A fanchon is a flat, unstructured head covering with elongated, decorative side pieces resembling earlaps. They were worn atop the head and usually made of lace, with or without additional fabric such as linen or muslin, or of delicate, embroidered netting. They were typically triangular, diamond-shaped, or round.
The fanchon hat or bonnet is the same shape as a fanchon, but with more structure. It is a very small, often triangular or circular hat that sits atop the head and has ribbons at either side to tie beneath the chin.
Both were popular in the mid-Victorian era (mid-19th Century).
Written by BetterDressesVintage
See Also: Headkerchief – Head Scarf, Mantilla
1860 American silk fanchon
Courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
1865 French silk fanchon
Courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
1868 French silk fanchon
Courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
1880 American linen fanchon
Courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
late 1700s bobbin lace fanchon
Courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
mid 1800s Belgian linen fanchon
Courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
