Heads Up!

Portrait-of-georgiana-duchess-of-devonshireAndrea/Cara here, I was writing a scene in my current WIP the other day in which the heroine, who is visiting the family estate of the hero, is invited to take a walk with him around the grounds. The breeze is ruffling through the climbing roses and boxwood, and I’m about to describe the sensation she feels as it dips and darts through her tresses . . . when of course I remind myself that no proper lady would be outside without her chapeau. Drat.
 
Bonnet 2Which got me thinking about hats—or more specifically, the headcoverings that were de rigeur for Regency heroines to wear. I find them a nuisance, both in the literary and literal sense. But after muttering a few curses, I started to think more on the subject, and realized that perhaps I was guilty of a gross generalization concerning the accessory. There were, after all, quite a range of choices for ladies of the era. And while I tend to think immediately of the typical chipstraw bonnet, ladies had, in fact a wide range of creative and imaginative headcoverings from which to pick. So I thought it would be fun to take a quick look at some of the stylish “lids” that our heroines might have sported.



Bonnet 3Ackermann’s fashion plates show that hats were taken just as seriously as gowns. Walking hats, riding hats, carriage hats, fancy turbans and swanky little confections for evening wear—there are a multitude of designs for every hour and occasion in a heroine’s life. Add to the basic styles the choices of fabrics, colors and trimmings, and the offerings become truly staggering. Straw, both chip or strip, was very popular, but other fashionable fabrics included beaver, velvet, silk, crape, satin and muslin.

Bonnet 4Trimmings featured ribbons, fruits and flowers, veils, net, lace, or feathers. Beads, pins, and brooches could also figure into the mix. In a letter to her sister Cassandra, Jane Austen noted (with sly note of sarcasm) “Flowers are very much worn, & Fruit is still more the thing – Eliz: has a bunch of Strawberries, & I have seen Grapes, Cherries, Plumbs & Apricots – There are likewise Almonds & raisins, french plums & Tamarinds at the Grocers, but I have never seen any of them in hats.”

Bonnet 8

A married lady often wore a headcovering indoors. Mrs. Bennett, from Pride and Prejudice, was fond of frilly mobcabs (which were also wore by maids and housekeepers, though in a plainer version.) And when a young lady failed to make a match on the marriage , assuming a mob cap was a subtle signal of sinking into spinsterhood. As for dowagers, what elderly dragon worth her snuff didn't have a collection of indoor caps!

Bonnet 6

Bonnet 11 Bonnet 10I have a confession—I really don’t like wearing formal hats. Ski hats and baseball hats for golf are okay, and a practical necessity I accept with good grace. But even as a kid I hated being forced to wear a dressy hat with a party dress for special occasions. I mean like, take-it-off-and-stomp-on-it loathing.  However, I have to admit than when I was in London a few years ago and walked by John Locke hatter, I did spot a few very sophisticated numbers—they were more like sculptures than hats—that tempted me to rethink my prejudice. But for now, I like feeling the wind in my hair.

However, if I had to pick a Regency style to wear, it would be one of the very rakish riding hats. The top hat and shako styles, which gave a saucy interpretation to traditional menswear, appeal to my modern sensibilities How about you? Are you a hat person? Do you like wearing both casual and fancy ones? And do you have you a favorite style? Please share!
Bonnet 12

160 thoughts on “Heads Up!”

  1. I too had no patience with hats, which were falling out of use in California when I was a kid. Wearing a hat (with a veil!) was something your mama did. The only hats I liked were the wide brim beach hats with scarfs of the 1960s – those at least were functional.
    So I’ve always wondered about hats, and elaborate hair ornaments as well. I try to account for some of their use being due to England’s cold climate, so you’d want a hat for cold weather, and when summer came, it would be hot, so in those days before sunglasses, you’d want a hat for the shade.
    I suppose the mob cap was a good protection against dust, mud and whatnot, and helped to keep one’s hair clean, in days when people didn’t shampoo every day. I suppose they protected a hairdo too.
    In the fashion magazines my mom had, it said a cute hat would draw attention to the wearer’s face. Forcing men to look further north than they often do?
    Hats looked swell on Claudette Colbert in the movies, but in my daily life, I never saw the appeal. My mom lost the arguments about me wearing a hat and eventually gave up. However, in watching the costuming in The Three/Four Musketeers, those huge sweeping plumed hats Ursula Andress wore sure were eyecatchers.

    Reply
  2. I too had no patience with hats, which were falling out of use in California when I was a kid. Wearing a hat (with a veil!) was something your mama did. The only hats I liked were the wide brim beach hats with scarfs of the 1960s – those at least were functional.
    So I’ve always wondered about hats, and elaborate hair ornaments as well. I try to account for some of their use being due to England’s cold climate, so you’d want a hat for cold weather, and when summer came, it would be hot, so in those days before sunglasses, you’d want a hat for the shade.
    I suppose the mob cap was a good protection against dust, mud and whatnot, and helped to keep one’s hair clean, in days when people didn’t shampoo every day. I suppose they protected a hairdo too.
    In the fashion magazines my mom had, it said a cute hat would draw attention to the wearer’s face. Forcing men to look further north than they often do?
    Hats looked swell on Claudette Colbert in the movies, but in my daily life, I never saw the appeal. My mom lost the arguments about me wearing a hat and eventually gave up. However, in watching the costuming in The Three/Four Musketeers, those huge sweeping plumed hats Ursula Andress wore sure were eyecatchers.

    Reply
  3. I too had no patience with hats, which were falling out of use in California when I was a kid. Wearing a hat (with a veil!) was something your mama did. The only hats I liked were the wide brim beach hats with scarfs of the 1960s – those at least were functional.
    So I’ve always wondered about hats, and elaborate hair ornaments as well. I try to account for some of their use being due to England’s cold climate, so you’d want a hat for cold weather, and when summer came, it would be hot, so in those days before sunglasses, you’d want a hat for the shade.
    I suppose the mob cap was a good protection against dust, mud and whatnot, and helped to keep one’s hair clean, in days when people didn’t shampoo every day. I suppose they protected a hairdo too.
    In the fashion magazines my mom had, it said a cute hat would draw attention to the wearer’s face. Forcing men to look further north than they often do?
    Hats looked swell on Claudette Colbert in the movies, but in my daily life, I never saw the appeal. My mom lost the arguments about me wearing a hat and eventually gave up. However, in watching the costuming in The Three/Four Musketeers, those huge sweeping plumed hats Ursula Andress wore sure were eyecatchers.

    Reply
  4. I too had no patience with hats, which were falling out of use in California when I was a kid. Wearing a hat (with a veil!) was something your mama did. The only hats I liked were the wide brim beach hats with scarfs of the 1960s – those at least were functional.
    So I’ve always wondered about hats, and elaborate hair ornaments as well. I try to account for some of their use being due to England’s cold climate, so you’d want a hat for cold weather, and when summer came, it would be hot, so in those days before sunglasses, you’d want a hat for the shade.
    I suppose the mob cap was a good protection against dust, mud and whatnot, and helped to keep one’s hair clean, in days when people didn’t shampoo every day. I suppose they protected a hairdo too.
    In the fashion magazines my mom had, it said a cute hat would draw attention to the wearer’s face. Forcing men to look further north than they often do?
    Hats looked swell on Claudette Colbert in the movies, but in my daily life, I never saw the appeal. My mom lost the arguments about me wearing a hat and eventually gave up. However, in watching the costuming in The Three/Four Musketeers, those huge sweeping plumed hats Ursula Andress wore sure were eyecatchers.

