Author Jeanine Larmoth describes a hat as, “… a shameless flatterer, calling attention to an escaping curl, a tawny braid; a sprinkling of freckles over a pert nose, directing the eye to what is most unique about a face. Its curves emphasize a shining pair of eyes, a lofty forehead; its deep brim accentuates the pale tint of a cheek, creates an aura of prettiness, and suggests a mystery that awakens curiosity in the onlooker.” Indeed. What better way for a photographer to draw the viewer’s gaze to the lovely face of a woman in a portrait than by having her head adorned with a wide-brimmed, ornately decorated hat?

Millinery fashion during the Edwardian Era (circa 1901-1914) mimicked the opulence of the British monarch for whom the era was named. Feathers and flowers, lace and tulle – almost everything but the kitchen sink was used to top off the head of the modern woman. Plumes known as aigrettes, from the tall spiky feathers from the snowy egret, were common until laws were passed to protect the endangered birds. Ostrich feathers were another of the more popular types of feathers found at this time. Hats, sometimes up to six feet wide, were so large at one point that a yard or two of hair had to be rolled on top of the head in a style known as the pompadour. The hat was then secured with a hat pin which could be as long at 18 inches! 

During the Great War (1914-1918), it was considered unseemly to flaunt one’s wealth. When milliners’ materials were sometimes difficult to obtain or redirected to war manufacturing, self-sacrifice was embraced to show support for the war effort, and the increasing popularity of shorter hair and the automobile gave rise to a demand for smaller brimmed, more head-hugging attire. Austerity measures, however, didn’t completely eliminate the ornate embellishments demanded by the trendy woman.

Various styles are worn in the portraits that follow. The hat known as Gainsborough, or picture, were generally tipped up on one side and were reminiscent of the 18th century hats depicted in the paintings of British artist Thomas Gainsborough. They framed the head and highlighted a woman’s face. A smaller, close-fitting brimless or small, rolled-brimmed hat known as the toque was popular in the early 1900s. It was often ornamented with plumes. Similarly, a turban was a toque-style hat with fabric trimmings twisted or folded about the hat, reflecting an eastern influence. The cloche, which became popular in the 1920s, was a bell-shaped, brimless hat that could have a narrow brim turned downward, typically shorter in the front and slightly longer in the back.

Hats off to the milliners who shamelessly flattered the women of Buffalo a century ago!