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pictorial.jezebel.com: In July 1961, an Associated Press photographer stopped by a showcase of autumn and winter fashions in Florence, Italy. Hats were apparently of particular interest. It is not an exaggeration to describe the results as magical.
11 comments:
Lucy Scherrer
said...
This is definitely not what I was expecting from 1960's hats. With my extremely limited knowledge of historical fashion, I assumed that everything in the 60's was the kind of mod and groovy goofiness demonstrated in movies and TV shows. However, these designs were an interesting mix of ridiculous and stunning. I loved the muted colors of the photographs, and hands-down my favorite design was the chrysanthemum hat. Beyond just the headgear, however, I think it's interesting to note the style of the portraits. The models are all smiling-- something basically unheard of for high-fashion photos today. Their expressions range from coy grins to complete smiles, but they all, without a doubt, look happy. I wonder when the standards for beauty photos changed to what they are today. I know pretty much nothing about the history of fashion, and even less about the fashion of today, but I do know that pictures like these wouldn't be found in any magazine or website today. Maybe it's time to go back to an era where models looked more cheerful and engaged than indifferent and aloof.
Wowzers. Until coming to CMU, I had no clue that the art is hat making was called millinery. I also feel like since I am friends with a bunch of costume design majors at CMU, I know how much damn blood, sweat and tears goes into making a single hat (it's a lot, I promise)! I don't have much knowledge on the distinct differences between eras of fashion but I must say that I am absolutely stunned by some of those hats made and featured in the article. I am especially a fan of the last hat with the arrow going through it-- it's elegant but it's playful and courageous. The touch of mesh/tulle netting that sweeps across the forehead is such a delicate touch to an otherwise powerful headpiece.
Being in a millinery class right now I can say that these hats may be strange, but at the same time they are beautifully designed. Each hat has it’s own personality! It would take a person with personality and the right joie de vivre to pull off these hats. I can totally see one of those fashionable older ladies wearing one of these hats on the streets of New York now a days. I really think that hats elevated the outfits that they went with. It really is a shame that we don’t really wear hats anymore. The Brits and southern church ladies hold the current hat market a float, which is a shame. A hat was one more way to complete and compliment an outfit, not to mention expressing the personal style of the wearer. I think my favorite is the pink hat with the ostrich plume brim. The feathers provide a short of flirty veil of the person’s eyes.
This article is exactly what the title claimed it would be, though I was hoping for me information about the hats, though I was amused by the captions. I liked the “spray painted chrysanthemum” hat, but when I looked at it longer it felt a bit too reminiscent of a shower cap. In terms of form, I think the pink hat is very interesting. At a glance it looks like a fairly standard hat, it has a very nice and simple shape, but at the same time, there is a nice contrast between the texture of the center circle and the texture of the feathers. I think the fact it is all one shade of pink makes the texture contrast more noticeable. I think it is interesting that people create these really interesting artistics hats, but these types of hats aren’t commonly worn. I think part of that is what makes these hats interesting is how much they stand out, but people tend to be nervous about standing out in day to day life. On top of that, many aesthetically interesting hats are impractical.
I find myself fascinated by the balance between fashion and functionality of hats. It's true that we don't really think of 1960's hats as being as glamorous (and covered in feathers) as the ones pictured here and as I understand, they usually weren't. Think of modern hats. We usually picture the ever popular beanie (I'm wearing one right now), snap back or baseball cap. But, if we look at events such as the Kentucky Derby or the Royal Wedding from a few years ago, we'll see some funky hats. Have you looked at some of those? Or the fashion industry? I saw a headdress with antlers coming out of it. Every era has weird hats. The 60s apparently aren't except from this either.
I enjoyed this small hat collection because each hat plays with shape in different ways. The first few hats were playing with making a silhouette that is resembles its own pattern, with the blotchier shapes. Then the shapes progress to thinking more about transforming the overall shape of the person’s head which is creative. These hats also look very classic and fun, very Chanel-esk. Or I suppose Italian as the article actually pointed out. My favorite is probably the last one with the leaf coming out of the top. It is cute in its boxier nature, but the mesh in the front makes this woman seem more delicate. When I first saw the leaf I thought it was a shovel and I think the leaf is better. (Haha of course) This hat is something I could see someone wear today. Probably to a type of evet that I won’t ever witness in my life.
I love how much of a statement piece hats used to be. People wore huge, elaborate hats that conveyed both status and personality. While these hats don't seem super practical for daily use, I wish people still wore fancy hats like these for special occasions. I love the way the designers play with different shapes and colors to create one cohesive shape that decorates the head. The hats in this article are all so vastly different from one another, but they all seem similar because of their extravagance. Though they are all so different, they seem like they're all in the same sort of genre of hat because they all seem so over the top.
