Tag Archives: hat

WEIRD EARLY 1930’S – 1940’S LADIES’ HATS

The late 1930’s, coming out of the Depression, and early 1940’s were very strange times for hats. Little bowlers with chin straps and straw hats looked almost like women had raided their grandfathers’ closets. After that, hats became really odd and sometimes frankly ugly, in my opinion. Later in the Forties some beautiful hats were worn but, let me tell you, the one’s I’ve seen that have survived have generally been pretty strange. I have a photo of a relative in 1940 who wore a hat along with her wedding suit that looked like a battleship sitting across her head.

Above, we have grandpa’s hats, plus a pretty picture hat and an early wartime model that looks like a cross between a tam-o-shanter and a French beret that have been parts of Naval uniforms. I’m not quite sure how it was meant to be worn.

Later versions with veils and flowers or feathers are softer and more stylish – looking more like what we saw in the Post-war late ’40’s and early 1950’s period. In the meantime mid-’40’s came the fedora styles for women, which are my favorite. Very wearable, versatile and almost universally flattering (and perfect for any undercover agent) but not as interesting.

But, all the pre- and post-WWII fashion trends ARE very interesting and I’ll continue to delve into them. Stay tuned for fabulous wartime Utility Suits and post-war skirt suits plus 3 Prom dresses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG: MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

TRUE VINTAGE STYLES FROM THE SEVENTIES

The 1970’s was far from a stellar fashion decade, as far as I’m concerned, but it did include several signature trends. Seventies does Forties, Boho/Prairie, polyester knit pantsuits and dresses (including men’s leisure suits), long pointy collars and animal prints were the predominant ones. The garments shown above are all from the early part of the decade. Psychedelic prints still showed up. Flower power still had a moment. Disco glitz was queen in the late 1970’s. Virtually everything was made of polyester fabric.

Carly Simon wore a hat similar to the one above on her first album cover in 1971 or 2 and it became instantly trendy. 1940’s styles, especially the tailoring details and medium-size shoulder pads, became really popular. Look at the trims on the short sleeved blouses. They are very ’40’s-looking. See the high waist and full legs on the slacks – women’s pants of the 1940’s were mostly made this way. An exception was Western-wear slacks, which tended to be slimmer.

The most-worn styles included platform shoes and jumpsuits in a big way. Military personnel and working women made jumpsuit uniforms visible during wartime and they became part of trendy fashion. The example above is from the early 1970’s. I have found and enjoyed wearing all of these designs. There are many photos in the files, but I can’t display them all at once. Some 1940’s styles popped up again in the 1980’s and I’ll show a few tomorrow. Stay tuned . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG: MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

TRUE VINTAGE 1960’S TRENDS IN DRESSES, HOUSEDRESSES & ACCESSORIES – TO THE START OF MOD

Casual cotton and cotton blend housedresses and model’s coats became really popular as styles started to become less traditional. Some of these dresses would even be seen at the grocery store or for other casual errands in warm weather. The shirtwaist dress was still around, of course, but was starting to take a back seat for everyday. The culotte mini/play-dress was also a new take on the 1940’s/’50’s romper. Casual designs like those shown above were still very well-made, generally, and had cute and pretty prints and tailoring elements.

Dresses with little matching jackets became very popular for everyday wear when a step up the dressy scale was called for – an important appointment, special event or church. The shoes, purses and hats are examples of those which might have been worn with dresses like this. The blue & green example above was home-sewn in the color combo that defined popular design in 1963. The prints on the two blue dresses in center are a harbinger of the MOD trend that was just about to erupt.

Stay tuned for a trip to the mid-1960’s tomorrow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG: MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

MORE TRUE VINTAGE HATS FOR MID-CENTURY ENSEMBLES

Aren’t these fun and beautiful! From the 1940’s to the early 1960’s, women would hardly leave the house without a hat. Straw, suede, velvet, synthetic mesh, wool felt and ribbon were all used frequently. Artificial flowers and real feathers were, too. The combinations and designs were almost limitless. Finding a hat that flattered you and accented your clothing was an epic quest.

