Auto bonnets were popular in the first few decades of the early 1900s. Most were large-brimmed hats with a chiffon, net, or tulle scarf attached. The scarf covers the hat and ties under the wearer’s chin. Auto bonnets were worn to protect the wearer from dust and other road debris in open automobiles. Written by TheVintageFashionGuild
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The Balaclava (or balaklava), aka Balaclava helmet, helmet liner (military), or ski mask, is a cloth headpiece that covers the entire head, neck, and nape leaving only the face, or parts of the face, exposed. According to Richard Rutt’s History of Handknitting, the first recorded use of the term “Balaclava helmet” did not appear until 1881 even though its origin is the Crimean War of 1853 to 1856. Balaclavas were made for soldiers to help
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The bandeau is a narrow band of ribbon, velvet, or even celluloid, worn around the head. It can be completely plain, or elaborately decorated with sequins, feathers, glass beads or embroidery. Bandeaux (or bandeaus) were popular with flappers in the 1920s and hippies in the 1960s. Written by TheVintageFashionGuild
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Bashes (creases) are dents intentionally made in the upper crown of a hat. These features are most noticeable on fedoras, trilbies, and cowboy hats. Some of the most common bash shapes are the center dent, the diamond shape, the teardrop, the cattleman, and the telescope. Written by TheVintageFashionGuild See Also: Pinch
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Modern bathing (or swimming) caps have been around since rubber was invented in 1883. The invention of latex in the 1920s helped make the caps more pliable, and as swimming became popular as a sport, caps were worn by more and more people. Plain caps were worn for swimming and fancy caps became a fashion accessory. A 1919 Kleinert Rubber Co. ad shows fanciful styles in caps, turbans, and bonnets, called “Millinery for Mermaids.” Production
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A beach hat or sun hat is worn to protect the wearer’s head, face, and neck from the sun. It typically has a shaped crown and larger brim, and is made of straw, cotton, or lightweight materials. Written by TheVintageFashionGuild
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Beanies are small brimless caps, a type of skullcap, worn tightly on the head. Seamed beanies are constructed from fabric or leather triangles and may be topped with a button or a pom-pom. The name “beanie” may be derived from the slang term for head – bean. They can be made from contrasting colors and this type of beanie was often worn by fraternities or other school groups to show off their “school colors”. Another
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The Beehive hat is a variation of the pillbox hat. Created in the 1960s, it was named for its shape, as was the popular high-rise hairstyle of the time. Always brimless, the beehive hat fits to the head as a pillbox would, but rises high, sometimes into a rounded point, sometimes more flat. Beehive hats came in a wide variety of materials. Written by AlleyCatsVintage
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The beret is a brimless hat with a tight headband and a soft, flat, round crown. It is traditionally made of a tightly woven wool or wool felt and may be worn in a variety of ways, most notably with the crown drooping to one side. A favorite topper of intellectuals, artists, poets, jazz and bebop musicians, and the Beatniks, the beret has ancient roots but became more widely worn in 19th century France and
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Boater (Sennit, Skimmer, Sailor): The boater hat is made of stiff sennit straw (flat, braided cordage) and has a flat top, a shallow, oval crown, and a flat brim. The crown of the hat is usually decorated with a grosgrain ribbon of black or university stripe with a flattened bow. As you might expect, the boater hat takes its name from its initial association with the sport of boating and, because of this, it was
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A bonnet is a type of hat that is worn over the top of head and held in place by ribbons tied under the chin. Bonnets can be very elaborate and highly decorative when adorned with flowers, fur, feathers, and assorted trims; or can be very simple and plain, made of pierced cloth or lace. Written by TheVintageFashionGuild See Also: Auto Bonnet , Easter Bonnet , Fanchon – Fanchon Bonnet – Fanchon Hat , Poke
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A Boudoir Cap (Lingerie Cap, Morning Cap) is a flat bandeau cap usually made of satin, lace, and ribbon. They were very popular in the 1920s and were often made at home from kits. Traditionally, a nightcap was a piece of cloth worn while sleeping to keep the head warm. Women typically wore rounded, brimless versions while men wore a more pointy crown style. They evolved to become more fashionable and were no longer used
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The bound edge of a hat is the outer edge of the brim, usually covered with a finishing ribbon or decorative trim. Written by TheVintageFashionGuild
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The bowler or derby hat is generally made of a hard, dark felt – usually black or brown – but can also be made of stiff fur. The basic style features a bowl-shaped crown and a short circular brim with a slight curl. While the color and materials vary little, there are variations to the shapes and styles of the bowler, including the young men’s lower-crowned derby, the ventilated ‘Dunlap,’ and the flat-topped derby which
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The Breton became popular with the 1960s mod look. It features a low crown, fitted to the head, with a wide, upturned brim. It is worn toward the back of the head. Breton hats can be crafted from many different fabrics that hold their shape. They tend to have few embellishments. This style was brought to popularity by actress Marlo Thomas in the 1960s hit TV show That Girl. Written by AlleyCatsVintage
Bridal hats are typically small and most often white or cream. They are similar to a fascinator, but intended specifically for weddings. Bridal hats often have an attached veil, decorative netting, or tulle, and are sometimes decorated with feathers, pearls, rhinestones, or crystals. Bridal headpieces are any decorative accessory that covers or is attached to the bride’s hair. This could be an ornate antique hair comb, a crystal tiara, fresh flowers with a veil attached,
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The brim is the portion of the hat that projects out around the crown and if large enough, shades the face. A brim can be very wide as on sun hats or very narrow as on most pork pie hats. It can be rolled as on a breton hat, sculpted and firm as on a derby, or unstructured and loose as on a floppy hat. Written by TheVintageFashionGuild
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Bubble Hat – Description to come.
The classic bucket hat is also known as an Irish country hat. It features a flattish or slightly rounded crown and a sloping, wider brim. They were originally made of cotton fabrics such as canvas, and of wool or tweed (the lanolin in the sheep’s wool made them waterproof). They became popular for country life and outdoor sports such as fishing or hiking. In the 1960s the bucket hat became part of the mainstream, introduced
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The calot (French for cap) hat originated in 16th century France as a Juliet cap, named after Shakespeare’s character. Juliet caps were small, openwork styles and were usually lavishly embellished. The calot, a 20th century revival of the Juliet cap, typically has a round crown and no brim and fits closely to the head, off the wearer’s face. The style became quite popular with European royals as a daytime hat. Juliet caps were and still
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