Snoodtember weekly theme: With a Hat

If you see a modern girl dressed in vintage style wearing a snood, you'll probably see it by itself, adorned with hair flowers or a simple bow. Back in the 1940s, you might just as often, or perhaps more often, have seen it worn with a hat, or as part of a hat. I don't know what was seen most on the everyday woman, but based on the magazine images, snoods with hats were in the majority!

"The newest thing in millinery is the largest possible snood draped from the smallest possible hat" (Examiner, 2 Feb 1940)

Sometimes the snood would look pretty much the same as the ones we are used to - a knit or crochet covering for the hair - just with a hat worn on top as well.

But the hat-accompanying snoods would also stretch our understanding of what a snood really is. Sometimes the look of a snood was created with some net or veiling that simply fell over the back of the hair, without actually enclosing it. Sometimes the snood might be what is holding the hat to the head, as a more decorative alternative to a simple elastic. These snoods might go over the hair, but not enclose all of it, perhaps leaving curls out at the bottom.

Let's get some inspiration from the archives.

From the Western Mail, 23 Jan 1941

Irene Dunne is the star in question, and she's wearing a black and white outfit, with a black straw hat and a snood made of her dress material.

From the Weekly Times, 10 Feb 1940

The article states that the snood help keep the tilted hat on firmly, as well as holding in the hair. Also, "The pill box, the tri-corn, the glengarry, the coachman hat and the sailor, all take kindly to the addition of a snood."

From the Sunday Mail, 7 Jul 1946

A bit of street-style photography from the forties, this straw hat with mesh snood was seen in the crowd at Wimbledon.

From The Sun, 11 Jan 1939

Two mesh snoods among these hat looks, making their appearance in the Autumn collection at David Jones.

From the Queensland Times, 27 Jan 1941

Suggestions for touching up last year's pillbox hat include adding a mesh snood that sticks out "provocatively". This snood is covering most of the hair, but notice the curls at the side.

From the Western Mail, 29 Feb 1940

Again, the pretty curls are out at the side of the head, but the rest of the hair is inside the snood.

From The Australian Women's Weekly, 4 May 1940

Here the snood is showing curls at the bottom, so while it would keep some hair in place, it is probably mostly serving to hold the hat in place. The hat, by the way, is in the shape of the ace of clubs, and I can't tell you just how fabulous I think that is.

From The Telegraph, 20 Jul 1940

This hat is described as having a snood, but as you can see, it looks more like a drape of veil giving a snood-like effect. Beautiful either way!

So, it's a bold look for modern times, but be brave and give it a try this week, the last week of Snoodtember. I think we can all agree the look is stunning!

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