Your Guide to Buying Vintage Womens Hats

What Makes a Hat Vintage?

The designation vintage carries with it much more than simply being old. Vintage certainly conveys a specific era of creation. Yet while some apply the term vintage as simply a reference to the year in which a hat was made, as in a vintage 1955 hat, a hat generally acquires the label of vintage if it is at least 20 years old and is a representative example of the era in which it was made.
Moreover, like antique hats, which are at least 100 years old, vintage hats portray a bit of history. The fabric, decorations, or lack thereof, and the size and shape of the hat are often definitive of a period of time, marking a hat as vintage. So, for example, the pillbox hat of the early 1960s reflects the formal style of that period just as the military influence on women’s hats of the 1940s reflect the events of that era.
The style of a particular designer is another identifying feature that distinguishes a hat as vintage. As each notable designer created hats during a particular time span only, and in a very characteristic manner as well, these hats are indicative of the period, making them vintage.

Why Buy Vintage Women’s Hats

The reasons for buying vintage hats are numerous and based on individual preference. For collectors, the worth of vintage hats may be in their embellishments, which often evoke a unique aspect of the hat’s era. Another highlight for collectors is in the fame of the hat’s designer, with the value of designer hats determined in part by the designer’s renown and in equal measure by the rarity of the hat’s design. The simple desire to add a new element to an existing collection frequently presents an additional reason for collectors to purchase vintage hats.
For those making a fashion purchase for their own use, one consideration is that vintage hats offer craftsmanship in the construction and details of the designs that is difficult to find in contemporary hats. An additional factor for those planning to wear the vintage hat is the ability to purchase a hat that is one of a kind, thereby making a personal fashion statement.
Furthermore, for those interested in environmental factors, the green aspect of purchasing a vintage hat, rather than a new one, is an advantage that represents a form of recycling. This is another reason that both collectors and fashion enthusiasts purchase vintage hats.

These two paragraphs were taken from a more extensive article at “Your Guide to Buying Vintage Womens Hats @ eBay hats.

We have some lovely Vintage Womens Hats in our eBay Store Connectibles.  For example here are a few.

hat1 hat2 hat3

 

Designer Miss Carnegie by Hattie Carnegie Vintage PInk/Red Jersey Turban Hat 1940s

Red  HatWe’re selling a stunning group of boutique designer hats, fresh from local collector. Statement hats for the proud woman who is not afraid to express herself and embrace her Red Hat 2inner Diva!! 

 

 

 

Featured here is an interesting Hattie Carnegie “Miss Carnegie” vintage 1940’s wool jersey hat, cheerful and delightfully unusual. Pink/Red with a whimsical little leaf on top, as this was an “apple” or similar fruit. Ultimate NYC “Big Apple” hat!  

  • 21″ around brim, size Small. 
  • Excellent overall condition. 

Unique and a real statement hat. Take a look at our 360 degree spin video below; you can stop and start the spin at any point by swiping with your mouse to see details.  Look at all of our designer hats in our eBay Store Connectibles.

Here is a brief partial article about Hattie Carnegie from Wikipedia.

Hattie Carnegie designs are in the collection holdings of the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York; and at the Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History in Boynton Beach, Florida.

Hattie Carnegie (15 March 1880 — 22 February 1956) was a fashion entrepreneur based in New York City from the 1920s to the 1960s. She was born in Vienna, Austria-Hungary as Henrietta Kanengeiser.

The second oldest of seven children, Hattie Carnegie’s father was an Austrian Jewish artist and tailor, thought to have introduced her to the world of fashion.

Carnegie, who emigrated with her family to the United States at the age of six in 1886, was known for her elegant couture collection and secondary ready-to-wear lines. Her company was revolutionary in the sense that it was one of the first to introduce ready-to-wear to the high-end market. She pioneered the ‘head-to-hem’ boutique concept that paved the way for the future success of Ralph Lauren in America. Her company discovered some of the most prominent American fashion designers of the twentieth century, such as Norman Norell, Pauline Trigère and James Galanos; for nearly a decade, the made-to-order department was headed by Pauline Fairfax Potter.

Hattie Carnegie was originally a milliner and owned a successful shop on East Tenth Street in New York named Carnegie – Ladies’ Hatter. Despite the fact she had never sewed a seam in her life and had no formal training, she swiftly opened a dress shop on the Upper West Side and finally in 1923, she opened the famous Hattie Carnegie boutique at 42 East 49th street, close to the current address of Saks Fifth Avenue. Her shop, at its peak, carried her own ‘Hattie Carnegie Couture’ collection, Paris couture imports from Chanel, Vionnet and Dior, a fur line, her several ready-to-wear lines under different names, a costume jewelry line, a cosmetic line and even a chocolate line. Her dress designs were a massive success and soon she had such clients as Joan Crawford and the Duchess of Windsor. Hattie Carnegie’s colorful clothing and ultra-chic costume jewelry, even today, are greatly sought after by fashion and jewelry collectors.

Carnegie enjoyed tremendous success throughout her career but the proudest moment came when she designed the Women’s Army Corps (WAC) uniform in 1950. They were adopted for wear on New Year’s Day 1951. On 1 June 1952, Hattie received the Congressional Medal of Freedom for the WAC uniform design and for her many other charitable and patriotic contributions. The WAC design was so timelessly elegant that it was still in use for women’s U.S. Army uniforms in 1968.