Happy New Year!

Harper's Bazaar, 1957
Photo courtesy La Vie en Chocolat

Whimsical Christmas Hats

Tis the season for accessorizing your wardrobe with fun and whimsical hats. Here are a few gems sure to put a smile on even a tempestuous miniature Hollywood diva's face.

An unusual shaped wool knitted hat with matching sweater perfect for Holiday outdoor fun.
Bestway knitted pattern photo courtesy fab40s.co.uk

A festive snowflake cocktail hat courtesy wanelo.com

A fabulous red and green jersey turban, circa 1942.
Photo courtesy Baubles by Betty on Pinterest.

Vintage Pepsi ad courtesy retrorover-vintagedogs.blogspot.com

This marvelous felt mistletoe veiled Christmas hat is by Tanith Rowan Designs.

Monolithic's diva extraordinaire Miss Madra Lord poses for a studio publicity photo
wearing a delightful Christmas hat by The Couture Touch.

Have a Merry Christmas!

Madcap Millinery

Elsa Schiaparelli wearing her "mad cap" design.
Photo courtesy christies.com

In 1930, Elsa Schiaparelli designed a head-hugging "mad cap" which was wildly popular well into the late 1930's. It was a simple knitted cap with distinctive pointed ends that could easily be pulled into any shape. The style was copied in all types of fabric and was extremely versatile. It could be dressed up by adding rhinestone pins or buttons, yet it was the perfect complement to daytime suits and dresses.

Katherine Hepburn in a "mad cap". Photo by Ernest Bachrach.
Courtesy katethegreatnet.proboards.com

The "mad cap" was so easy and economical to make that instructions were included in the Home Arts - Needlecraft Magazine in 1936. "Cut a piece of fabric 10 inches by 22 inches (or whatever your head measurement is) plus a 1 1/2 inch seam allowance. Fold in half crosswise. Sew up one side and one end [creating a pocket]. Finish the open end with a strip of grosgrain ribbon. Turn this under and hemstitch in place. Place on the head, having the seam run front to back, or side to side. Pleat, drape, or twist whatever way most becoming. Pin and stitch in place."

The "mad cap" worn with the seam running side to side.
Photo courtesy Dorothea's Closet Vintage

"Mad Cap" Diagram courtesy artdecosociety.org

Singer/actress Violet Waters shows four ways to wear a "mad cap" as interpreted by The Couture Touch. A "pocket" of bias-cut, vintage silk is fashioned into pure sophistication with a touch of whimsy.

Credits:
Sunset Serenade Violet Waters (newly coiffed) is from Integrity. She is wearing an Ashton Drake recreation of a Marsha Hunt costume worn in the 1936 film Easy To Take from the 2004 Annual Gene Marshall Convention in Hollywood.

Sources:
Collectible Fashions of the Turbulent 1930's by Ellie Laubner.

The Art Deco Society of California

1940's Style Sculptural Wool Felt Hat for Gene Marshall

An easy DIY project.

Gene Marshall

Madra Lord

These sculptural winged toppers are fashioned from two simple geometric shapes: a circle and a triangle. They are made from wool felt, one of the most commonly used material in the millinery industry. Wool felt can be blocked, steamed, and stretched in any direction; and it retains it's shape beautifully. 

Here's what you will need:

Wool felt  [See the end of this tutorial for resources]

Scissors

Sewing needle and matching thread

Dressmaker chalk or other marking tool

Emery board

Ruler or tape measure

A glass or other round object for tracing a circle

Assorted trims

Glue (optional)

For the base of the hat, trace a 2 1/2" diameter circle on wool felt and cut out. Cut out a 1/2" wedge as shown. The decorative wings are formed from a 3" triangle. To give the wings a sculptural look, cut along the cutting lines as shown above. To mark the curve, you can either eye-ball it or measure in approximately 5/8 - 3/4" on the diagonal side of the triangle. Draw the curve cutting line with a marking tool. Trim off the excess felt. Make a cut to the point of the triangle leaving 1/4". Soften all cut edges of the felt by lightly sanding them with the finer side of an emery board. Note: If desired, you can adjust the size of your hat depending on the hairstyle or the size of the doll.

Overlap the circle 1/4" and off set the edge 1/8 - 1/4" as indicated by the arrow above. Hand stitch in place. This creates a little bump in the center of the circle which helps shape the base of the hat.  For the wings, twist the triangle shape 3 times and tack in the middle with a needle and thread to secure.

Place the wings over the overlapped portion of the circle and tack in place. Now you can decorate your hat as desired. For Gene's hat, I cut a second pair of wings from charcoal felt for contrast. The 1/2" wedge cut out from the circle was layered on top and beading was added. Madra's hat is decorated with feathers, berries, and beading. The hats are attached to the hairdo with hatpins. You can make your own decorative hatpins using corsage pins or extra-long dressmaker pins and add various beads.

Here is an easy, whimsical cocktail hat variation for Miss Marshall:

Gene Marshall

Cut out a 2 1/2" diameter circle in wool felt. Cut out a 1/2" wedge. Fold up one side of the circle keeping the outer edge even as shown in fig.1. Make a tiny snip with scissors as indicated by the arrow. 

Pull the opposite side of the circle through the slit. This will provide shaping for your hat. Fig. 2 shows the top of the hat and fig.3 the underside. The secret is not to cut the slit too long. You will want the felt to fold as shown above. Decorate your hat as desired.

