1893 Brown felt hat
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1893 A light brown felt hat
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The back of the hat
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A view of the inside the back of the hat where two wire shapes with net centres support the ruched black velvet pads; the ends of a length of black elastic is attached to each side.
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The label in the hat
Description
A knot of black velvet in the front has pointed ends sticking up; three bands of black velvet, ¾" wide, go round the crown, which is about 2⅝" high; metal buckle-shaped trims with jet beads, some missing, are at the front and back. Two ostrich feathers, coral pink shading to ivory, are attached behind the trim in the front and lie round each side of the brim. The upturned edge of the brim is covered in black velvet, and there are ruched pads of black velvet under the brim, one on each side of the centre back. These are next to rectangles of black net with wired black-covered edges, 2½" by 1⅝", sewn inside the base of the crown, to rest against the head when the hat was worn.
The lining is thin ivory silk, gathered round the centre with ⅛" wide ivory silk ribbon, and the flat piece in the crown has the label printed in gold. The ends of a length of black elastic are sewn on the inside edges of the crown each side.
Contemporary illustrations
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Fashion drawing in The Queen, August 1892
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Fashion drawing in The Queen, October 1892
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Fashion drawing in The Queen, October 1892
History
The hat belonged to Rose Wood, who married Bruce Gibson in 1894, and it was made by Tarn & Co., a department store in Elephant and Castle, where the Wood family were regular customers. It was acquired with the 1893 Wine silk dress and it is likely that they were worn together.
Contemporary items
More hats from the Hopkins Collection can be seen in Headwear, published by The School of Historical Dress and available from the Hopkins Costume Trust bookshop.