"and they would have some kind of a confection on their head"

Even though I like hats, I find it hard to name more than a handful of Milliners. While I hear "hats are back in" a lot,  I never hear very much in relation to the milliners or hat makers of the past who shaped this landscape.

I wanted to start collecting some Milliners here, looking back at what they made in order to cast a light on what we are wearing today.

(in no particular order) Part 1 - Bill Cunningham - Street style chronicler extrodinair.

Bill Cunningham is a Street Style photographer from New York, he was born around 1928, and has witnessed a major period of 20th century fashion both first hand and through his lens.  He, his photography, and his bicycle were the subjects of "Bill Cunningham New York" a documentary released in March 2011. His career seems to have taken some very interesting twists and turns, and he has photographed a lot of fashion people, capturing the spirit of which ever decade he was working in. My favorite discovery about him however, is that he started out as a milliner, and to save his family from embarrassment under the nom-de-plume "William J". Here are some images of his hats.

My favorites are the little spiral cocktail hat with fur pom pom ( according to Bill - to be worn with a drinking dress) and the Theda Bara inspired feathered turban. (below, Left)

There is a very lovely little film I found on the New York Times website about his hats. Quite uniquely the film has Bill's own commentary over it about the hats featured and his inspirations, which makes me like him and the hats even more.











If you'd like to watch the film, sit back relax and click here

Those Awful Hats

A precautionary tale about wearing bigs hats and getting on with your neighbors. Remarkably special, special effects for 1909.

Enjoy!

Dream Hat

There are multiple things I like about this
1) The striped fabric resembles the fabric of beds in fairy tale illustrations
2) The bow tie tye, gives it a, dress it up, dress it down, truly day-night feel
3) Being a lover of bicycle hats for their cosyness, the additional pillow must be heaven.

What a hat!

The hat is actually a "Pillowig" (another thing I  like - word joining) and it is by Artist Joo Youn Paek made in 2006 here is a link which gives a tiny little bit more information and some pictures of this wonderful, wonderful item.

http://itp.nyu.edu/~jyp243/jy/pillow.htm

Small rabbits maintain the friendship

My latest wonderful rabbit finds.

a) Lead animal located and purchased at Spitalfeilds market on a Thursday - the best day to go there in my opinion. He is tiny - 3cms from nose to tail. Strictly speaking, I think he is a Hare not a Rabbit.

b) Pierrots and a rabbit, I sense a new obsession. I love the ribbon details on her dress and hat; and as I always say "Les petits lapins entretiennent l'amitie"

C'est Magnifique!

Bravo Cycling Hat

Prada AW11.

A hat to forget the world in, to make outside noises float away, just enough to notice your inner dreams. 

60's style button and chin strap - comforting, cute and secure.

Bravo cyclying hat, I Look forward to seeing you soon. 


Photo credit:Gianni Pucci / GoRunway.com from style.com

In another corner of London

"Italian Style of the Silver Screen"  Curated by Rankin and Anna Battista and in association with Peroni (Oh what a private view that must have been!) aimed to showcase the beauty of fashion in Italian cinema. Highlighting the importance of costume within the mise en scene, and then tracing its continuing influence.

"Italian directors showed a greater attention to detailed costumes and saw them as essential elements to highlight particular actions and moments in a film: the cut, folds and fabric of a dress or suit had to be perfect to give the actors and impeccable image on screen." Anna Battista

Having had a brief affair with Italian cinema during my student days, it was nice to re look at the stills with a hatty eye.

Here are a few images:

81/2 1963 Federico Felini  Costume Design: Piero Gherardi

81/2 1963 Federico Felini Costume Design: Piero Gherardi

Ladri Di Biciclette / Bicycle Thieves 1948 Vittorio De Sica

Giulietta Degli Spiriti / Juliet of The Spirits 1965 Federico Fellini Costume Design: Piero Gherardi

Giulietta Degli Spiriti / Juliet of The Spirits 1965  Federico Fellini Costume Design: Piero Gherardi

Casablanca 1942 Michael Curtiz Costume Design: Orry-Kelly

Hats conveying atmosphere, drama, tension and beauty, all in a shockingly serene way.

