So you may have all ready had a glance of this hat in my out of my comfort zone post. I decided I wanted to represent the French Revolution at our local Bastille Day festival. And yes I know the dress I made has much more to do with the aristocracy, but I could fly my colors on my hat. I made a Tri-Color cockade and curled some turkey feathers to adorn the hat. I love making cockades now and want to put them on everything! Here is an article explaining the symbolism and history of cockades. Scroll for inspiration and more hat details.
Some simple extant examples of wide straw Bergère Hats
18th century hats in art
Hat remaking and decorating
A picture of me vending I styled a lot more funky and less historical day of.
What the item is: Bergère Hat
The Challenge: Accessorize
Fabric: Well it is a hat made out of a re-blocked men’s straw hat.
Pattern: None but I used this tutorial for the cockade.
Year:1720-1789 this style was popular for a long time but for my purposes 1789
Notions: synthetic tri color petersham ribbon, premade bias binding, 3 white turkey feathers
How historically accurate is it? Well my use of rather modern materials is not accurate but I think the look of the straw is very close especially compared to most modern straw hat bodies. But this style is a mishmash of a few different hats and it is only plausible that a hat like this existed especially this late in the 18th century.
Hours to complete: one afternoon
First worn: To accessorize my challenge 6 round gown shhhhh I made this first… but in public at my booth at the local Bastille Day Festival.
Total cost: The hat was $1 at a rummage sale, the other notions were about $8.
Romancing the Sewn 