Vigo County Historical Society

Many say ‘hats off’ to Edythe Ross for setting the style

Prior to the 1970s, no woman’s outfit was complete without a hat. For many Wabash Valley women, achieving that complete look depended on Edythe Ross of Edythe and Marie Hat Shop.

Even as a small child, Ross would rather sew that play. As soon as her mother left the house, she was busy on the sewing machine.

After grade school, Ross served an apprenticeship with Margaret Ann Kintz, who had a millinery shop in the Deming Hotel building.

In 1942, after working for several milliners, Ross and Marie Voges opened their own shop in the Indiana Theatre building. There were then 10 millinery shops in Terre Haute. They later moved to 125 S. Seventh St.

Voges died in 1975 and Ross continued on her own. Every spring, she went to New York to buy designer hats for the shop and see the latest trends. But when it came to creating or remaking hats, Ross was in her element.

Using the hem from a customer’s coat or suit, this talented milliner put together a matching hat. Many Terre Haute brides walked down the aisle wearing a veil made by Ross. In fact, the entire wedding party was often coifed by her.

Ross’ favorite hats were the cloche and the wrapped turban. Fur hats were another of her specialties. The most ordinary chapeau took on a new look when Ross added flowers, egrets, decorative headbands, pins or feathers.

In the early days of her millinery career, obtaining feathers presented a challenge. Ross had to obtain a pheasant, soak it in salt water and actually pluck the feathers.

Feeling the pressure of the hatless trend, the Edythe and Marie Hat Shop closed in 1979. In an interview that year with Carolyn Toops for the Terre Haute Tribune, Ross said, "Millinery is a lost art and a lost trade." There were no more millinery shops in town.

Ross lived about 10 blocks from her shop. She usually walked to and from work, always carrying a hatbox filled with projects she took home and always wearing a hat.

When she died on March 12, 1999, at age 100 she was shown wearing what else but a fur hat.

Ross was in her 20s in the picture shown. Of course, she is wearing a hat. A collection of her hat-making materials was given to the Vigo County Historical Society by her niece, Mary Beth Bray, and are part of the Vigo County Historical Museum’s exhibit, "Topping it Off."