Monday, February 28, 2011

Eureka! Edwardian hats demystified!

I found this fabulous extant vintage/antique clothing site with numerous photos of each item (and shoes and hats!) from a variety of angles, including inerior shots!

Here it is: http://www.contentmentfarm.com/index.html

Check out both the Online store AND the sold archives.  Great for all you steam punks out there :)

My Eureka moment?
Looking at the underside photos of the really large crowned edwardian hats they have pictured (this type)

 has given me the answer to my age-old question of "HOW do those hats look like they are floating on those big hairdos! If the crowns were really that wide, they would squish the hair!

I've read some more about the pompadour frames now, too - and though I'm sure that those helped the hats stay on and the hair stay big, the actual answer seems to be that the brim of the hat comes all the way in to the head size, or even smaller than the head size, and are made to sort of perch, while the crown as seen from the outside of the hat is WAY bigger than the headsize, which enhances the already extreme size of the hair.
First hat, on the outside, with way wider than head sized crown:
Same hat inside view. You can see how much bigger the exterior crown is than the actual headsize opening from where it slants:

And another, outside:
and inside:

 I'm absolutely thrilled with my new-found discovery. SO thrilled that I may have to make one to go with an actual 1912 dress that I own - that fits me! I think I'll do it in buckram though, since I'm kinda back into that, and I've never touched straw before in my life.

Boing Boing!

(all these photos came from the website above.)

2 comments:

  1. Great Post. Nice work! I love those hats and want to see the one you make!

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  2. for my own notes, and since the website these images came from is down now, here are the original notes (thank you Wayback machine)
    First one:
    This Edwardian period straw hat dates between 1908 and 1912. With an enormous straw crown and brim made to perch atop an upswept hair style, the hat is simply decorated with fuchsia silk ribbon wrapping the crown and forming a large bow at the back. The brim is covered with metallic embroidered tulle lace that is further embellished with pink crepe paper rose buds applied in rows across the brim.

    Measuring 21" in diameter the inside circumference is approximately 21" with a 5" crown depth. The overall condition is excellent with no breaks in the straw. All decoration appears intact and the silk ribbon is supple and free from dry rot and shattering. Only the original lining is missing.

    Second one:
    This Edwardian hat dates to the Titanic era sometime between 1908 and 1912. Made of elaborately woven natural straw over a wired frame. The crown is wrapped in a swath of ivory silk, bowed at the back. The brim is further adorned with silk and velvet flowers in shades of yellow, ivory and cream and includes sweet peas and roses. Similar in style to the hat pictured in this scan from a 1910 Women's Home Companion.

    Measuring approximately 18" in diameter it is intended to be worn over the fashionable upswept hair styles so popular during that period. The inside circumference measures approximately 20" with a crown depth of 4.5".

    The condition is excellent with the only noted flaw being that the lining is no longer intact. There is a small mark, about a quarter inch long on the bow however it is faint and noticeable only on close inspection. Flowers and silk are all original. No breaks in the straw.

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