    Reply
  5. I too had no patience with hats, which were falling out of use in California when I was a kid. Wearing a hat (with a veil!) was something your mama did. The only hats I liked were the wide brim beach hats with scarfs of the 1960s – those at least were functional.
    So I’ve always wondered about hats, and elaborate hair ornaments as well. I try to account for some of their use being due to England’s cold climate, so you’d want a hat for cold weather, and when summer came, it would be hot, so in those days before sunglasses, you’d want a hat for the shade.
    I suppose the mob cap was a good protection against dust, mud and whatnot, and helped to keep one’s hair clean, in days when people didn’t shampoo every day. I suppose they protected a hairdo too.
    In the fashion magazines my mom had, it said a cute hat would draw attention to the wearer’s face. Forcing men to look further north than they often do?
    Hats looked swell on Claudette Colbert in the movies, but in my daily life, I never saw the appeal. My mom lost the arguments about me wearing a hat and eventually gave up. However, in watching the costuming in The Three/Four Musketeers, those huge sweeping plumed hats Ursula Andress wore sure were eyecatchers.

    Reply
  6. I adore hats. The only time I don’t have a hat on (outside of my house) is while I work. I even wear one to work and take it off when I get here. LOL I would have done just fine in the time when it was what every proper lady did. I am not a fan of some of the decor though. No feathers, fruit or birds please. I have several different styles and love them all. Ball caps, military caps, cloches, bucket hats, I even have one gigantic sweeping straw sun hat that makes me think of some of the Derby hats. Great post, I would wear a lot of those pictured, though some are just a bit over the top 🙂 A couple of them look like the Mad Hatter got a hold of them…

    Reply
  7. I adore hats. The only time I don’t have a hat on (outside of my house) is while I work. I even wear one to work and take it off when I get here. LOL I would have done just fine in the time when it was what every proper lady did. I am not a fan of some of the decor though. No feathers, fruit or birds please. I have several different styles and love them all. Ball caps, military caps, cloches, bucket hats, I even have one gigantic sweeping straw sun hat that makes me think of some of the Derby hats. Great post, I would wear a lot of those pictured, though some are just a bit over the top 🙂 A couple of them look like the Mad Hatter got a hold of them…

    Reply
  8. I adore hats. The only time I don’t have a hat on (outside of my house) is while I work. I even wear one to work and take it off when I get here. LOL I would have done just fine in the time when it was what every proper lady did. I am not a fan of some of the decor though. No feathers, fruit or birds please. I have several different styles and love them all. Ball caps, military caps, cloches, bucket hats, I even have one gigantic sweeping straw sun hat that makes me think of some of the Derby hats. Great post, I would wear a lot of those pictured, though some are just a bit over the top 🙂 A couple of them look like the Mad Hatter got a hold of them…

    Reply
  9. I adore hats. The only time I don’t have a hat on (outside of my house) is while I work. I even wear one to work and take it off when I get here. LOL I would have done just fine in the time when it was what every proper lady did. I am not a fan of some of the decor though. No feathers, fruit or birds please. I have several different styles and love them all. Ball caps, military caps, cloches, bucket hats, I even have one gigantic sweeping straw sun hat that makes me think of some of the Derby hats. Great post, I would wear a lot of those pictured, though some are just a bit over the top 🙂 A couple of them look like the Mad Hatter got a hold of them…

    Reply
  10. I adore hats. The only time I don’t have a hat on (outside of my house) is while I work. I even wear one to work and take it off when I get here. LOL I would have done just fine in the time when it was what every proper lady did. I am not a fan of some of the decor though. No feathers, fruit or birds please. I have several different styles and love them all. Ball caps, military caps, cloches, bucket hats, I even have one gigantic sweeping straw sun hat that makes me think of some of the Derby hats. Great post, I would wear a lot of those pictured, though some are just a bit over the top 🙂 A couple of them look like the Mad Hatter got a hold of them…

    Reply
  11. I’m another of the ‘wear hats for practical reasons only” crowd, but this post is great! Some of those hats would be real wind catchers! I’ll stick to my knit berets for winter and hats with cords to keep the sun out of my eyes when I’m in sunnier climes.

    Reply
  12. I’m another of the ‘wear hats for practical reasons only” crowd, but this post is great! Some of those hats would be real wind catchers! I’ll stick to my knit berets for winter and hats with cords to keep the sun out of my eyes when I’m in sunnier climes.

    Reply
  13. I’m another of the ‘wear hats for practical reasons only” crowd, but this post is great! Some of those hats would be real wind catchers! I’ll stick to my knit berets for winter and hats with cords to keep the sun out of my eyes when I’m in sunnier climes.

    Reply
  14. I’m another of the ‘wear hats for practical reasons only” crowd, but this post is great! Some of those hats would be real wind catchers! I’ll stick to my knit berets for winter and hats with cords to keep the sun out of my eyes when I’m in sunnier climes.

    Reply
  15. I’m another of the ‘wear hats for practical reasons only” crowd, but this post is great! Some of those hats would be real wind catchers! I’ll stick to my knit berets for winter and hats with cords to keep the sun out of my eyes when I’m in sunnier climes.

    Reply
  16. If I hadn’t wash ed my hair for several weeks I would need a whole wardrobe of hats to hide my hair. I would start my collection with most of the hats shown here. Interesting post wenches.

    Reply
  17. If I hadn’t wash ed my hair for several weeks I would need a whole wardrobe of hats to hide my hair. I would start my collection with most of the hats shown here. Interesting post wenches.

    Reply
  18. If I hadn’t wash ed my hair for several weeks I would need a whole wardrobe of hats to hide my hair. I would start my collection with most of the hats shown here. Interesting post wenches.

    Reply
  19. If I hadn’t wash ed my hair for several weeks I would need a whole wardrobe of hats to hide my hair. I would start my collection with most of the hats shown here. Interesting post wenches.

    Reply
  20. If I hadn’t wash ed my hair for several weeks I would need a whole wardrobe of hats to hide my hair. I would start my collection with most of the hats shown here. Interesting post wenches.

    Reply
  21. As a child I wore a hat to church on Sunday and scarves the rest of the week. No hats as a teenager. Scarves were all the thing. I remember the scarves themselves as being colorful and attractive. But in retrospect, I think the way we wore them was not such a good look(smile).
    As an adult I liked hats and I liked the way that they looked on me, but I just couldn’t get use to something on my head. They didn’t fit my lifestyle. I was constantly losing it or knocking it off.
    I still like hats though. I think the ones from the Edwardian era are the most interesting. As beautiful as they were, I just can’t believe they weren’t a nuisance – like wearing a table on your head.

    Reply
  22. As a child I wore a hat to church on Sunday and scarves the rest of the week. No hats as a teenager. Scarves were all the thing. I remember the scarves themselves as being colorful and attractive. But in retrospect, I think the way we wore them was not such a good look(smile).
    As an adult I liked hats and I liked the way that they looked on me, but I just couldn’t get use to something on my head. They didn’t fit my lifestyle. I was constantly losing it or knocking it off.
    I still like hats though. I think the ones from the Edwardian era are the most interesting. As beautiful as they were, I just can’t believe they weren’t a nuisance – like wearing a table on your head.

    Reply
  23. As a child I wore a hat to church on Sunday and scarves the rest of the week. No hats as a teenager. Scarves were all the thing. I remember the scarves themselves as being colorful and attractive. But in retrospect, I think the way we wore them was not such a good look(smile).
    As an adult I liked hats and I liked the way that they looked on me, but I just couldn’t get use to something on my head. They didn’t fit my lifestyle. I was constantly losing it or knocking it off.
    I still like hats though. I think the ones from the Edwardian era are the most interesting. As beautiful as they were, I just can’t believe they weren’t a nuisance – like wearing a table on your head.

    Reply
  24. As a child I wore a hat to church on Sunday and scarves the rest of the week. No hats as a teenager. Scarves were all the thing. I remember the scarves themselves as being colorful and attractive. But in retrospect, I think the way we wore them was not such a good look(smile).
    As an adult I liked hats and I liked the way that they looked on me, but I just couldn’t get use to something on my head. They didn’t fit my lifestyle. I was constantly losing it or knocking it off.
    I still like hats though. I think the ones from the Edwardian era are the most interesting. As beautiful as they were, I just can’t believe they weren’t a nuisance – like wearing a table on your head.

