They may seem horrible to us, but feather fans with a cute dead hummingbird were a Victorian fashion for more than twenty years. Stuffed and wired into shape, the bird was posed stylishly, sometimes along with feather flowers or even insects. The fans weren’t the folding type, but the kind that was sometimes called a [more...]
A bonnet made of wood? Yes, the chip in 18th and 19th century chip bonnets and hats was actually made from thin strips of shaved wood. It was used by hat-makers in a similar way to braided straw, and so was sometimes called “chip straw” or “chip braid”. But it was still wood. It could [more...]
The Easter bonnet custom grew from the tradition that spring was a time for fresh clothing. There was a connection between new garments and Easter-time in many parts of Europe, going back for centuries. In the 1800s if a woman couldn’t afford a brand new outfit, a spring bonnet was a nice way to renew [more...]