followed suit!

The silhouette of the 30s was long and slim with an emphasis on the bust and shoulders. The waistline was back, and was at normal level. This was time of the lovely bias cut skirts that had such a graceful air to the dresses. Of course, hemlines had fallen to about 6 inches from the floor. Popular touches on these dresses included bows at neck or hip, scarf type collars, and matching jackets. The evening dresses of the period were long and slinky, and tight fitting. The halter-top was popular, and gowns also had "back" interest - in many cases by having no back!

Styles of course never stand still so by the later 30’s dresses had nipped more fitted waists (Thanks to the invention of the latex girdle),