Meaghan Armstrong
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In this article, I will use the terms woman, man, both sexes, lower, upper, and middle class. These terms are used to define these groups of people for clarity since there is not a current terminology to use to define these groups succinctly. I wish to state that using colonialist, patriarchal, white supremacist, classist, and generally puerile terminology is against my personal opinions, but here we are in societal transition. Vive la différence!
January 1901 saw the death of Queen Victoria and the end of the Victorian era. The first decade of the new century carried the new British king's name and the beginning of the Edwardian era introduced a new type of hat. Wider side to side with oversized crowns made to fit over the elaborate hairstyles favoured by women at the time. One of these was the pompadour hairstyle, which was so large, it was often supported by natural hair-covered wire frames or pads made of hair, necessitating the bigger crowns.
False hair was also sometimes added to achieve these voluminous hair styles. The large hats, called Gainsborough or picture hats, were enveloped in yards of filmy tulle and all manner of vegetation, creatures, and feathers were used to add stylish decoration.
The 'S' curve silhouette which was the desired feminine shape during the beginning half of the Edwardian era, gave the illusion of an S-shape from the side view by enhancing the bust and the rear. The effect was increased by the large hats and piled-up hair.
These hats complemented the flowing skirts that were narrow through to the knee and swirled around the feet like a trumpet flower serving to make the waist appear even more narrow. While these hats were the height of fashion but terribly impractical for the modern working girl. The Gainsborough hats were often mocked for looking more like cakes and other confections available to the upper class than the hats they were.
By 1903, enormous lace veils were added which covered the wearer to the shoulders on all sides. The hem was either left loose and flowing to brush the tops of the shoulders, or tucked neatly into the collar. This was the precursor to the lingerie hats of 1904.
The hats of 1904 also saw a slight narrowing of the brim and crown widths, but the height of the crown continued increasing until reaching its maximum in 1907.
Lingerie hats were introduced by the wealthy set to complement the decadent lingerie dresses that captured the hearts and imaginations of the fashion elite. Made out of impossibly fine cotton, these gossamer dresses contained yards of inset lace and layers of ruffles and tucks. Always made in white, ivory, or maybe ecru, to match the dress, the hats were wide, shallow, and positively swimming in veils of lace, bobbinet, and tulle. These outfits were signs of wealth, as the cost of such fine materials was high, and keeping the delicate white dresses laundered and clean of grass and mud stains from the ladies strolling through grass and gardens required the considerable time, skill and effort of hired help.
The trend shifted in 1907-1908 to softer hairstyles with center parts and hair fanned out over the ears. The bun was lower and softer so the hats again became wider to complement this more romantic hair.
There were other millinery styles happening at the same time as the enormous high fashion concoctions. Sporting was beginning to open up to women even more than in the prior decade and of course, hats were required for these endeavors.
Automobiling, as a leisure activity, was gaining popularity, and many women turned to hats designed to meet their needs while participating in the pastime of automobiling.
Sectional pancake-shaped berets resting on a flat halo brim became a common sight on golf courses, cycling paths, and roads. Long lace veils were now used to cover the hats and face, sometimes the upper chest, to protect the face from dust, bugs, and sun.
These berets were seem to have been the most popular hat for sports, but panamas, felt homburgs, and straw boaters were also seen.
The straw boater was popular for both sexes and the lower middle class during the summer months. It was considered to be casual wear for men of the upper class but a neat, modest, and affordable hat for women in the workforce - something that was relatively new in this decade.
The winter hat selection often mimicked summer hats but in heavier materials such as velvet and wool. The cold of winter also saw warmth as a necessary addendum to style, thus large berets of wool, velvet, and cut corduroy were common.
Fur hats, in a brimless style, were common for anyone who could afford them. Fur was much more common than today, and lower quality furs were available to lower-class people.
The Edwardian toque for all seasons was considered an excellent modest millinery choice for many, especially the mature woman. These hats were not the soft, knitted and pom-pom crowned hats of today, but large wire-framed hats with oversized crowns to accommodate the hair and upturned brims that hid or accentuated the crown. They were most often asymmetrical in some way and were covered in whichever fashion fabric was desired. Usually adorned with a light touch, their decoration was considered minimalist at that time. These hats would often match an outfit or overcoat, and were a popular choice for a travel outfit since the brim wasn't a hindrance in carriages, automobiles, or trains.
As with all things, wealth provided women with many hats and the opportunities to wear them. A clever and skilled woman of lesser means could change the decoration or covering fabric of her frame often to create the illusion of a larger wardrobe of millinery.
In 1908, Paul Poiret, the wealthy woman's avant-garde French designer, introduced the new narrow turban.
By this time, the fashions of dresses and skirts had narrowed slightly to complement the revived "Empire" or "Directoire" dresses with their higher waistlines. The turban complemented this slender silhouette, and as the evening wear narrowed, evening turbans became all the rage.
These turbans were bigger than what is considered a fashion turban today. The hair was still big and remained so throughout the decade. Poiret offered a sleeker style, much closer to the head with long feathers mounted center front. His designs were influential in later years but had less impact on the average woman in this decade.
Regardless of the economic status of the wearer, the large hat, decorated with as many flowers, feathers, fruit, and ribbons as one could afford remained popular well into the next decade.
The silhouette of the Edwardian era has not been significantly revisited in modern fashion and remains a style iconic of its time.
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