Another 1950s Half Hat

The previous little 1950s hat in cherry-red velvet was the product of a millinery class and doesn't display as much of my personal style as the ones I have made (and am currently making) in a similar style since.

Like this one! Using the same lovely rich red velvet, this time the foundation shape is a bit more curly. I wanted to keep using veiling, but play with it in a different way.

I've overlayed the veil over the main hat body, and also added a thin band of veil, like the one featured in an Australian Women's Weekly photo from my post on millinery trends at the start of the 1950s.

The other trim I added is a twist of beads along the front edge. This is actually a second-hand bead necklace that I twisted and twisted into a tight rope.

If you follow me on Instagram, you would have seen this in progress, when I was still trying to decide on the trims. I thought I wanted to add more to it, but once I saw it on a real person, I knew I was happy with it the way it is.

This kind of hat - very small, fitted to the head, usually without large trims, but usually with veil - was very popular in the 1950s. You see a lot of images of these around, but I've seen them called a few different things - demi hats, half hats, cracked egg hats, skull-cap hats. They are often described in sales listings as cocktail hats or fascinators because they are small, and often have an "evening" feel to them, but there are also many "daytime" looks. There are a lot on my 1950s Pinterest board, among a range of fifties hat images, and JudithM Millinery has a board dedicated specifically to "Half Hats and Cracked Egg Hats" that is worth checking out as well.

I know a lot of vintage fashion lovers have some amazing hair-styling skills, and a great thing about these hats is that you can still show off lots of styled hair. They suit having some fun curls at the front then more at the back below the hats, but also go well with simple and understated hair.

They are fun to make because it can be all about the trim, and suit a huge range of trim types, including (but definitely not limited to) flowers, beading, ribbons, bows, drapes and pleats of fabric and feathers.

In other news, I'm very excited to be currently preparing my first giveaway, which is going to be starting next week! So make sure you check back for that. It's going to be fun.