Mein Hut, der hat drei Ecken.
Jun. 19th, 2008 01:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ventaOK. Let's talk about hats.
On Saturday, I am bidden to a wedding where the invitation suggested the wearing of "prepostorous hats". There are many forms of prepostry, but I was hoping to acquire an over-the-top posh hat.
Sadly, I have failed. Being too mean to shell out for decent millinery, I have been trawling charity shops. I have found many, many hats answering the description.
Not a single one fitted me. Hats, these days, are simply not designed to be worn by someone who has long hair, and has it "up". Which, if I were going to a posh-hat-worthy occasion, I would have. I had the same problem earlier in the year when seeking a non-prepostorous hat for a wedding.
If you watch - say - the Rupert Everett film of An Ideal Husband then the female characters are constantly donning a stream of stunning hats. They all have their hair up, and the hats are worn tipped forward over the face and secured with pins. I want a hat that does that, and I've no idea how to find one.
Earlier in the year I found exactly that shape of hat in Debenhams. It was available in white, cream or black, a coquettish tipped-forward number with a froth of veil. Then I realised: it attached to the head via a broad and clearly-visible Alice band. In fact, it looked completely ridiculous.
I did locate one which was almost-suitable in Oxfam this lunchtime. Sadly, it was a little too small and also virulently pink. Basically, it was like a normal broad-brimmed hat, but the crown was very shallow such that it perched on the very top of the head. It had a narrow black elastic which I assume was intended to put under my chin; I'd have removed that and bought a nice hat-pin and perched it at a much more jaunty angle. However, it was too small and I don't think it would look right with what I'm planning to wear.
So, oh LJ, help me. Some of you might have the same problem: what sort of a hat does one wear with an up-do ? Where do I find coy, tippy-forward Edwardian hats (or, more accurately, copies thereof) ? What do I call hats of that style, or hats with a shallow brim-draft, such that I can search for them online or on eBay ?
Yes, I have considered fascinators. In fact, that was my solution earlier in the year and will very probably be my solution on Saturday. They're all very well in their way, but they're hardly hats.
On Saturday, I am bidden to a wedding where the invitation suggested the wearing of "prepostorous hats". There are many forms of prepostry, but I was hoping to acquire an over-the-top posh hat.
Sadly, I have failed. Being too mean to shell out for decent millinery, I have been trawling charity shops. I have found many, many hats answering the description.
Not a single one fitted me. Hats, these days, are simply not designed to be worn by someone who has long hair, and has it "up". Which, if I were going to a posh-hat-worthy occasion, I would have. I had the same problem earlier in the year when seeking a non-prepostorous hat for a wedding.
If you watch - say - the Rupert Everett film of An Ideal Husband then the female characters are constantly donning a stream of stunning hats. They all have their hair up, and the hats are worn tipped forward over the face and secured with pins. I want a hat that does that, and I've no idea how to find one.
Earlier in the year I found exactly that shape of hat in Debenhams. It was available in white, cream or black, a coquettish tipped-forward number with a froth of veil. Then I realised: it attached to the head via a broad and clearly-visible Alice band. In fact, it looked completely ridiculous.
I did locate one which was almost-suitable in Oxfam this lunchtime. Sadly, it was a little too small and also virulently pink. Basically, it was like a normal broad-brimmed hat, but the crown was very shallow such that it perched on the very top of the head. It had a narrow black elastic which I assume was intended to put under my chin; I'd have removed that and bought a nice hat-pin and perched it at a much more jaunty angle. However, it was too small and I don't think it would look right with what I'm planning to wear.
So, oh LJ, help me. Some of you might have the same problem: what sort of a hat does one wear with an up-do ? Where do I find coy, tippy-forward Edwardian hats (or, more accurately, copies thereof) ? What do I call hats of that style, or hats with a shallow brim-draft, such that I can search for them online or on eBay ?
Yes, I have considered fascinators. In fact, that was my solution earlier in the year and will very probably be my solution on Saturday. They're all very well in their way, but they're hardly hats.
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no subject
Date: 2008-06-19 04:29 pm (UTC)Thereby hangs the problem: I can't. I'm sure one can but I personally have had no success with that at all :)
I'm disinclined to buy actual antiques (even 40s if I can avoid it) for reasons of expense and fragility. I was hoping that there might be out there, somewhere, a good source of replicas - for period renactment, if nothing else.
Thanks for the advice. I'm not actually expecting to get my hat issues sorted out for Saturday, this was more intended as a long-range enquiry for future occasions :)
no subject
Date: 2008-06-19 05:02 pm (UTC)There are patterns available for cloth hats (as opposed to blocked felt or straw etc.); Vintage Vogue has (as you'd expect) original designs, and some of the other big four have hats in their fancy-dress ranges. You could also try some of the smaller companies that specialise in historic costuming - my brain is blank re: names at the moment, but Google knows all.