(This post was inspired by Peter Lappin's "Requiem for Ladies Hat" post on his Male Pattern Boldness blog.)
Peter wrote, "...during the first half of the Twentieth Century (and a bit beyond), women wore hats outside -- and sometimes in -- as a matter of course. A fashionable woman would no sooner be seen outside without a hat than she would without stockings or gloves..."
My mother wore hats for fashion through the mid 1960s, that is, during my formative fashionista years. As a result, I would don one of her hats when I femulated during that era especially if I was wearing one of the outfits she had put together that included a hat (like mother, like son).
Hats died out in the late 1960s. Just as my mother stopped wearing hats circa 1967, I stopped wearing hats when I femulated.
My mother passed on years ago and when we emptied her apartment, we discovered some of her hats. She kept some of her favorites. I don't know why; maybe she thought hats would make a comeback or maybe she just could not part with them. Whatever the reason, I could not throw them all away, so I kept my favorites of her favorites and have them stored in various nooks and crannies in the house.
Now that Peter has reminded me about hats, I plan to peruse my mother's hat collection and see if there are any that will go with the outfits I plan to wear out in the near future.
Actor Geoffrey Rush femulating on stage in
The Importance of Being Earnest, Australia 2011.
Wearing Boston Proper.
I morn the passing of hats, it seems that round here (ornamental) hats only come out at weddings and Ascot. I think it was the car as much as anything that killed the hat, I certainly have happy memories of ladies hats throughout the 60s especially on a Sunday at church.
ReplyDeleteI seem to recall that Catholic women were required/encouraged to wear hats while in church at least through the mid 1960s. I am not sure if Vatican II changed the rule. I suspect that you were jealous of the little girls in the communion dresses and then their confirmation gowns. I believe that they at least wore veils or lace head coverings.
ReplyDeletePat
I love hats...unfortunately, it is very difficult to find attractive ones these days.
ReplyDeleteIt may be time for a hat modeling post! ;)
ReplyDeleteDear Stana,
ReplyDeleteThe "hatted" woman image is gorgeous and very artistic. I think the woman may be (or at least looks very much like) Lucille Ball. What do you think?
Love,
Sheila.
It is Lucy.
Delete