Felts with Flair

Gene Marshall

"The lady definitely has flair!" Naturally she's wearing a chic little winter white, draped, wool felt hat accented with a dramatic feather from The Couture Touch. It's the perfect topper for her smart, fur-trimmed, travel suit.

Credits:
Goodbye New York suit, designed by Doug James, is from Ashton Drake.
Suede color-blocked gauntlet gloves, hat, and earrings are from The Couture Touch.
A re-styled "Blue Belle" Gene Marshall, enhanced with an articulated body from Integrity, is from Ashton Drake.

Madra Lord

A divine unusual-shaped, wool felt hat from The Couture Touch adds flair to the ultimate IT girl's sophisticated daytime ensemble.

Credits:
Dress from Madame Alexander, cape from The Couture Touch.
Fur muff from D.A.E. Originals, gloves from Ashton Drake, and necklace from Michael Scott.
C'est Moi Madra Lord is from Integrity.

For more on imaginative and whimsical felt hats from the late 1930's, early 1940's, visit my blog Chapeaux à la Mode

Vintage Hats for Fall

Fabulous 1940's red & black jersey turban with attached scarf

Hunter green felt with mink trim, circa 1930's

Unusual red felt loops on a salmon-colored straw base with attached veil, late 1930's, early 40's

1950's Howard Hodge hat in leaf design

All hats are from my personal collection.

Autumn Forecast: Hats

Photo by Horst for Harper's Bazaar, October 1942

Two Hat Originals: made-to-order (your exact measurements, your own pick of colors) hats available exclusively at Bergdorf Goodman.  Lower left - "Sunny Day" black felt bowler-style with a fringed bow of mauve-pink grosgrain and a flirt of grass-green feather.  Upper right - "Crest of the Evening" black evening head-dress of three plumes above a dramatic background veil.

Photo by Horst for Vogue, August 1, 1938

Suzy black felt "D'Artagnan" mammoth tricorn folded obliquely, trimmed with brandenburg braid.  Jewels by Boucheron.

Photo by Horst for Vogue, August 1, 1938

Round Hats, Square Shoulders:  Hat from Marjorie Dunton.  Heim's Persian lamb coat.

Unusual Hats

Rounding out this month of fabulous hats are some rather unusual ones from the late thirties and mid-forties.

The Zipper Hat from Agnes, circa 1937

Hat from Madame le Monnier
Illustration by Pierre Mourgue, 1937
Courtesy hprints.com

Schiaparelli hats, circa late 1930's

Perhaps none more unusual than Schiaparelli's iconic shoe hat featured in her Fall/Winter 1937-38 Collection.

Hat from Hattie Carnegie, 1944
Photo courtesy fredandgingervintage.blogspot.com

High tricorn hat from Laddie Northridge
Circa 1945
Photo courtesy liliesandremains.blogspot.com

Vintage Hats: Late 1930's - mid 1940's

Rilla Marie Hat, Madison Ave., NY

Katz Exclusive Millinery, Chicago, IL

All hats are from my personal collection.  Mannequin from Decoeyes.

Vintage Design: French Hats, 1937 - 1942

Hats by Suzy (L) & Louise Bourban (R), circa 1937
Illustration by Andre Dignimont

Rose Descat Hat, circa 1937
Illustration by Eduardo Benito

Hats by Suzy (L) & Agnes (R), circa 1939
Illustration by Carl "Eric" Erickson

Rose Valois Hat, circa 1939
Photo by Georges Saad

Louise Bourban Hat, circa 1940
Illustration by Schompre

Hats by Suzy, circa 1940
Illustration by Christian Berard

Caroline Reboux Hat, circa 1940
Photo by Andre Durst

Madame le Monnier Hat, circa 1941
Illustration by Leon Benigni

Hats by Agnes, Sygur, Colombier, Paulette, Suzy, Orcel, circa 1942
Illustration by Eduardo Benito

Source:  HPrints  This site is a treasure trove of vintage French advertisements and fashion illustrations from various French periodicals that date from 1900 to the 1990's.  These are all original prints available to purchase at reasonable prices and their inventory is updated frequently. Vintage prints are a great way to decorate home offices, doll or sewing rooms, guest bedrooms or bathrooms. I have added this link to my Vintage Design and Inspiration page above.  Enjoy!

Spring Hats by Suzy, 1936

Illustration by Rene Bouet-Willaumez (RBW) for Vogue, 1936

An Unusual Beret of the 1930's

Illustration by Pierre Pages for French Vogue, 1936

Berets of the mid 1930's were not your typical style.  They were often twisted, folded, and angled as illustrated by this Louise Bourbon black felt beret with a whisper of fine veiling over the eyes.  Gene Marshall fans will note the fabulous black and white striped sleeves reminiscent of Miss Marshall's 2007 Rare Deal Convention outfit called "Dangerous Curves".