    Reply
  25. As a child I wore a hat to church on Sunday and scarves the rest of the week. No hats as a teenager. Scarves were all the thing. I remember the scarves themselves as being colorful and attractive. But in retrospect, I think the way we wore them was not such a good look(smile).
    As an adult I liked hats and I liked the way that they looked on me, but I just couldn’t get use to something on my head. They didn’t fit my lifestyle. I was constantly losing it or knocking it off.
    I still like hats though. I think the ones from the Edwardian era are the most interesting. As beautiful as they were, I just can’t believe they weren’t a nuisance – like wearing a table on your head.

    Reply
  26. Oh, LOL on the “looking north!” I do appreciate some of the flamboyant hats wore in the movies. But they are … not me. I look ridiculous in them.
    You make a very good point about Regency hats being very practical, protecting hair from the weather and ubiquitous dust and smoke. Thank goodness for shampoo and blow dryers!

    Reply
  27. Oh, LOL on the “looking north!” I do appreciate some of the flamboyant hats wore in the movies. But they are … not me. I look ridiculous in them.
    You make a very good point about Regency hats being very practical, protecting hair from the weather and ubiquitous dust and smoke. Thank goodness for shampoo and blow dryers!

    Reply
  28. Oh, LOL on the “looking north!” I do appreciate some of the flamboyant hats wore in the movies. But they are … not me. I look ridiculous in them.
    You make a very good point about Regency hats being very practical, protecting hair from the weather and ubiquitous dust and smoke. Thank goodness for shampoo and blow dryers!

    Reply
  29. Oh, LOL on the “looking north!” I do appreciate some of the flamboyant hats wore in the movies. But they are … not me. I look ridiculous in them.
    You make a very good point about Regency hats being very practical, protecting hair from the weather and ubiquitous dust and smoke. Thank goodness for shampoo and blow dryers!

    Reply
  30. Oh, LOL on the “looking north!” I do appreciate some of the flamboyant hats wore in the movies. But they are … not me. I look ridiculous in them.
    You make a very good point about Regency hats being very practical, protecting hair from the weather and ubiquitous dust and smoke. Thank goodness for shampoo and blow dryers!

    Reply
  31. You are clearly VERY stylish, StephanieL! I just can’t carry them off. (Though I daresay the fact that I dislike them probably affects how I feel in them.
    The hatworn by the Duchess of Devonshire is more than over the top—it looks as big as her!But then, I suppose hats are an improvement over the Georgian fad of building elaborate hairdos with fruit and birds and boats, etc. (shudder.)

    Reply
  32. You are clearly VERY stylish, StephanieL! I just can’t carry them off. (Though I daresay the fact that I dislike them probably affects how I feel in them.
    The hatworn by the Duchess of Devonshire is more than over the top—it looks as big as her!But then, I suppose hats are an improvement over the Georgian fad of building elaborate hairdos with fruit and birds and boats, etc. (shudder.)

    Reply
  33. You are clearly VERY stylish, StephanieL! I just can’t carry them off. (Though I daresay the fact that I dislike them probably affects how I feel in them.
    The hatworn by the Duchess of Devonshire is more than over the top—it looks as big as her!But then, I suppose hats are an improvement over the Georgian fad of building elaborate hairdos with fruit and birds and boats, etc. (shudder.)

    Reply
  34. You are clearly VERY stylish, StephanieL! I just can’t carry them off. (Though I daresay the fact that I dislike them probably affects how I feel in them.
    The hatworn by the Duchess of Devonshire is more than over the top—it looks as big as her!But then, I suppose hats are an improvement over the Georgian fad of building elaborate hairdos with fruit and birds and boats, etc. (shudder.)

    Reply
  35. You are clearly VERY stylish, StephanieL! I just can’t carry them off. (Though I daresay the fact that I dislike them probably affects how I feel in them.
    The hatworn by the Duchess of Devonshire is more than over the top—it looks as big as her!But then, I suppose hats are an improvement over the Georgian fad of building elaborate hairdos with fruit and birds and boats, etc. (shudder.)

    Reply
  36. I always looked well in hats; my mother would try one of hers on me, than get annoyed because it looked better on me than on her (so she said!); but I have never liked them. In high school we also wore the kerchiefs. I didn’t mind them, but I didn’t like them, either.
    When I married, and moved away from home, I stopped wearing hats, except for practical purposes.
    When I’m driving, I keep a baseball-style hat in the car. I am too short for the sun visors to be much help at sunup and sundown; the visor on the baseball cap helps the sunglass work just fine.

    Reply
  37. I always looked well in hats; my mother would try one of hers on me, than get annoyed because it looked better on me than on her (so she said!); but I have never liked them. In high school we also wore the kerchiefs. I didn’t mind them, but I didn’t like them, either.
    When I married, and moved away from home, I stopped wearing hats, except for practical purposes.
    When I’m driving, I keep a baseball-style hat in the car. I am too short for the sun visors to be much help at sunup and sundown; the visor on the baseball cap helps the sunglass work just fine.

    Reply
  38. I always looked well in hats; my mother would try one of hers on me, than get annoyed because it looked better on me than on her (so she said!); but I have never liked them. In high school we also wore the kerchiefs. I didn’t mind them, but I didn’t like them, either.
    When I married, and moved away from home, I stopped wearing hats, except for practical purposes.
    When I’m driving, I keep a baseball-style hat in the car. I am too short for the sun visors to be much help at sunup and sundown; the visor on the baseball cap helps the sunglass work just fine.

    Reply
  39. I always looked well in hats; my mother would try one of hers on me, than get annoyed because it looked better on me than on her (so she said!); but I have never liked them. In high school we also wore the kerchiefs. I didn’t mind them, but I didn’t like them, either.
    When I married, and moved away from home, I stopped wearing hats, except for practical purposes.
    When I’m driving, I keep a baseball-style hat in the car. I am too short for the sun visors to be much help at sunup and sundown; the visor on the baseball cap helps the sunglass work just fine.

    Reply
  40. I always looked well in hats; my mother would try one of hers on me, than get annoyed because it looked better on me than on her (so she said!); but I have never liked them. In high school we also wore the kerchiefs. I didn’t mind them, but I didn’t like them, either.
    When I married, and moved away from home, I stopped wearing hats, except for practical purposes.
    When I’m driving, I keep a baseball-style hat in the car. I am too short for the sun visors to be much help at sunup and sundown; the visor on the baseball cap helps the sunglass work just fine.

    Reply
  41. I’m with Sue about a hat for the vehicle. My Jeep Cherokee was much better at keeping the sun out. My Jeep Patriot…aiieeee..
    I go with a wide brimmed (3″ wide brim) floppy felt hat that can be tilted at any angle to keep out any sun besides wearing my big wrap around sunglasses.
    Hats….some look good, some don’t. I do like hats but if they have any elastic in the part that sits on my head, within 60 seconds I have a headache. Visors too.
    Previously I had a nice 100% felt wool “cowboy” hat from Dorfman with a 3″ brim and a nice cord to keep it in place. Alas, it died with the Jeep Cherokee. Now I have a new one which again has a 3″ brim and a good cord. Excellent protection from sun, sleet, snow, hail, etc.
    If I wear a hat outside, I need a good cord to anchor it to my head. Otherwise it blows off. My straw hat has one too. (The straw hat is my summer hat).
    What I find interesting is how badly some people (one of my sisters in particular) look wearing a hat – any kind of hat. Other people, no matter what kind you put on their head they look fabulous.
    Luckily I look good in most hats though stocking hats don’t really do much for most people but I wear them sometimes. They cover the ears nicely and are toasty warm.
    When I got married a veil looked stupid on me and when it was over my eyes it made me cross-eyed and sick to my tummy. Instead, I wore a hat with veil pieces down the back. MUCH more pleasant. Grin.
    BUT…most of those hats are too much. It was more a case of the hat wearing the person in stead of the hat being worn. I do love the fasinators of modern times…most of them look like wearable art. Not overwhelming.