These hats are indeed gorgeous, and the craftsmanship is wonderful. If I tried to manipulate the same materials with an eye toward making a hat, the results would certainly be unwearable. The thing I took issue with was the article's tone towards the work. There was seemingly no reason for the presentation of the photo collection other than they were photographs being presented on the pictorial sub website of Jezebel. The author's flippant attitude towards the works derided works that should be appreciated for their technical complexity as well as the labor invested in them. In the introductory paragraph, the author's use of "apparently" demonstrates a real lackadaisical approach and involvement in the article.
Problematic aspects of the article aside, at least these beautiful hats ended up on a website. Especially on a platform as widely visited and known as Jezebel, these hats will get attention they deserve. Some creator/designer credit might also go a long way.
The hats in this article are absolutely beautiful. One thing that stood out to me is how crazy they are and how normal they are at the same time. If people asked to see crazy hats from the 21st century, they would be looking at these insane headpieces that are taller than the models who wore them. It is really interesting to see that in the sixties, crazy hats had a completely different idea about them. These hats are quite eccentric and if people were to wear them out, even in the sixties, they would probably get some stairs, but compared to the high fashion norms in this current time period, they would be quite tame. I think this has to do with the advancement of different technologies that allow bigger items to be created. Also this could be influenced by just how big life is in the 21st century. In order for something to be crazy or eccentric, it has to be big and insane. That says a lot about the standards of excitement in modern times. In order for something to be exciting, it has to be crazier than the thing before it. Things have to keep getting bigger and bigger to keep up with they crazy standards of the modern world, hats included.
I wish the article discussed the hats in greater detail, but I still found it interesting. The hats didn't stike me as being very stupendous, especially compared with some moden designs. These hats are quite stylish, but they also express artistic statements. Putting on a hat (or other headwear) can completely change the perceived character of someone. I'm not sure exactly how this works, but I do find it fascinating. I'm sure there are many practical applications of this phenomenon on the stage. It's always neat to see a hat that accentuates or reflects a character's personality. In that sense, hats can add great depth to a character.
I am just going to say it…these hats are amazing! In my opinion, hats are probably one of the coolest articles of clothing that have even been created. I do not know where to begin with this explanation, but the possibilities are truly endless with what you can do by putting something on someone’s head. When a person wears a hat it truly changes the way they act. This is because you have to hold yourself a little different, so it does not fall off. You also have to potentially position your face a little differently so other people can see it. In terms of costumes, hats do a great job signifying time period as well as selling the idea that an actor is playing an animal. I love hats, and think that these are really cool, and in the right context would look amazing on stage in a production.
11 comments:
This is definitely not what I was expecting from 1960's hats. With my extremely limited knowledge of historical fashion, I assumed that everything in the 60's was the kind of mod and groovy goofiness demonstrated in movies and TV shows. However, these designs were an interesting mix of ridiculous and stunning. I loved the muted colors of the photographs, and hands-down my favorite design was the chrysanthemum hat. Beyond just the headgear, however, I think it's interesting to note the style of the portraits. The models are all smiling-- something basically unheard of for high-fashion photos today. Their expressions range from coy grins to complete smiles, but they all, without a doubt, look happy. I wonder when the standards for beauty photos changed to what they are today. I know pretty much nothing about the history of fashion, and even less about the fashion of today, but I do know that pictures like these wouldn't be found in any magazine or website today. Maybe it's time to go back to an era where models looked more cheerful and engaged than indifferent and aloof.
Wowzers. Until coming to CMU, I had no clue that the art is hat making was called millinery. I also feel like since I am friends with a bunch of costume design majors at CMU, I know how much damn blood, sweat and tears goes into making a single hat (it's a lot, I promise)! I don't have much knowledge on the distinct differences between eras of fashion but I must say that I am absolutely stunned by some of those hats made and featured in the article. I am especially a fan of the last hat with the arrow going through it-- it's elegant but it's playful and courageous. The touch of mesh/tulle netting that sweeps across the forehead is such a delicate touch to an otherwise powerful headpiece.
Being in a millinery class right now I can say that these hats may be strange, but at the same time they are beautifully designed. Each hat has it’s own personality! It would take a person with personality and the right joie de vivre to pull off these hats. I can totally see one of those fashionable older ladies wearing one of these hats on the streets of New York now a days. I really think that hats elevated the outfits that they went with. It really is a shame that we don’t really wear hats anymore. The Brits and southern church ladies hold the current hat market a float, which is a shame. A hat was one more way to complete and compliment an outfit, not to mention expressing the personal style of the wearer. I think my favorite is the pink hat with the ostrich plume brim. The feathers provide a short of flirty veil of the person’s eyes.