Source:  Hats in Vogue by Christina Probert

Cavalry Plumed Hat by Agnes, 1935

Photo by Horst for British Vogue

RBW Fashion Illustration, late 1930's

Illustration by Rene Bouet-Willaumez (RBW)
The Guiness Guide to 20th Century Fashion by David Bond

Spring Forecast, 1939

Illustration by RBW for Vogue

Fabulous flared afternoon jacket over a slim skirt accompanied by a felt topper with masque veil and feather.  By Hattie Carnegie.

Illustration by RBW for Vogue

Two classic suits featuring high revers and hidden closures over plumb-straight skirts.  Suit on the right by Creed.  Hats by Descat.

Illustration by Eric for Vogue

Left:  Chanel velvet dinner dress accented with fabulous diamond stars.  Velvet hat with ostrich by Schiaparelli.  Right:  Lanvin quilted satin coat and muff, Reboux purple velvet hat with a fall of ostrich.

Illustration by Eric for Vogue

Hats to dramatize dinner costumes.  Left:  Turquoise and black plumed velvet pillbox by Suzy.  Molyneux crepe dress with turquoise bow.  Right:  A pyramid of orchids on a cap by Reboux.  Mainbocher lame dress and fox-trimmed cape.

Source:  February 15, 1939 issue of Vogue

Eight Dramatic Paris Hats, 1936

High Drama Out of Paris....Marlene Dietrich purchased eight dramatic hats recently in Paris.



Hats by Agnes

Top left:  Blue and red suede hat with a cascade of blue feathers and a suede scarf to match.
Top right:  Black felt hat with red and blue suede and misted feathers.
Bottom left:  Wine-red suede hat with rolled brim jutting forward from a peaked crown.  A red feather quill streaks up one side.
Bottom right:  Fantastic black suede hat with the crown tweaked to a point and a tassel of fringe so long it may be looped around like a scarf.

Hats by Reboux

Left:  Cone shaped hat of wine felt with a woolen cord, and a dramatic wine dotted tie-silk scarf.
Right:  Peaked hat of alternating stripes of dull and shiny felt.



Hats by Reboux

Left:  Flower-pot hat of white and black felt with matching velvet scarf.
Right:  Amusing horn-like hat of furry purple felt with a silk scarf, combining pale and royal blue with purple.

Marlene Dietrich wears these hats with simple clothes - for a clever woman never goes dramatic in all directions at once.

                                                                                       
Source:   November 15, 1936 issue of Vogue magazine

Hat and Glove Sets

From French magazine, Plaisir de France, 1930's

Early 1940's knitted topper with coordinating gloves

Fabulous 1940's halo hat with matching gauntlet gloves
from Parisian milliner, Caroline Reboux

In the 1940's, you could make your own matching hat
and gloves from this Hollywood pattern. 
Photo courtesy of So Vintage Patterns

Silver Fox toque & matching gauntlets accent a
Nettie Rosenstein wool dress.  From Vogue, 1943.

Fall Forecast 1938

Click photo to enlarge

Suzy's new slant on hats for Fall.  Smaller shapes perched smack over the forehead.  One is of draped velvet, the other of felt and wings.  Fox jackets by Paquin.  Illustration from Vogue, August 1, 1938.

Tilt Hats, Part 1

Tilt hats were seen in the late thirties often with a high crown and were designed to be worn either at an angle or perched toward the front of the head.  The early 40's saw tilt hats that were smaller in size and were referred to as "toy tilt hats".  Many had a "bandeau" or strap attached to the back of the hat to help secure it to the head.  Decorations ranged from a simple grosgrain band or single feather to the extreme with flowers, feathers, birds, fruit, and veiling.

This fabulous photo by George Platt Lynes appeared in the 1938 Vogue Autumn Forecast issue for furs and hats.  The wonderful lynx fur coat was from the fur salon at Marshall Field & Company, Chicago.  The marvelous Dache hat from the French Room.

This Rose Valois' topper of red felt banded with wide black grosgrain fashioned into a bow in the front was featured in a fashion spread called "Straightforward Paris Hats" from the 1939 Vogue Autumn Forecast issue for furs and hats. Photo by Horst.

A Suzy black felt with a satin ribbon snood accented with Mauboussin jewels. From "Straightforward Paris Hats", Vogue 1939 Autumn Forecast issue.  Photo by Horst.

I found this wonderful 1940's grey felt topper at a local thrift store. I love those tall, dramatic feathers. From my personal collection.

This red leather 1940's topper is labeled "Sunnycrest Original".  From my personal collection.

This late thirties OOAK topper was inspired by a hat worn by the villainess in a Sherlock Holmes film called "Dressed To Kill".

I made this tilt hat to go with Tonner's Brenda Starr, "Reporter In Red" suit. The bird and red veiling are vintage pieces.

One of my favorite Ashton Drake dolls, Top This Madra Lord. I did tweek the topper by removing the original veil and added the bird and vintage veiling. Fur by Dimithia.

Stay tuned for Part 2, More Tilt Hats. For your viewing enjoyment, be sure to click on the pictures to enlarge.