    Reply
  42. I’m with Sue about a hat for the vehicle. My Jeep Cherokee was much better at keeping the sun out. My Jeep Patriot…aiieeee..
    I go with a wide brimmed (3″ wide brim) floppy felt hat that can be tilted at any angle to keep out any sun besides wearing my big wrap around sunglasses.
    Hats….some look good, some don’t. I do like hats but if they have any elastic in the part that sits on my head, within 60 seconds I have a headache. Visors too.
    Previously I had a nice 100% felt wool “cowboy” hat from Dorfman with a 3″ brim and a nice cord to keep it in place. Alas, it died with the Jeep Cherokee. Now I have a new one which again has a 3″ brim and a good cord. Excellent protection from sun, sleet, snow, hail, etc.
    If I wear a hat outside, I need a good cord to anchor it to my head. Otherwise it blows off. My straw hat has one too. (The straw hat is my summer hat).
    What I find interesting is how badly some people (one of my sisters in particular) look wearing a hat – any kind of hat. Other people, no matter what kind you put on their head they look fabulous.
    Luckily I look good in most hats though stocking hats don’t really do much for most people but I wear them sometimes. They cover the ears nicely and are toasty warm.
    When I got married a veil looked stupid on me and when it was over my eyes it made me cross-eyed and sick to my tummy. Instead, I wore a hat with veil pieces down the back. MUCH more pleasant. Grin.
    BUT…most of those hats are too much. It was more a case of the hat wearing the person in stead of the hat being worn. I do love the fasinators of modern times…most of them look like wearable art. Not overwhelming.

    Reply
  43. I’m with Sue about a hat for the vehicle. My Jeep Cherokee was much better at keeping the sun out. My Jeep Patriot…aiieeee..
    I go with a wide brimmed (3″ wide brim) floppy felt hat that can be tilted at any angle to keep out any sun besides wearing my big wrap around sunglasses.
    Hats….some look good, some don’t. I do like hats but if they have any elastic in the part that sits on my head, within 60 seconds I have a headache. Visors too.
    Previously I had a nice 100% felt wool “cowboy” hat from Dorfman with a 3″ brim and a nice cord to keep it in place. Alas, it died with the Jeep Cherokee. Now I have a new one which again has a 3″ brim and a good cord. Excellent protection from sun, sleet, snow, hail, etc.
    If I wear a hat outside, I need a good cord to anchor it to my head. Otherwise it blows off. My straw hat has one too. (The straw hat is my summer hat).
    What I find interesting is how badly some people (one of my sisters in particular) look wearing a hat – any kind of hat. Other people, no matter what kind you put on their head they look fabulous.
    Luckily I look good in most hats though stocking hats don’t really do much for most people but I wear them sometimes. They cover the ears nicely and are toasty warm.
    When I got married a veil looked stupid on me and when it was over my eyes it made me cross-eyed and sick to my tummy. Instead, I wore a hat with veil pieces down the back. MUCH more pleasant. Grin.
    BUT…most of those hats are too much. It was more a case of the hat wearing the person in stead of the hat being worn. I do love the fasinators of modern times…most of them look like wearable art. Not overwhelming.

    Reply
  44. I’m with Sue about a hat for the vehicle. My Jeep Cherokee was much better at keeping the sun out. My Jeep Patriot…aiieeee..
    I go with a wide brimmed (3″ wide brim) floppy felt hat that can be tilted at any angle to keep out any sun besides wearing my big wrap around sunglasses.
    Hats….some look good, some don’t. I do like hats but if they have any elastic in the part that sits on my head, within 60 seconds I have a headache. Visors too.
    Previously I had a nice 100% felt wool “cowboy” hat from Dorfman with a 3″ brim and a nice cord to keep it in place. Alas, it died with the Jeep Cherokee. Now I have a new one which again has a 3″ brim and a good cord. Excellent protection from sun, sleet, snow, hail, etc.
    If I wear a hat outside, I need a good cord to anchor it to my head. Otherwise it blows off. My straw hat has one too. (The straw hat is my summer hat).
    What I find interesting is how badly some people (one of my sisters in particular) look wearing a hat – any kind of hat. Other people, no matter what kind you put on their head they look fabulous.
    Luckily I look good in most hats though stocking hats don’t really do much for most people but I wear them sometimes. They cover the ears nicely and are toasty warm.
    When I got married a veil looked stupid on me and when it was over my eyes it made me cross-eyed and sick to my tummy. Instead, I wore a hat with veil pieces down the back. MUCH more pleasant. Grin.
    BUT…most of those hats are too much. It was more a case of the hat wearing the person in stead of the hat being worn. I do love the fasinators of modern times…most of them look like wearable art. Not overwhelming.

    Reply
  45. I’m with Sue about a hat for the vehicle. My Jeep Cherokee was much better at keeping the sun out. My Jeep Patriot…aiieeee..
    I go with a wide brimmed (3″ wide brim) floppy felt hat that can be tilted at any angle to keep out any sun besides wearing my big wrap around sunglasses.
    Hats….some look good, some don’t. I do like hats but if they have any elastic in the part that sits on my head, within 60 seconds I have a headache. Visors too.
    Previously I had a nice 100% felt wool “cowboy” hat from Dorfman with a 3″ brim and a nice cord to keep it in place. Alas, it died with the Jeep Cherokee. Now I have a new one which again has a 3″ brim and a good cord. Excellent protection from sun, sleet, snow, hail, etc.
    If I wear a hat outside, I need a good cord to anchor it to my head. Otherwise it blows off. My straw hat has one too. (The straw hat is my summer hat).
    What I find interesting is how badly some people (one of my sisters in particular) look wearing a hat – any kind of hat. Other people, no matter what kind you put on their head they look fabulous.
    Luckily I look good in most hats though stocking hats don’t really do much for most people but I wear them sometimes. They cover the ears nicely and are toasty warm.
    When I got married a veil looked stupid on me and when it was over my eyes it made me cross-eyed and sick to my tummy. Instead, I wore a hat with veil pieces down the back. MUCH more pleasant. Grin.
    BUT…most of those hats are too much. It was more a case of the hat wearing the person in stead of the hat being worn. I do love the fasinators of modern times…most of them look like wearable art. Not overwhelming.

    Reply
  46. I have always loved hats, and can’t ever wear them. My hair is bushier than first-year Hermione’s, and hats just want to perch up on top of it or topple off. I have a cloche I’ve worn once and dozens of baseball caps that make a nice decoration on the wall rack. One of the reasons I love Regency fashions is because I dream of shellacking my hair into ringlets and covering it with a hat. Once for Halloween at work I took a wide-brim straw flower pot and bent the back of the rim up flat. Then I made ribbon rosettes to fasten a wide band around the base, with tails that tied in a big bow under my chin. It looked something like the upper right bonnet in your third illustration. An empire-waist bridesmaid dress and a lace shawl, and I felt like Jane Austen all day. Until someone introduced me to their friends as Bo-Peep.

    Reply
  47. I have always loved hats, and can’t ever wear them. My hair is bushier than first-year Hermione’s, and hats just want to perch up on top of it or topple off. I have a cloche I’ve worn once and dozens of baseball caps that make a nice decoration on the wall rack. One of the reasons I love Regency fashions is because I dream of shellacking my hair into ringlets and covering it with a hat. Once for Halloween at work I took a wide-brim straw flower pot and bent the back of the rim up flat. Then I made ribbon rosettes to fasten a wide band around the base, with tails that tied in a big bow under my chin. It looked something like the upper right bonnet in your third illustration. An empire-waist bridesmaid dress and a lace shawl, and I felt like Jane Austen all day. Until someone introduced me to their friends as Bo-Peep.

    Reply
  48. I have always loved hats, and can’t ever wear them. My hair is bushier than first-year Hermione’s, and hats just want to perch up on top of it or topple off. I have a cloche I’ve worn once and dozens of baseball caps that make a nice decoration on the wall rack. One of the reasons I love Regency fashions is because I dream of shellacking my hair into ringlets and covering it with a hat. Once for Halloween at work I took a wide-brim straw flower pot and bent the back of the rim up flat. Then I made ribbon rosettes to fasten a wide band around the base, with tails that tied in a big bow under my chin. It looked something like the upper right bonnet in your third illustration. An empire-waist bridesmaid dress and a lace shawl, and I felt like Jane Austen all day. Until someone introduced me to their friends as Bo-Peep.