This exhibition toured but sadly at the time of this post, has finished.

Afghan Crown

Gold crown found in a young woman's tomb at Tilya Tepe from the 1st century AD. 

It is wondrous, the flowers, the little dangling disks and cut out hearts. To make it even better, apparently it also folds up, as the treasures in this exhibition are from nomadic people who, amongst other things I am sure, had to consider how best to transport their crowns. What a moment it must have been when the wearer of this item would whip it out from her bag and put it upon her head; a better effect than the rolled up beanie that lives in my bag, i'm sure.

The exhibition is on at The British Museum it's called "Afghanistan: Crossroads of the Ancient World" and it has been extended until 17th July 2011. 

(according to The British Museum website you can also get a mug and a tea towel featuring the crown...while stocks last!)

For a close up view, and a look around the back, please watch this little film: 

<

Photo credit: from the British Museum website image credit National Museum of Afghanistan c. Thiery Olliver/Musee Guimet

Video credit: You Tube

And now, something not related to William and Catherine...

Video - Presto - Pixar

Think he just wants that carrot.

I especially like the posters, dressing room, and credits.

Thanks Victoria, or why Kate will probably be in white

With just one week to go until Will and Kate's Big day, I am most excited, predictably, about what she will be wearing (followed by what the female guests will be wearing esp. if there is a hint of bad taste amongst that crowd - what a delight!)


I think most are aware that we have Queen Victoria to credit with what we understand a wedding to be; wedding cakes, dresses and romantic love. Whilst rifling through twitter* I came across this post on why brides wear white. I think its really interesting and would recommend a read. Its from Imprint, it's called "The Bride Wore Chartreuse: Why (Most) Wedding Dresses are White" by Jude Stewart. (There is a link below)

Here is a tiny quote from it, a folk song which I would like to hear set to a banjo, or similar...

"Married in White, you have chosen right,
Married in Blue, your love will always be true,
Married in Pearl, you will live in a whirl,
Married in Brown, you’ll never live in town,
Married in Red, you will wish yourself dead,
Married in Yellow, ashamed of your fellow,
Married in Green, ashamed to be seen,
Married in Pink, your spirit will sink,
Married in Grey, you will go far away,
Married in Black, you will wish yourself back"


Please read more

Lapin aux Chapeau*

Consider the hat, a practical object to keep out the chills, to keep stray hairs from our food, to identify a stranger in a crowd as someone who can help. An object of adornment; to display our own level of sartorial sophistication, to stand out in the crowd or to blend in. A home, a place of work, a hidey-hole.

That is if you are a Rabbit.

Rabbits and hats seem to me to go together like port and Stilton, tea and cake, donkeys and carrots. They have a special relationship.

From the magician’s assistant to the very material of a hat, they are bound in a co-dependent relationship, which mostly goes unsung.

If anyone should consider themselves an expert on matters related “hat”, they would surely only benefit from a frank discussion with a rabbit. A rabbit would look at a hat with a much more culturally rounded view; whereas we might think “what would go with my outfit”, they might think “this would make an excellent home” “this one has a perfect ratio of hiding space to aesthetic appeal” “that one is a delightful whimsy” “the quality of that fur is remarkable”

The purpose of this blog is to consider the hat, in all its facets, to look back and forward, to investigate the milliners who inspired and who inspire now, to look at customs, ceremony, techniques, and possibly occasionally to look at their suitability as abodes.








*I can't speak French, I just like the way those words sound together. According to google translate "Lapin aux Chapeau" means "Rabbit Hat", which I quite like too, although it doesn't really make sense. In an ideal world I'd like it to mean "rabbits with hats", "rabbits in hats" or "rabbits and hats".

Please Remove Rabbit Before Handing In Hat.