This article is exactly what the title claimed it would be, though I was hoping for me information about the hats, though I was amused by the captions. I liked the “spray painted chrysanthemum” hat, but when I looked at it longer it felt a bit too reminiscent of a shower cap. In terms of form, I think the pink hat is very interesting. At a glance it looks like a fairly standard hat, it has a very nice and simple shape, but at the same time, there is a nice contrast between the texture of the center circle and the texture of the feathers. I think the fact it is all one shade of pink makes the texture contrast more noticeable. I think it is interesting that people create these really interesting artistics hats, but these types of hats aren’t commonly worn. I think part of that is what makes these hats interesting is how much they stand out, but people tend to be nervous about standing out in day to day life. On top of that, many aesthetically interesting hats are impractical.
I find myself fascinated by the balance between fashion and functionality of hats. It's true that we don't really think of 1960's hats as being as glamorous (and covered in feathers) as the ones pictured here and as I understand, they usually weren't. Think of modern hats. We usually picture the ever popular beanie (I'm wearing one right now), snap back or baseball cap. But, if we look at events such as the Kentucky Derby or the Royal Wedding from a few years ago, we'll see some funky hats. Have you looked at some of those? Or the fashion industry? I saw a headdress with antlers coming out of it. Every era has weird hats. The 60s apparently aren't except from this either.
I enjoyed this small hat collection because each hat plays with shape in different ways. The first few hats were playing with making a silhouette that is resembles its own pattern, with the blotchier shapes. Then the shapes progress to thinking more about transforming the overall shape of the person’s head which is creative. These hats also look very classic and fun, very Chanel-esk. Or I suppose Italian as the article actually pointed out. My favorite is probably the last one with the leaf coming out of the top. It is cute in its boxier nature, but the mesh in the front makes this woman seem more delicate. When I first saw the leaf I thought it was a shovel and I think the leaf is better. (Haha of course) This hat is something I could see someone wear today. Probably to a type of evet that I won’t ever witness in my life.
I love how much of a statement piece hats used to be. People wore huge, elaborate hats that conveyed both status and personality. While these hats don't seem super practical for daily use, I wish people still wore fancy hats like these for special occasions. I love the way the designers play with different shapes and colors to create one cohesive shape that decorates the head. The hats in this article are all so vastly different from one another, but they all seem similar because of their extravagance. Though they are all so different, they seem like they're all in the same sort of genre of hat because they all seem so over the top.
These hats are indeed gorgeous, and the craftsmanship is wonderful. If I tried to manipulate the same materials with an eye toward making a hat, the results would certainly be unwearable. The thing I took issue with was the article's tone towards the work. There was seemingly no reason for the presentation of the photo collection other than they were photographs being presented on the pictorial sub website of Jezebel. The author's flippant attitude towards the works derided works that should be appreciated for their technical complexity as well as the labor invested in them. In the introductory paragraph, the author's use of "apparently" demonstrates a real lackadaisical approach and involvement in the article.
Problematic aspects of the article aside, at least these beautiful hats ended up on a website. Especially on a platform as widely visited and known as Jezebel, these hats will get attention they deserve. Some creator/designer credit might also go a long way.
The hats in this article are absolutely beautiful. One thing that stood out to me is how crazy they are and how normal they are at the same time. If people asked to see crazy hats from the 21st century, they would be looking at these insane headpieces that are taller than the models who wore them. It is really interesting to see that in the sixties, crazy hats had a completely different idea about them. These hats are quite eccentric and if people were to wear them out, even in the sixties, they would probably get some stairs, but compared to the high fashion norms in this current time period, they would be quite tame. I think this has to do with the advancement of different technologies that allow bigger items to be created. Also this could be influenced by just how big life is in the 21st century. In order for something to be crazy or eccentric, it has to be big and insane. That says a lot about the standards of excitement in modern times. In order for something to be exciting, it has to be crazier than the thing before it. Things have to keep getting bigger and bigger to keep up with they crazy standards of the modern world, hats included.
I wish the article discussed the hats in greater detail, but I still found it interesting. The hats didn't stike me as being very stupendous, especially compared with some moden designs. These hats are quite stylish, but they also express artistic statements. Putting on a hat (or other headwear) can completely change the perceived character of someone. I'm not sure exactly how this works, but I do find it fascinating. I'm sure there are many practical applications of this phenomenon on the stage. It's always neat to see a hat that accentuates or reflects a character's personality. In that sense, hats can add great depth to a character.
I am just going to say it…these hats are amazing! In my opinion, hats are probably one of the coolest articles of clothing that have even been created. I do not know where to begin with this explanation, but the possibilities are truly endless with what you can do by putting something on someone’s head. When a person wears a hat it truly changes the way they act. This is because you have to hold yourself a little different, so it does not fall off. You also have to potentially position your face a little differently so other people can see it. In terms of costumes, hats do a great job signifying time period as well as selling the idea that an actor is playing an animal. I love hats, and think that these are really cool, and in the right context would look amazing on stage in a production.
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