    Reply
  49. I have always loved hats, and can’t ever wear them. My hair is bushier than first-year Hermione’s, and hats just want to perch up on top of it or topple off. I have a cloche I’ve worn once and dozens of baseball caps that make a nice decoration on the wall rack. One of the reasons I love Regency fashions is because I dream of shellacking my hair into ringlets and covering it with a hat. Once for Halloween at work I took a wide-brim straw flower pot and bent the back of the rim up flat. Then I made ribbon rosettes to fasten a wide band around the base, with tails that tied in a big bow under my chin. It looked something like the upper right bonnet in your third illustration. An empire-waist bridesmaid dress and a lace shawl, and I felt like Jane Austen all day. Until someone introduced me to their friends as Bo-Peep.

    Reply
  50. I have always loved hats, and can’t ever wear them. My hair is bushier than first-year Hermione’s, and hats just want to perch up on top of it or topple off. I have a cloche I’ve worn once and dozens of baseball caps that make a nice decoration on the wall rack. One of the reasons I love Regency fashions is because I dream of shellacking my hair into ringlets and covering it with a hat. Once for Halloween at work I took a wide-brim straw flower pot and bent the back of the rim up flat. Then I made ribbon rosettes to fasten a wide band around the base, with tails that tied in a big bow under my chin. It looked something like the upper right bonnet in your third illustration. An empire-waist bridesmaid dress and a lace shawl, and I felt like Jane Austen all day. Until someone introduced me to their friends as Bo-Peep.

    Reply
  51. It sounds like you were very glamorous, Sue. In “The Crown” Queen Elizabeth and Priness Margaret were always wearing silk scarfs outdoors to protect their hair . . .but I agree, not my sort of style either.
    Baseball hats seem to be winning votes as a very practical headcovering. I agree that they are very good for shading the eyes.

    Reply
  52. It sounds like you were very glamorous, Sue. In “The Crown” Queen Elizabeth and Priness Margaret were always wearing silk scarfs outdoors to protect their hair . . .but I agree, not my sort of style either.
    Baseball hats seem to be winning votes as a very practical headcovering. I agree that they are very good for shading the eyes.

    Reply
  53. It sounds like you were very glamorous, Sue. In “The Crown” Queen Elizabeth and Priness Margaret were always wearing silk scarfs outdoors to protect their hair . . .but I agree, not my sort of style either.
    Baseball hats seem to be winning votes as a very practical headcovering. I agree that they are very good for shading the eyes.

    Reply
  54. It sounds like you were very glamorous, Sue. In “The Crown” Queen Elizabeth and Priness Margaret were always wearing silk scarfs outdoors to protect their hair . . .but I agree, not my sort of style either.
    Baseball hats seem to be winning votes as a very practical headcovering. I agree that they are very good for shading the eyes.

    Reply
  55. It sounds like you were very glamorous, Sue. In “The Crown” Queen Elizabeth and Priness Margaret were always wearing silk scarfs outdoors to protect their hair . . .but I agree, not my sort of style either.
    Baseball hats seem to be winning votes as a very practical headcovering. I agree that they are very good for shading the eyes.

    Reply
  56. But the somebody had a very limited imagination. The Mother Goose books are usually illustrated in 18th and 19th century styles, so they do fit with Georgian and Regency illustrations. But any Austen or Heyer fan would probably have been with you in your assessment.

    Reply
  57. But the somebody had a very limited imagination. The Mother Goose books are usually illustrated in 18th and 19th century styles, so they do fit with Georgian and Regency illustrations. But any Austen or Heyer fan would probably have been with you in your assessment.

    Reply
  58. But the somebody had a very limited imagination. The Mother Goose books are usually illustrated in 18th and 19th century styles, so they do fit with Georgian and Regency illustrations. But any Austen or Heyer fan would probably have been with you in your assessment.

    Reply
  59. But the somebody had a very limited imagination. The Mother Goose books are usually illustrated in 18th and 19th century styles, so they do fit with Georgian and Regency illustrations. But any Austen or Heyer fan would probably have been with you in your assessment.

    Reply
  60. But the somebody had a very limited imagination. The Mother Goose books are usually illustrated in 18th and 19th century styles, so they do fit with Georgian and Regency illustrations. But any Austen or Heyer fan would probably have been with you in your assessment.

    Reply
  61. Hats just don’t suit me. I’ve tried on many in shops when I’m with my daughter, who is always making me do these things. She on the other hand could put a plastic bag on her head and she’d look great. She wears lots of different styles. The ones I like best on her are replica 1920’s ones. They were gorgeous.

    Reply
  62. Hats just don’t suit me. I’ve tried on many in shops when I’m with my daughter, who is always making me do these things. She on the other hand could put a plastic bag on her head and she’d look great. She wears lots of different styles. The ones I like best on her are replica 1920’s ones. They were gorgeous.

    Reply
  63. Hats just don’t suit me. I’ve tried on many in shops when I’m with my daughter, who is always making me do these things. She on the other hand could put a plastic bag on her head and she’d look great. She wears lots of different styles. The ones I like best on her are replica 1920’s ones. They were gorgeous.

    Reply
  64. Hats just don’t suit me. I’ve tried on many in shops when I’m with my daughter, who is always making me do these things. She on the other hand could put a plastic bag on her head and she’d look great. She wears lots of different styles. The ones I like best on her are replica 1920’s ones. They were gorgeous.

    Reply
  65. Hats just don’t suit me. I’ve tried on many in shops when I’m with my daughter, who is always making me do these things. She on the other hand could put a plastic bag on her head and she’d look great. She wears lots of different styles. The ones I like best on her are replica 1920’s ones. They were gorgeous.

    Reply
  66. The other thing about hats is, unless they’re really casual and functional like the ones Stephanie mentions, is that they make me feel short, fatter, fussier and overdressed. I try to avoid that feeling 🙂 Even in LA I have friends with Rain Hats. I still prefer to loop a scarf around my neck and pull up a loop of it if it’s too wet. This winter I’ve had to do that exactly once. I do see people in puffer coats with umbrellas, but seldom with a hat, unless it’s one of those army surplus store knitted caps.
    I think what finally killed fancy hats as a fashion was the late 1950s penchant for high teased complex hairdos — which a hat would smash flat and ruin. There goes $20 (including tip, then!)

    Reply
  67. The other thing about hats is, unless they’re really casual and functional like the ones Stephanie mentions, is that they make me feel short, fatter, fussier and overdressed. I try to avoid that feeling 🙂 Even in LA I have friends with Rain Hats. I still prefer to loop a scarf around my neck and pull up a loop of it if it’s too wet. This winter I’ve had to do that exactly once. I do see people in puffer coats with umbrellas, but seldom with a hat, unless it’s one of those army surplus store knitted caps.
    I think what finally killed fancy hats as a fashion was the late 1950s penchant for high teased complex hairdos — which a hat would smash flat and ruin. There goes $20 (including tip, then!)

    Reply
  68. The other thing about hats is, unless they’re really casual and functional like the ones Stephanie mentions, is that they make me feel short, fatter, fussier and overdressed. I try to avoid that feeling 🙂 Even in LA I have friends with Rain Hats. I still prefer to loop a scarf around my neck and pull up a loop of it if it’s too wet. This winter I’ve had to do that exactly once. I do see people in puffer coats with umbrellas, but seldom with a hat, unless it’s one of those army surplus store knitted caps.
    I think what finally killed fancy hats as a fashion was the late 1950s penchant for high teased complex hairdos — which a hat would smash flat and ruin. There goes $20 (including tip, then!)

