Easel Incorporated Costume Accessories

1870's Felt Hats and Bonnets

Made from a reclaimed vintage wool felt hat, this brown topper is trimmed with ostrich feathers, brown silk, and a small imitation bird.
The felt was washed carefully and then stretched over vintage wooden hat blocks. After it was dry I faced the underside of the brim with matching brown silk fabric, softly gathered.
Six gold-colored ostrich feathers were layered in two groupings of three feathers each and the ends were curled.
The feather groupings are securely stitched to the left side of the hat, one at the front and one (under it) on the side.
The brim is wired to hold it's shape, and the wire is covered with a double (French bias) binding of silk.
Long wide ribbon-like ties are made from the same silk fabric. They are meant to tie under the hairstyle at the nape of the neck, in a soft bow.
The right side view shows the brown silk bra hat band, which is scrunched down in to "folds", as well as the little bird peeking over the edge.
This is a side-front view of the left side.
The fun front view shows the brown silk bow into which is nestled the little bird.
This inside of this hat is finished with a petersham ribbon, and it's kitted out with two horsehair tabs and an elastic to help affix the hat to the hair.
Another mid-1870's topper, this one is made from an up-cycled cream colored wool felt.
The generous bias hat band is made from a scrap of blue lining.
The outer edge of the brim is wired with millinery wire, and that has been covered with a strip of double (French) bias.
Two sets of navy blue ostrich feathers curve gracefully over the crown from back to front.
The back of this hat features a decorative pre-tied bow with trailing ends.
The ends of the bow are finished with some matching bullion fringe.
Here you can see the ostrich feathers "emerging" from under the bow. To give the feathers fullness I layered them in threes and curled the fronds.
The underside of this brim has also been faced with blue fabric.

The photos in this gallery are of felt hats and bonnets bonnets in styles from the 1870's.  It was a transitional decade, in fashion.  The first few years were definitely a carry-over from the 1860's and fetured smallish hats worn forward on the forehead along with the Fanchon style of bonnet that didn't cover the elaborate hairstyles at the back of the head.  In the middle of the decade there was a move to tinier and tineir hats worn perched on the top of the head; many of these had so much trim you couldn't even tell what shape they were!  By the end of the decade hats had started to move backwards on the head again, and began to grow first in size and then in heaight as the 1880's shapes began to appear.  If you don't see what you want in these gallery pictures, simply provide a drawing or description and any head covering can be made just for you!  To order one like these or your own design contact Easel Incorporated.

Click on any photo to get a close-up view.