1912 Velvet hat
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1910-1913 A hat in dark blue velvet
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The hat from underneath
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Inside the hat showing the label
Description
The velvet is laid over a foundation of buckram with a wire round the base of the crown and two wires round the edge of the brim. The crown is gathered in to the brim.
Ostrich feathers dyed to a lighter and brighter blue go round the base of the crown; they have been joined into a continuous strip, and an extra feather has been added to fall over the left-hand side.
The crown is lined with black cotton twill and has a black cotton cord drawstring in a channel about 2" in from the edge, which pulls in the lining to rest on the head at that point so that the rest of the crown rises above it. At the centre the lining is pleated into a flat disc, 3½" in diameter, where the label is printed, at an angle, in gold. It says The French Hat Shop, near Queen's Hall, 322,324 Regent Street, London W. The hat measures 18" from side to side and 16" from front to back.
The velvet has faded on the top of the hat but has retained its colour on the underbrim where it would not have been so exposed to light.
Contemporary illustrations
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Photograph in a fashion article in The Queen, July 1912
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Drawing of wedding guests in The Queen, July 1912
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Drawing of wedding guests in The Queen, August 1912
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Fashion drawing in The Queen, November 1912
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.