    Reply
  69. The other thing about hats is, unless they’re really casual and functional like the ones Stephanie mentions, is that they make me feel short, fatter, fussier and overdressed. I try to avoid that feeling 🙂 Even in LA I have friends with Rain Hats. I still prefer to loop a scarf around my neck and pull up a loop of it if it’s too wet. This winter I’ve had to do that exactly once. I do see people in puffer coats with umbrellas, but seldom with a hat, unless it’s one of those army surplus store knitted caps.
    I think what finally killed fancy hats as a fashion was the late 1950s penchant for high teased complex hairdos — which a hat would smash flat and ruin. There goes $20 (including tip, then!)

    Reply
  70. The other thing about hats is, unless they’re really casual and functional like the ones Stephanie mentions, is that they make me feel short, fatter, fussier and overdressed. I try to avoid that feeling 🙂 Even in LA I have friends with Rain Hats. I still prefer to loop a scarf around my neck and pull up a loop of it if it’s too wet. This winter I’ve had to do that exactly once. I do see people in puffer coats with umbrellas, but seldom with a hat, unless it’s one of those army surplus store knitted caps.
    I think what finally killed fancy hats as a fashion was the late 1950s penchant for high teased complex hairdos — which a hat would smash flat and ruin. There goes $20 (including tip, then!)

    Reply
  71. No boats please. Ugh I cannot even imagine a boat in my hair. LOL I keep my very short and cover it with hats. No boats. 😉

    Reply
  72. No boats please. Ugh I cannot even imagine a boat in my hair. LOL I keep my very short and cover it with hats. No boats. 😉

    Reply
  73. No boats please. Ugh I cannot even imagine a boat in my hair. LOL I keep my very short and cover it with hats. No boats. 😉

    Reply
  74. No boats please. Ugh I cannot even imagine a boat in my hair. LOL I keep my very short and cover it with hats. No boats. 😉

    Reply
  75. No boats please. Ugh I cannot even imagine a boat in my hair. LOL I keep my very short and cover it with hats. No boats. 😉

    Reply
  76. What a wonderful post! Of course many of those huge bonnets – the ones that look like coal scuttles, would make my short round self look like a mushroom! I do remember the one time I rode to the hounds when we lived in England, one of the dear little old ladies who lived next door insisted I wear her old habit and her top hat with the scarf flying behind it. I loved it! Of course I was only ten, still short, but much less round!
    When my Great Aunt Icie passed away at nearly 100 years of age, we had to clean out her apartment. She had an entire wardrobe of the smartest little hats you have ever seen. We couldn’t bear to part with them. My Mom bought some wooden wall hat racks, painted them to match my room in Mom’s house and the hats are displayed there. It looks wonderful and the grandchildren and great grandchildren have come to know an aunt they never knew from the hats and the photos we have of Aunt Icie wearing those hats.

    Reply
  77. What a wonderful post! Of course many of those huge bonnets – the ones that look like coal scuttles, would make my short round self look like a mushroom! I do remember the one time I rode to the hounds when we lived in England, one of the dear little old ladies who lived next door insisted I wear her old habit and her top hat with the scarf flying behind it. I loved it! Of course I was only ten, still short, but much less round!
    When my Great Aunt Icie passed away at nearly 100 years of age, we had to clean out her apartment. She had an entire wardrobe of the smartest little hats you have ever seen. We couldn’t bear to part with them. My Mom bought some wooden wall hat racks, painted them to match my room in Mom’s house and the hats are displayed there. It looks wonderful and the grandchildren and great grandchildren have come to know an aunt they never knew from the hats and the photos we have of Aunt Icie wearing those hats.

    Reply
  78. What a wonderful post! Of course many of those huge bonnets – the ones that look like coal scuttles, would make my short round self look like a mushroom! I do remember the one time I rode to the hounds when we lived in England, one of the dear little old ladies who lived next door insisted I wear her old habit and her top hat with the scarf flying behind it. I loved it! Of course I was only ten, still short, but much less round!
    When my Great Aunt Icie passed away at nearly 100 years of age, we had to clean out her apartment. She had an entire wardrobe of the smartest little hats you have ever seen. We couldn’t bear to part with them. My Mom bought some wooden wall hat racks, painted them to match my room in Mom’s house and the hats are displayed there. It looks wonderful and the grandchildren and great grandchildren have come to know an aunt they never knew from the hats and the photos we have of Aunt Icie wearing those hats.

    Reply
  79. What a wonderful post! Of course many of those huge bonnets – the ones that look like coal scuttles, would make my short round self look like a mushroom! I do remember the one time I rode to the hounds when we lived in England, one of the dear little old ladies who lived next door insisted I wear her old habit and her top hat with the scarf flying behind it. I loved it! Of course I was only ten, still short, but much less round!
    When my Great Aunt Icie passed away at nearly 100 years of age, we had to clean out her apartment. She had an entire wardrobe of the smartest little hats you have ever seen. We couldn’t bear to part with them. My Mom bought some wooden wall hat racks, painted them to match my room in Mom’s house and the hats are displayed there. It looks wonderful and the grandchildren and great grandchildren have come to know an aunt they never knew from the hats and the photos we have of Aunt Icie wearing those hats.

    Reply
  80. What a wonderful post! Of course many of those huge bonnets – the ones that look like coal scuttles, would make my short round self look like a mushroom! I do remember the one time I rode to the hounds when we lived in England, one of the dear little old ladies who lived next door insisted I wear her old habit and her top hat with the scarf flying behind it. I loved it! Of course I was only ten, still short, but much less round!
    When my Great Aunt Icie passed away at nearly 100 years of age, we had to clean out her apartment. She had an entire wardrobe of the smartest little hats you have ever seen. We couldn’t bear to part with them. My Mom bought some wooden wall hat racks, painted them to match my room in Mom’s house and the hats are displayed there. It looks wonderful and the grandchildren and great grandchildren have come to know an aunt they never knew from the hats and the photos we have of Aunt Icie wearing those hats.

    Reply
  81. Love this post, Cara/Andrea. I hardly ever wear a hat for practical reasons, but I adore mad dress up hats and costume hats. Hand me a hat with a bunch of flowers, a menagerie of beasts and birds, the contents of a fruit bowl and lots of feathers and I’ll happily wear it — usually at a romance writers conference. I yearn for some of the ones in your pictures. I even made a hat once with a venetian gondola on it – so boats? Yes please. *g*

    Reply
  82. Love this post, Cara/Andrea. I hardly ever wear a hat for practical reasons, but I adore mad dress up hats and costume hats. Hand me a hat with a bunch of flowers, a menagerie of beasts and birds, the contents of a fruit bowl and lots of feathers and I’ll happily wear it — usually at a romance writers conference. I yearn for some of the ones in your pictures. I even made a hat once with a venetian gondola on it – so boats? Yes please. *g*

    Reply
  83. Love this post, Cara/Andrea. I hardly ever wear a hat for practical reasons, but I adore mad dress up hats and costume hats. Hand me a hat with a bunch of flowers, a menagerie of beasts and birds, the contents of a fruit bowl and lots of feathers and I’ll happily wear it — usually at a romance writers conference. I yearn for some of the ones in your pictures. I even made a hat once with a venetian gondola on it – so boats? Yes please. *g*

    Reply
  84. Love this post, Cara/Andrea. I hardly ever wear a hat for practical reasons, but I adore mad dress up hats and costume hats. Hand me a hat with a bunch of flowers, a menagerie of beasts and birds, the contents of a fruit bowl and lots of feathers and I’ll happily wear it — usually at a romance writers conference. I yearn for some of the ones in your pictures. I even made a hat once with a venetian gondola on it – so boats? Yes please. *g*

    Reply
  85. Love this post, Cara/Andrea. I hardly ever wear a hat for practical reasons, but I adore mad dress up hats and costume hats. Hand me a hat with a bunch of flowers, a menagerie of beasts and birds, the contents of a fruit bowl and lots of feathers and I’ll happily wear it — usually at a romance writers conference. I yearn for some of the ones in your pictures. I even made a hat once with a venetian gondola on it – so boats? Yes please. *g*

    Reply
  86. I think the reason for the hats, by the way, is that it wasn’t ladylike for a woman to show her bare hair — because of sexual connotations, I think. Which is also why caps were worn inside by spinsters and older ladies. Once a young girl “put her hair up” she would also have worn a hat.

