Friday, October 21, 2011

Late Eighteenth Century Hats

The type worn by Marie-Antoinette and her contemporaries.
A popular hat throughout the 18th century was the Bergère Hat (French for shepherdess).  Made of straw with a shallow crown and flat brim, this hat was worn perched upon the head or with the brim folded back or turned down.  A wide ribbon tied in an easy but artful bow under the chin would keep it securely upon the head.  In the portraits below, both women are wearing this type of hat.  The lady on the left, from Brittany, has a wide brim and a veil attached.  An ostrich feather and flowers adorn the brim of the lady on the right, who happens to be the famous painter Elisabeth Vigee Lebrun. (Read entire post.)
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