Queen Victoria the hat style maven
Last week, on May 18, 2009, we had our “Victoria Day” birthday holiday except it was held on a regularly scheduled time of the month of May not actually on the good Queen’s actual birthday. Her actual birth date is May 24.
Queen Victoria had a long reign of nearly 64 years – the current record. She is always portrayed as the somewhat stern Grandmother of the British Empire but it was not always so. Did you know she was quite the hat fanatic in her younger years and was known as a style setter? I didn’t know until I was doing some research for this post. Just two days before she passed away an article was published in the New York Times (January 20, 1901) The heading in the article is great.
Queen Victoria’s Hats
Many Years Ago She Set the Fashion for a Shape Englishwomen Favor now
Here are some extracts.
The Queen’s hats were always bent down to the nape of the neck
The article observed that this was a style that had been copied into the late reign of Victoria and worn even by young women.
It was noted that, at the time of her early married life, hats were generally worn in the country or for travelling. If a lady wore a hat in town it was much commented upon.
The Queen changed all that by constantly wearing , when driving in the park, large shady hats, handsomely trimmed with lace and feathers. Of course she was joined in this practice by ladies in waiting at the Court.
The article is very interesting. It goes on to relate the story of a new riding hat invented by the Court Hatter around 1850. Victoria ordered several at a time!
There is a great site I found with over 200 images from Victoria’s reign. My favorites are
11,13,27,30,38,48,87,106,160,236. Please check them out
You can read about Queen Victoria in a Wikipedia article referenced here.
Please all you celebrities and Royalty out there wear hats. Michelle and Barack please note.
We need a hat revival now to cheer everyone up and think of all the jobs making the hats, designing them etc.