    Reply
  87. I think the reason for the hats, by the way, is that it wasn’t ladylike for a woman to show her bare hair — because of sexual connotations, I think. Which is also why caps were worn inside by spinsters and older ladies. Once a young girl “put her hair up” she would also have worn a hat.

    Reply
  88. I think the reason for the hats, by the way, is that it wasn’t ladylike for a woman to show her bare hair — because of sexual connotations, I think. Which is also why caps were worn inside by spinsters and older ladies. Once a young girl “put her hair up” she would also have worn a hat.

    Reply
  89. I think the reason for the hats, by the way, is that it wasn’t ladylike for a woman to show her bare hair — because of sexual connotations, I think. Which is also why caps were worn inside by spinsters and older ladies. Once a young girl “put her hair up” she would also have worn a hat.

    Reply
  90. I think the reason for the hats, by the way, is that it wasn’t ladylike for a woman to show her bare hair — because of sexual connotations, I think. Which is also why caps were worn inside by spinsters and older ladies. Once a young girl “put her hair up” she would also have worn a hat.

    Reply
  91. And you are one of those people who carry off flamboyant hats with such panache! I thinks it’s because you have fun with them, which show. Other of us—like me!—have that hangdog expression of “I look silly, don’t I—and thus we do! Attitude has so much to do with it, I think.

    Reply
  92. And you are one of those people who carry off flamboyant hats with such panache! I thinks it’s because you have fun with them, which show. Other of us—like me!—have that hangdog expression of “I look silly, don’t I—and thus we do! Attitude has so much to do with it, I think.

    Reply
  93. And you are one of those people who carry off flamboyant hats with such panache! I thinks it’s because you have fun with them, which show. Other of us—like me!—have that hangdog expression of “I look silly, don’t I—and thus we do! Attitude has so much to do with it, I think.

    Reply
  94. And you are one of those people who carry off flamboyant hats with such panache! I thinks it’s because you have fun with them, which show. Other of us—like me!—have that hangdog expression of “I look silly, don’t I—and thus we do! Attitude has so much to do with it, I think.

    Reply
  95. And you are one of those people who carry off flamboyant hats with such panache! I thinks it’s because you have fun with them, which show. Other of us—like me!—have that hangdog expression of “I look silly, don’t I—and thus we do! Attitude has so much to do with it, I think.

    Reply
  96. What a wonderful story, Louisa. That was such a wonderful idea to keep your Great Aunt’s hats. A beautiful and very fun way for family history to be passed down through generation. It’s sad that so many modern homes have no grand attics (or they all get stuffed with current junk) so that kids don’t get to explore stuff from grandparents and great grandparents. It really does create a bond to touch and wear family heirlooms.

    Reply
  97. What a wonderful story, Louisa. That was such a wonderful idea to keep your Great Aunt’s hats. A beautiful and very fun way for family history to be passed down through generation. It’s sad that so many modern homes have no grand attics (or they all get stuffed with current junk) so that kids don’t get to explore stuff from grandparents and great grandparents. It really does create a bond to touch and wear family heirlooms.

    Reply
  98. What a wonderful story, Louisa. That was such a wonderful idea to keep your Great Aunt’s hats. A beautiful and very fun way for family history to be passed down through generation. It’s sad that so many modern homes have no grand attics (or they all get stuffed with current junk) so that kids don’t get to explore stuff from grandparents and great grandparents. It really does create a bond to touch and wear family heirlooms.

    Reply
  99. What a wonderful story, Louisa. That was such a wonderful idea to keep your Great Aunt’s hats. A beautiful and very fun way for family history to be passed down through generation. It’s sad that so many modern homes have no grand attics (or they all get stuffed with current junk) so that kids don’t get to explore stuff from grandparents and great grandparents. It really does create a bond to touch and wear family heirlooms.

    Reply
  100. What a wonderful story, Louisa. That was such a wonderful idea to keep your Great Aunt’s hats. A beautiful and very fun way for family history to be passed down through generation. It’s sad that so many modern homes have no grand attics (or they all get stuffed with current junk) so that kids don’t get to explore stuff from grandparents and great grandparents. It really does create a bond to touch and wear family heirlooms.

    Reply
  101. The taboo against uncovered hair is in the Old Testament; I believe it’s also in the new testament, but am less sure about this. So, yes, it goes a long way back.

    Reply
  102. The taboo against uncovered hair is in the Old Testament; I believe it’s also in the new testament, but am less sure about this. So, yes, it goes a long way back.

    Reply
  103. The taboo against uncovered hair is in the Old Testament; I believe it’s also in the new testament, but am less sure about this. So, yes, it goes a long way back.

    Reply
  104. The taboo against uncovered hair is in the Old Testament; I believe it’s also in the new testament, but am less sure about this. So, yes, it goes a long way back.

    Reply
  105. The taboo against uncovered hair is in the Old Testament; I believe it’s also in the new testament, but am less sure about this. So, yes, it goes a long way back.

    Reply
  106. I used to enjoy wearing wide brimmed hats (back in the day when hats were the thing). I was raised in a church where adult women were expected to have their head covered and there were some lovely hats in church on a regular basis. I think that some hats provide a woman with an extra sense of elegance. Unfortunately, I am not the elegant type. But one can dream.

    Reply
  107. I used to enjoy wearing wide brimmed hats (back in the day when hats were the thing). I was raised in a church where adult women were expected to have their head covered and there were some lovely hats in church on a regular basis. I think that some hats provide a woman with an extra sense of elegance. Unfortunately, I am not the elegant type. But one can dream.

    Reply
  108. I used to enjoy wearing wide brimmed hats (back in the day when hats were the thing). I was raised in a church where adult women were expected to have their head covered and there were some lovely hats in church on a regular basis. I think that some hats provide a woman with an extra sense of elegance. Unfortunately, I am not the elegant type. But one can dream.

    Reply
  109. I used to enjoy wearing wide brimmed hats (back in the day when hats were the thing). I was raised in a church where adult women were expected to have their head covered and there were some lovely hats in church on a regular basis. I think that some hats provide a woman with an extra sense of elegance. Unfortunately, I am not the elegant type. But one can dream.

    Reply
  110. I used to enjoy wearing wide brimmed hats (back in the day when hats were the thing). I was raised in a church where adult women were expected to have their head covered and there were some lovely hats in church on a regular basis. I think that some hats provide a woman with an extra sense of elegance. Unfortunately, I am not the elegant type. But one can dream.

    Reply
  111. I had never heard of John Locke until your response. Oh, what lovely hats! Here are some pics:
    https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1629&bih=871&q=hats+by+John+Locke+hatter&oq=hats+by+John+Locke+hatter&gs_l=img.3…2281.8011.0.9442.10.9.0.1.1.0.117.786.5j3.8.0….0…1ac.1.64.img..1.8.693.0..0j35i39k1j0i30k1.V1vaZBAPNoA
    Looking at hat, it is clear that part of wearing a smashing hat is that you have to carry it off with panache, and most young people don’t have that confidence. Also, the hat has to compliment the shape of your face, body etc. When I wore glasses, no hat, except a cloche, looked good with them. When you look at those fetching little slanted numbers, they look particularly good on thin, diamond shaped faces. I love old movies, set in the 30’s and 40’s when even a shop girl (according to Hollywood) wore stunners. Of course, they always lived in darling, beautifully furnished houses too.
    I think our society has gotten so sloppy with clothes that I’d like to see hats come back into style, but we worship comfort, not style. Even more than women, I’d like to see men dress up more. I’m tired of going to formal occasions, like funerals, and seeing so many men look so casual and sloppy. If you look at pictures of young people during the Depression, all of the young men wore suits. I think their behavior must have been better too.
    It’s odd that as our society has gotten so rich that the clothes we wear in public indicate that we are all poor. Maybe it’s an indication of equality, of having a classless (in all its meanings) society.

