Saturday, September 14, 2013

Object of the Day, Museum Edition: The Mrs. Church Hat, c. 1960




Straw Hat
Aage Thaarup
c. 1965
The Victoria & Albert Museum



Inspired by casual Victorian designs, this natural straw broad-brimmed hat is adorned with fabric poppies, cornflowers, daisies, and wheat stalks. The hat was made in the mid-to-late 1960s by the celebrated milliner Aage Thaarup (1906 - 1987).

The hat was once worn by one Mrs. Blair Cook whose sister Mrs. B. Church donated the hat to the V&A. A hat such as this was perfect for a warm day in country. When it was made, softer, more feminine styles were taking the place of the more severe looks which preceded it in the post-World War II years.







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