THE HISTORY AND EVOLUTION OF THE CLASSIC CLOCHE

THE HISTORY AND EVOLUTION OF THE CLASSIC CLOCHE

AFTER THE TURN OF THE CENTURY, MILLINERY FASHION EVOLVED DRAMATICALLY, AS DID HEMLINES, SILHOUETTES, AND HAIRSTYLES.

TRUE TO THE ADAGE THAT "FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION"

THE DESIGN AND SHAPES OF HATS FOLLOWED THE CUT OF WOMAN'S HAIRSTYLES.

FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE 1700'S A HAIRDO CALLED THE APOLLO'S KNOT, WHICH WAS A 'DO THAT PULLED THE HAIR UP INTO A TIGHT AND QUITE HIGH KNOT THAT SAT ON TOP OF THE HEAD.  RINGLETTES OF CURLS USUALLY FRAMED THE FORHEAD.

THIS HAIRSTYLE NECESSITATED AN ACCOMODATING HAT THAT DID NOT MUSS THE KNOT.  THE POKE BONNET WAS THE ANSWER, WITH A VERY HIGH AND NEARLY VERTICLE CROWN, USUALLY IN ITALIAN LEGHORN STRAW FOR SUMMER, AND WOOL AND SILK FOR WINTER. THE BRIM ALSO STOOD NEARLY VERTICAL SO AS NOT TO BLOCK THE WEARERS VIEW.

LARGE BRIMS STILL RETAINED THEIR POPULARITY THROUGHOUT THE VICTORIAN AND EDWARDIAN ERAS, WHICH PAID HOMAGE TO THE "REMBRANDT" HAT.  THIS GORGEOUS HAT WAS OFTEN HEAVILY LADEN WITH PLUMAGE, AND COULD BE AS WIDE AS 2.5 FEET IN DIAMETER.

BY THE TURN OF THE CENTURY, AND WITH THE EXCITING TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT OF SILENT MOVIES,  FASHION NOW HAD A NEW SOURCE OF INSPIRATION.  THE "CAVALIER" HAT, WHICH WAS A BI-CORN, AND SOMETIMES A TR-CORN DESIGN, WAS MADE POPULAR BY THE HIT MOVIE OF 1921, "THE THREE MUSKETEERS" STARRING THE DASHING DOUGLAS FAIRBANKS.

BY 1915 THE ROLLED BACK BRIM WAS STILL DE RIGUER, AND MADE IT'S WAY ONTO THE EVOVLING CLOCHE.  AS THE TWENTIES PROGRESSED, AND HAIRSTYLES INCLUDED THE "BOB", AND THE "SHINGLE" CUTS, CLOCHE HATS BEGAN TO STREAMLINE AND RESEMBLE HELMETS.  THE SHORTEST BOBS OCCCURED BY 1927, THE YEAR THAT CHARLES LINDBERG MADE HIS DARING SOLO FLIGHT ACROSS THE ATLANTIC.  THE SUBSEQUENT STREAMLINED, ART-DECO STYLE THAT EVOLVED WAS KNOWN AS THE "LUCKY LINDY" CAP.  THE LUCKY LINDY CAP WENT THROUGH IT'S FAD WITH WINGS, MUCH  LIKE THE HEAD OF THE GREEK GOD OF MESSENGERS, MERCURY.  IT ALSO INCLUDED OUTRAGEOUS DETAILS LIKE FINS AND EVEN PROPELLERS!!  IMAGINE THAT HAT IN SILVER LAMEE'!!!

BY THE 1930'S THE DEPTH OF THE CLOCHE CROWN BEGAN TO GET MORE SHALLOW, ALLOWING FOR THE NEW PERMANANT WAVE HAIRDOS.  THE EARS AND CURLS NOW SHOWED OUT FROM UNDER THE HATS.  EARRINGS GAINED MORE IMPORTANCE AS A FASHION ACCESSORY. 

THE BRIM MADE IT'S WAY BACK FROM THE NEARLY BRIMLESS HELMETS OF THE LATE 20'S.  CLEVER PATTERNS WERE WORKED IN STRIPES AND STRAW WAS BEING "SCULTPED" INTO JAUNTY LITTLE STYLES THAT SAT FORWARD OF THE HAIRLINE. SEE  THE ACCOMPANYING PICTURES THAT ILLUSTRATE THESE, THAT I FOUND IN MY COLLECTION OF OLD HAPER'S BAZAAR MAGAZINES, FROM 1936-1941.

OF THE DESIGNERS MAKING THE MOST OF THE BURGEONING MILLINERY INDUSTRY, COCO CHANEL TOPPED THE LIST.  SHE WAS NOT, HOWEVER, WITHOUT VERY STIFF COMPETITION.  SHE HAD TO CONTEND WITH HER PARISIAN COUNTERPARTS LIKE  THE GREAT COUTURIERE' PAUL POIRET, JEAN PATOU, LUCILLE,  AND NONE OTHER THAN THE GENIOUS OF MADELINE VIONNET.  

IN MY ONGOING EFFORT TO CLARIFY THE MISCONCEPTION, A WORD ABOUT MME. VIONNET.  SHE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REVIVAL OF THE BIAS CUT IN HER CLOTHING DESIGNS, BUT IT WAS THE GENIOUS AND INNOVATIVE CHARLES FREDERICK WORTH WHO DISCOVERED AND INVENTED THE BIAS CUT IN AROUND THE 1850'S.  MORE ON MSR.'S HOUSE OF WORTH IN ANOTHER BLOG.  

FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT KNOW THE MEANING OF "BIAS CUT", IT IS SIMPLY THE DIAGONAL DIRECTION OF FABRIC, WHICH WHEN A GARMENT PATTERN IS PLACED AND CUT IN THAT DIRECTION, CAUSES THE FABRIC TO STRETCH AND DRAPE LIKE NOTHING ELSE.  THINK JEAN HARLOW IN A SLINKY, SECOND SKIN GOWN OF WHITE SILK CHARMEUSE!!

MME. GABRIELLE "COCO" CHANEL GOT HER START AS A MILLINER, AND LEARNED TO SEW LINGERIE IN A FRENCH ORPAHNAGE.  GROWING UP IN MEAN SURROUNDINGS, SHE HAD TO RELY ON HER CREATIVITY AND INGENUITY TO SURVIVE.  MORE ON MME. CHANEL IN A LATER BLOG.

FOR THE LATEST IN CLOCHES, PLEASE STOP BY WWW.ORSINIMEDICI1951.ETSY.COM FOR A SNEAK PEEK OF MY FALL '09 PREVIEW COLLECTION.

  HATS OFF TO YOU!!

    ELSIE COLLINS/THISTLE COTTAGE STUDIO