Heavenly Hats for Winter 1940-41

Two guaranteed to put stars in your eyes....an off-the-face silhouette in beaver (top) and a manipulated ruffled brim in velour. Both from Luxor Hat Co., New York.

A marvelous tilt topper with dramatic side feather from Alfreda, New York.

A charming little tilt from Vogue Hats by Garfunkel, New York.

Source:  The Millinery Monitor, October 1940.

Hats for the Zodiac

The prediction is important sales figures for these marvelous Moonglow felts from Salfair, Inc., New York. They were available in Black, Brown, Wine, Gold, Vernon Green, Soldier Blue, Plum, and Red. Here are four styles that were featured in the October 1940 issue of the Millinery Monitor, a trade publication devoted solely to ideas for the sale of millinery.

Style # 267 - Virgo

Style # 264 - Libra

Style # 260 - Sagittarius

Style # 257 - Capricorn

Getting a Head Start on Fall

Joan Crawford

Starred for fall success, Miss Crawford tops her travel suit with a dashing asymmetric wool felt charmer from The Couture Touch. The unusual-shaped, high crown is accented with a magnificent spray of feathers tucked into a grosgrain band. Circa 1940.

Joan Crawford

"Arrival at Port" grey wool suit with "fur" sleeve detailing is from Robert Tonner's Brenda Starr Collection. Gloves are from Debora West. Cigarette holder is from Mystyna. Awards Night Joan Crawford is from Robert Tonner for the 2009 Hollywood Ahoy/Sandra Stillwell convention.

Here are three more perfectly tailored toppers for 1940....

Mrs Blackburne at the Australian Doomben race meeting, 1940.
Photo courtesy en.wikipedia.org

August 1940
Photo courtesy archive.org

March 1940
Photo courtesy ravelry.com

Madra Lord's New Hat

Madra Lord

Miss Lord tops her sharply tailored 1940's ensemble with a spicy new hat to flatter even the most discriminating diva. Inspired by an illustration from a German pattern book, the small brimmed, felt hat features a high open crown to accommodate a marvelous feather spray. Silk tweed jerkin, hat, and color-blocked suede guantlet gloves are from The Couture Touch. Pinstriped shirt is from Robert Tonner's Brenda Starr Collection. Black skirt is from Sandra Stillwell, and the clutch is from Madame Alexander. The restyled "Siren in the Night" Madra Lord, enhanced with an Integrity articulated body, is from Ashton Drake.

Illustration from "Der Goldene Schnitt",
 1940/41.

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: 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.

The Robin Hood Hat: An Adventure in Style

Photo courtesy eonline.com

You know the story. Outlaw bandit that steals from the rich to give to the poor. Robin Hood, the late-Medieval English folk hero, was immortalized by Errol Flynn in the 1938 film "The Adventures of Robin Hood".  The iconic hat worn by Robin Hood is distinguished by a peaked crown and triangular line that slants toward the face. It features a small, upturned brim and feather detailing. Versions of this style began appearing in women's fashions as early as 1935. Its sporty, masculine style was the perfect complement to the tailored daytime suits and coats of the era.

Christian Berard illustration of a Schiaparelli design featured at Bonwit Teller, circa 1935.

Black felt with a dramatic red feather, from the author's personal collection.

Victoire Roux wears an exaggerated version of the Robin Hood style hat.
OOAK ensemble from The Couture Touch.

Hat by Rose Valois, featured in August 1938 L'Officiel
Photo courtesy madeleinemiranda.com

Crochet your own Robin Hood style, circa 1935.
Photo courtesy thefind.com

"Through These Portals".....

Pass the Most Beautiful Hats in the World for 1940.

Clockwise from top: Rolled brim tilt silhouette from Vogue, unusual shaped jersey turban from Harryson, off-the-face "widow's peak" silhouette with a sweep of veiling from Milgrim, floral tilt from Dave Herstein, Hungarian peasant turban with banding from Helen-Liebert.

Clockwise from top right: Felt sailor from G. Howard Hodge, half-hat with ostrich pompoms and harem veil from Alfreda, Pierrot crown tilt with dramatic veiling from Woodmere, Persian lamb trimmed felt pillbox with ostrich feathers from Milgrim.

From The Millinery Monitor, October 1940.