Even though I’ve been told that numerous groundhogs predicted an early Spring this year (yay!), I’ll be leaving the Spring fashions for a bit while concentrating on some beloved and practical vintage wardrobe items that have kept women and men warm on frigid days like the one’s we’ve been living with. Stay tuned . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG: MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

POST-WAR THREE-SEASON SKIRT SUIT & HAT & PUMPS

Imagine my THRILL at discovering this never-worn ladies’ suit from the late 1940’s to early 1950’s! Perfect condition, tags still on. Love the wasp waist and strong shoulders. The white trim is so stylish and perfect for Spring, though the medium weight of the fabric makes it wearable on cool Summer and Fall days, too. This beautiful hat could have been made to match, but was found completely separately. How perfect is the color and little round white button and white stripe on the brim?! Although the pumps are not a perfect color match and were made in the 1960’s or 1970’s, I include them because the Spectator style was very popular during this pre- and post-war time frame and is a perfect part of this ensemble.

It’s wonderful when evidence fits together in this way. It’s certain that a hat, some kind of hat, would have been worn with this suit because of the era when it was sold. But, finding the PERFECT hat in this way is rare, though never impossible. That’s one of the things that make the one-and-only Magicvintagespy’s craft so wonderful and unique. More to come – stay tuned . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG: MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

True Vintage Hats: Another Stand-out Accessory That Belongs in Every True Vintage Wardrobe

In my book, the 1940’s through the 1960’s was the best era for ladies’ hats in the U.S. unless you’re into antiquities. Yes, every decade has had some great ones but most beautiful hats that are truly wearable come from the Mid-century. Here are some iconic examples from each of those decades: a Forties picture hat, Fifties toque & pillbox with veil and Sixties pastel cellophane/raffia hats.

Mainstream women from all three of these decades wore hats frequently, if not daily. (Classic films and old magazines are good documentation of this.) So, obviously, they were sold in every store which carried ladies’ fashions and most were affordable. Easy to wear, flattering and very collectable, so go for it. . . . . . and stay tuned . . . . . . . . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG: MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

A PRETTY MID-CENTURY ENSEMBLE FOR WARMER WEATHER

During the vetting process I found two bits of evidence that seem to go together well. The dress is an unfinished project which is no mystery as it was given to me by the mother of a friend, who was an exceptional tailor. She even passed on the original pattern, which could have sleeves or not. The best thing about this design is the interesting pockets. When finished, it would be a very smart day dress.

In which case, only a coordinating hat would do for a late 1950’s – early 1960’s ladies’ ensemble. Just right for a Spring or Summer day in the city.

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG: MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

A VERY DIFFERENT ACCESSORY FROM THE 1940’S – “EL RITA” PASTEL FEATHER HAT

What could be a better brand name for something this flamboyant? Next time I need a flamingo costume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OK, it IS pretty and definitely tells us that Spring has sprung. The El Rita label has apparently made hats (of various kinds) for many decades, but the elastic chin strap is always a good clue to the early mid-century or before.

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG: MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

BEAUTIFUL 1950’S – EARLY ’60’S FEATHER HAT

I love this gorgeous hat SO much. Although I wish that the feathers had stayed on the birds, it’s OK to forgive the cluelessness of vintage fashion manufacturers and customers as we work to see that the retail markets for furs, feathers and skins are ended forever. We can still enjoy the beauty of these antique pieces while they last. Faux fashions that are almost identical are now available and getting better all the time.

For women who love hats, the 1940’s through 1960’s were a real heyday. Hats can be so flattering! I’ll have more to show as I select others which I can bear to part with. The biggest issue about a collection is that they require so much room to store them properly. This one’s a little bitty an too small for me, so that makes it easier to let it go. Still, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

MORGANA MARTIN, THE MAGICVINTAGESPY

BLOG: MAGICVINTAGESPY.COM

FABULOUS FORTIES – FIFTIES HAT FIND