Miss Gene Marshall

Resources and Credits:

Wool felt is available from Edinburgh Imports.com  They offer an excellent weight felt for doll hats and it comes in a wide assortment of yummy colors. The felt can be purchased by the yard or by the piece. The piece size is 9 x 11 inches. Wool felt may also be available at some fabric and craft stores such as JoAnn Fabrics or Hobby Lobby. Be sure you purchase wool felt, not the synthetic craft felt.

Symphony in G Gene Marshall and Black Widow Madra Lord are from Ashton Drake.
Cocoa Crisp Gene Marshall is from Integrity.
White Orchid Gene Marshall is from JamieShow.

Felt Follies

Ivy Jordan

A witty and daring hat adds spice to a tailored ensemble. Actress turned director, Ivy Jordan, looks fashionably chic in a simply divine pumpkin felt hat worn with a tweed plastron and matching guantlet gloves, all from The Couture Touch. Black dress is from Madra Lord's "Dark Desire" costume by Ashton Drake.

A quartet of fabulous late 1930's, early 40's felt hats courtesy
justskirtsanddresses.blogspot.com

An unusual shaped hat with yummy trim, probably late 1930's.

Gene Marshall

Wine felt is molded and shaped into a delightful rose hat, accented with a band of black straw and miniature flowers. Worn with a great suit and fabulous fur, Miss Marshall is ready for late-afternoon cocktails with friends. Jacket and gloves are from Ashton Drake, fur and necklace is from miniature furrier PD Root.

Madra Lord

Miss Lord wears a molded green felt Art Deco inspired hat with marvelous wings and feather detailing for height. The charcoal grey dyed "Croquet, Anyone?" jacket/dress ensemble is from Ashton Drake. Fur from Integrity.


Credits:
Ivy "Vee J." Jordan and Cocoa Crisp Gene Marshall are from Integrity.
"Azure Elegance" Madra Lord is from Ashton Drake.
All OOAK wool felt hats are from The Couture Touch.

Imaginative Felts

"A hat must be a creation of realities and dreams and that it should be remembered with pleasure by those who see it."   Aage Thaarup's Theory of Millinery

Women's Fashion 1930 - 1939
Illustration courtesy allposters.com

The unusual shaped and often whimsical quality of women's hats during the late 1930's became a popular design feature of millinery during this turbulent time period. Italian born French designer Elsa Schiaparelli was most notably associated with the Surrealist Movement that sought to "liberate the imagination". She was a master at the technique of manipulating felt and other materials into delightfully stylish and sophisticated hats with a touch of humor.

Elsa Schiaparelli's "Hurricane Hat" from 1936.
Illustrated for Vogue by Eric. Photo courtesy antiquetrader.com

Miss Madra Lord

An asymmetric, rich forest green, wool felt hat with feather and beading detail is tailor made for Monolithic Studios' star Madra Lord by the milliners at The Couture Touch. Miss Lord's jacket, blouse, and gloves are from Ashton Drake, handbag from PD Root, and the ooak cigarette holder is from Mystyna. The luscious mink cape is from miniature furrier Dimitha. Dream Sequence Madra Lord is from Integrity.

Miss Gene Marshall

Gene Marshall captivates her fans in a chic, royal blue, wool felt, Deco-inspired hat from The Couture Touch. Miss Marshall knows the importance of choosing the right hat for her outfit. Fur-collared jacket and matching muff are from D.A.E. Originals' "Business Call" suit ensemble. Embroidered gloves are from Ashton Drake. Blue Belle Gene Marshall, enhanced with an articulated body from Integrity, is from Ashton Drake.

Not your typical felts. Intriguing new hats for 1939. Left: a cocoa-brown, forward-jutting beret from Schiaparelli.
Photo courtesy justskirtsanddresses.blogspot.com

Whimsical felt hat from Caroline Reboux, 1938.
Photo courtesy hprints.com

"In difficult times fashion is always outrageous."    Elsa Schiaparelli

Inspiration: Architectural Details

The Art Deco period of the 1930's inspired the milliners at The Couture Touch to design this chic felt cocktail hat exclusively for Monolithic Studios' resident jazz singer, Miss Violet Waters. Gown from Madame Alexander. Jewels from Ashton Drake. OOAK cigarette holder is from Mystyna.

Art Deco inspired cocktail hat 

Stunning Art Deco elevator doors from the Chrysler Building.
Photo courtesy g-buckley1215-dc.blogspot.com 

Miss Violet Waters

Credits:
Sunset Serenade Violet Waters is from Integrity.

Inspiration: Vintage Fashion Magazines

The creative process of a milliner often begins with a source of inspiration. When designing hats for the discriminating miniature divas of Monolithic Studios, I often refer to vintage European fashion magazines such as L'Officiel, L'Art et la Mode, La Femme Chic, Femina, and Modes et Travaux for inspiration. Here are just a few examples featuring some extraordinary hats from 1936 to 1948.

La Femme Chic, 1943

La Femme Chic, 1945

Femina, 1948

Annabelle, 1942

Italian fashion magazine, Dea, 1936

Modes et Travaux, 1944.
Photo courtesy fr.wikipedia.org

Modes et Travaux, 1943.
Photo courtesy vmcfashion.wordpress.com

All photos are courtesy hprints.com unless otherwise noted. CLICK HERE for more Vintage Design and Inspiration links from The Couture Touch.

Renoir Hat

Actress Ina Claire in a hat that Renoir might have put in one of his sunny canvases. A light green rough straw, crowned with huge roses and a lace veil. From Bergdorf Goodman. Illustration by Eric for Vogue 1941.

Actress Madra Lord is picture perfect in a luscious cocktail suit topped with a delightful floral hat from The Couture Touch. "City Sleeker" suit ensemble is from Integrity. Deep Rose Madra Lord is from Integrity's Stepping High Collection.