    Reply
  112. I had never heard of John Locke until your response. Oh, what lovely hats! Here are some pics:
    https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1629&bih=871&q=hats+by+John+Locke+hatter&oq=hats+by+John+Locke+hatter&gs_l=img.3…2281.8011.0.9442.10.9.0.1.1.0.117.786.5j3.8.0….0…1ac.1.64.img..1.8.693.0..0j35i39k1j0i30k1.V1vaZBAPNoA
    Looking at hat, it is clear that part of wearing a smashing hat is that you have to carry it off with panache, and most young people don’t have that confidence. Also, the hat has to compliment the shape of your face, body etc. When I wore glasses, no hat, except a cloche, looked good with them. When you look at those fetching little slanted numbers, they look particularly good on thin, diamond shaped faces. I love old movies, set in the 30’s and 40’s when even a shop girl (according to Hollywood) wore stunners. Of course, they always lived in darling, beautifully furnished houses too.
    I think our society has gotten so sloppy with clothes that I’d like to see hats come back into style, but we worship comfort, not style. Even more than women, I’d like to see men dress up more. I’m tired of going to formal occasions, like funerals, and seeing so many men look so casual and sloppy. If you look at pictures of young people during the Depression, all of the young men wore suits. I think their behavior must have been better too.
    It’s odd that as our society has gotten so rich that the clothes we wear in public indicate that we are all poor. Maybe it’s an indication of equality, of having a classless (in all its meanings) society.

    Reply
  113. I had never heard of John Locke until your response. Oh, what lovely hats! Here are some pics:
    https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1629&bih=871&q=hats+by+John+Locke+hatter&oq=hats+by+John+Locke+hatter&gs_l=img.3…2281.8011.0.9442.10.9.0.1.1.0.117.786.5j3.8.0….0…1ac.1.64.img..1.8.693.0..0j35i39k1j0i30k1.V1vaZBAPNoA
    Looking at hat, it is clear that part of wearing a smashing hat is that you have to carry it off with panache, and most young people don’t have that confidence. Also, the hat has to compliment the shape of your face, body etc. When I wore glasses, no hat, except a cloche, looked good with them. When you look at those fetching little slanted numbers, they look particularly good on thin, diamond shaped faces. I love old movies, set in the 30’s and 40’s when even a shop girl (according to Hollywood) wore stunners. Of course, they always lived in darling, beautifully furnished houses too.
    I think our society has gotten so sloppy with clothes that I’d like to see hats come back into style, but we worship comfort, not style. Even more than women, I’d like to see men dress up more. I’m tired of going to formal occasions, like funerals, and seeing so many men look so casual and sloppy. If you look at pictures of young people during the Depression, all of the young men wore suits. I think their behavior must have been better too.
    It’s odd that as our society has gotten so rich that the clothes we wear in public indicate that we are all poor. Maybe it’s an indication of equality, of having a classless (in all its meanings) society.

    Reply
  114. I had never heard of John Locke until your response. Oh, what lovely hats! Here are some pics:
    https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1629&bih=871&q=hats+by+John+Locke+hatter&oq=hats+by+John+Locke+hatter&gs_l=img.3…2281.8011.0.9442.10.9.0.1.1.0.117.786.5j3.8.0….0…1ac.1.64.img..1.8.693.0..0j35i39k1j0i30k1.V1vaZBAPNoA
    Looking at hat, it is clear that part of wearing a smashing hat is that you have to carry it off with panache, and most young people don’t have that confidence. Also, the hat has to compliment the shape of your face, body etc. When I wore glasses, no hat, except a cloche, looked good with them. When you look at those fetching little slanted numbers, they look particularly good on thin, diamond shaped faces. I love old movies, set in the 30’s and 40’s when even a shop girl (according to Hollywood) wore stunners. Of course, they always lived in darling, beautifully furnished houses too.
    I think our society has gotten so sloppy with clothes that I’d like to see hats come back into style, but we worship comfort, not style. Even more than women, I’d like to see men dress up more. I’m tired of going to formal occasions, like funerals, and seeing so many men look so casual and sloppy. If you look at pictures of young people during the Depression, all of the young men wore suits. I think their behavior must have been better too.
    It’s odd that as our society has gotten so rich that the clothes we wear in public indicate that we are all poor. Maybe it’s an indication of equality, of having a classless (in all its meanings) society.

    Reply
  115. I had never heard of John Locke until your response. Oh, what lovely hats! Here are some pics:
    https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1629&bih=871&q=hats+by+John+Locke+hatter&oq=hats+by+John+Locke+hatter&gs_l=img.3…2281.8011.0.9442.10.9.0.1.1.0.117.786.5j3.8.0….0…1ac.1.64.img..1.8.693.0..0j35i39k1j0i30k1.V1vaZBAPNoA
    Looking at hat, it is clear that part of wearing a smashing hat is that you have to carry it off with panache, and most young people don’t have that confidence. Also, the hat has to compliment the shape of your face, body etc. When I wore glasses, no hat, except a cloche, looked good with them. When you look at those fetching little slanted numbers, they look particularly good on thin, diamond shaped faces. I love old movies, set in the 30’s and 40’s when even a shop girl (according to Hollywood) wore stunners. Of course, they always lived in darling, beautifully furnished houses too.
    I think our society has gotten so sloppy with clothes that I’d like to see hats come back into style, but we worship comfort, not style. Even more than women, I’d like to see men dress up more. I’m tired of going to formal occasions, like funerals, and seeing so many men look so casual and sloppy. If you look at pictures of young people during the Depression, all of the young men wore suits. I think their behavior must have been better too.
    It’s odd that as our society has gotten so rich that the clothes we wear in public indicate that we are all poor. Maybe it’s an indication of equality, of having a classless (in all its meanings) society.

    Reply
  116. Aren’t the Locke hats amazing? Beautiful little sculptures. And it’s got such a wonderful history in Regency times—Lord Nelson left a design for a naval hat with them, complete with folding eye patch. Alas, Trafalgar prevented him for picking up the finished hat.
    I agree with you on the dressing up. Whenever I see a Cary Grant movie, I think of how elegant everyone looks, even the taxi drivers! Comfort is good, but getting dressed up for nice occasions is something that ought to come back into style.

    Reply
  117. Aren’t the Locke hats amazing? Beautiful little sculptures. And it’s got such a wonderful history in Regency times—Lord Nelson left a design for a naval hat with them, complete with folding eye patch. Alas, Trafalgar prevented him for picking up the finished hat.
    I agree with you on the dressing up. Whenever I see a Cary Grant movie, I think of how elegant everyone looks, even the taxi drivers! Comfort is good, but getting dressed up for nice occasions is something that ought to come back into style.

    Reply
  118. Aren’t the Locke hats amazing? Beautiful little sculptures. And it’s got such a wonderful history in Regency times—Lord Nelson left a design for a naval hat with them, complete with folding eye patch. Alas, Trafalgar prevented him for picking up the finished hat.
    I agree with you on the dressing up. Whenever I see a Cary Grant movie, I think of how elegant everyone looks, even the taxi drivers! Comfort is good, but getting dressed up for nice occasions is something that ought to come back into style.

    Reply
  119. Aren’t the Locke hats amazing? Beautiful little sculptures. And it’s got such a wonderful history in Regency times—Lord Nelson left a design for a naval hat with them, complete with folding eye patch. Alas, Trafalgar prevented him for picking up the finished hat.
    I agree with you on the dressing up. Whenever I see a Cary Grant movie, I think of how elegant everyone looks, even the taxi drivers! Comfort is good, but getting dressed up for nice occasions is something that ought to come back into style.

    Reply
  120. Aren’t the Locke hats amazing? Beautiful little sculptures. And it’s got such a wonderful history in Regency times—Lord Nelson left a design for a naval hat with them, complete with folding eye patch. Alas, Trafalgar prevented him for picking up the finished hat.
    I agree with you on the dressing up. Whenever I see a Cary Grant movie, I think of how elegant everyone looks, even the taxi drivers! Comfort is good, but getting dressed up for nice occasions is something that ought to come back into style.

    Reply

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