Vigo County Historical Society

Colorful changes occur in women’s hats

Many interesting and colorful changes in fashions have occurred through the years, none more dramatic than in women’s hats.

During the late 1800s and early 1900s, women’s hats had high crowns, wide brims and were covered with flowers, feathers and even birds.

In the 1920s, the cloche came into vogue. This was a small hat that fit closely to the contours of the head and framed the face. It brings back memories of the Charleston, speakeasies, Clara Bow and the stock market crash of 1929.

An unwritten law in the ‘30s and ‘40s dictated women should wear hats whenever they went out. During the Depression years, when there wasn’t much money for clothes or anything else, women were still expected to wear hats, especially when they went shopping or to church.

The picture hat, with its wide brim, was worn for more formal occasions, such as weddings, afternoon teas and garden parties. Wide-brimmed hats were worn by fair-skinned women to shield themselves from the sun.

Some famous women were never seen without hats. Hedda Hopper, a movie gossip columnist in the ‘40s, always wore big hats with lots of decorations. Bella Abzug, a former congresswoman and feminist, was never photographed without her colorful hat.

Jackie Kennedy made the pillbox hat famous. She was wearing a pink suit and a pink pillbox hat in Dallas, Texas, on Nov. 22, 1963, the day her husband, the president, was assassinated.

Dress is more casual today and hats do not seem to be required, but as we enter a new millennium, who knows what changes will take place in fashions, including women’s hats.

The hats pictured here are part of the collection at the museum. The museum was closed during January and reopened this month with a display of hats of all colors and designs. The new exhibit is called "Topping it Off."

From 1 to 4 p.m. Feb. 13 will be a reception and a display of men’s, women’s and children’s hats worn through the decades. at 2 p.m. Marylee Hagan, museum director, will present the history of hats. So tell your friends. Don’t keep it under your hat.