Hat Couture

I've only worn a hat one time in my life, a half hat and veil, to a cousin's 1961 wedding. That style looked good with my 'French twist and curls' hair style. During those days, one was not considered properly dressed for an evening wedding without a hat. Hats quickly went out of fashion over those next few years, and by the mid-sixties, they were seldom seen except on much older women, usually in church. It's just as well they went out of style as I never looked good in hats, but I've always been interested in their history.

About 26 years ago I picked up a few custom made vintage hats at an antique store, hoping to use them in some way as decorative accessories in my home. The hats are from the 1930s and 1940s. Some are flamboyant, and some just plain bizarre. The hat above is one of the more interesting ones. It's similar to the one worn this past November by Aretha Franklin at the Inauguration. I like my hat better.

This satin and velvet hat reminds me of a Canalifera seashell. I wonder if that's what the designer intended. My decorating ideas never came to fruition, and the hats have been stored under wraps all this time and forgotten. When I found them again, I realized I'll never use them as I originally intended, so I decided to at least photograph and photo edit them, hoping that would spark some creative ideas. Nothing yet on how to use the hats, but the photos will soon become part of a collage!