Creative Hands Newsletter for April 2003

Creative Hands
Ruby Lane's monthly newsletter celebrating the Arts & Crafts
community
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Welcome to Creative Hands!

IN THIS ISSUE:
o Victorian and Edwardian Hats for Re-Enactors by Darna Michie
o April Show Sampler
o Share Creative Hands With A Friend
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VICTORIAN AND EDWARDIAN HATS FOR RE-ENACTORS BY
DARNA MICHIE

"Re-enactment" is the rekindling of the past: cotillions, tea
parties, and civil war battles. The feature that all of these
events have in common is attention to detail; to "re-enact" it
is vital to be in full-dress for the event; hats are the
finishing touch. Knowing what style of hat was popular during a
specific period of time is important if your dress attire is to
be historically accurate. The following list will give you an
idea of what style of hat was worn during the Victorian and
Edwardian Eras.

The Victorian Era (1837-1901) began when Queen Victoria took the
throne in England. The styles that followed gave birth to a
fantastic hodgepodge of women's bonnets and hats. The bonnet was
the fashion statement of the 1840's; a refined straw base
adorned with tulle, ribbons, laces, artificial flowers, grapes,
fruits, leaves, small birds, feathers, and ostrich tips; it had
a "modesty" drape to cover the neck. Women who gardened or
lived in the countryside wore the wide brimmed Gipsy to protect
their face from the sun.

The 1850's saw the brim of the bonnet grow smaller allowing the
face and the hair to show. This particular style of hat began
its insurgence into society by being worn by young women of the
day, older women considered it to be unladylike and rather
"fast". By the late 1850's the riding hat was introduced and it
was fabulously adorned with exotic plumes and ribbons.

The 1860's also saw a change in the style of the bonnet; from
the round shape to the oval "spoon" bonnet and with the new
hairstyles, came the dainty bonnet that sat atop the bun. The
younger set craved even more daring styles: forward tilting
pillboxes and porkpies. On the seashore and in the countryside
the gipsy and the straw skimmer (wide brimmed flat hat held in
place by hatpins) remained the popular choice.

The 1870's began with the smaller hats of the 60's, but by the
end of the decade as hair styles changed so did the hat; a
scaled down version of the wide brimmed Gainsborough from the
18th century reappeared. The most common material used in hat
making had been straw, but now hats began being formed over wire
frames and covered with velvets, silks, and lace.

The 1880's saw the hat get bigger with higher crowns and a small
version of the top hat adorned with tulle became the popular
riding hat.

By the 1890's hats were more popular than bonnets and the trim
was wired to incredible heights, the more elaborate the better.
As women became more active, straw boaters and fedoras were
being worn for hiking, bicycling and tennis.

For beautiful Victorian and Edwardian era hats visit
Victorian Hats Darna's East Angel Harbor Shoppe.
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APRIL SHOW SAMPLER

Here's a list of upcoming shows around the U.S. featuring fine
art and handcrafted items:

Apr 30-May 11, 2003, Art and Craft Show, Beaver Valley Mall,
Monaca, PA

May 3-May 4, 2003, Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Arts & Crafts
Show, Historic Fernandina Beach, FL

May 10-11, 2003, Beaux Arts Spring Fair, Downtown Davenport,
Iowa

May 10-11, 2003, Fort Clifton Arts, Crafts & Music Festival,
Fort Clifton/Berberich Park, Colonial Heights, VA

May 16-17, 2003, Stone County Countryfest, Stone County
Fairgrounds, Wiggins, MS

May 23-25, 2003, Fleur de Lis Horticurtlural Festival,
Waterfront Park at Witherspoon, Louisville, KY