Cocktail Hats: The Perfect Little Toppers

A feather, a veil, a few sequins or beads--it doesn't take much to make a vintage cocktail hat. These little confections--generally brimless hats with extravagant embellishments, intended for evening wear--are the perfect complements to a vintage dress or suit. It's no wonder they're sometimes called whimsies.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Blonde mink hat from JoJo'sRetroandVintage

First up is a circle hat, or circlet--this one is made of mink, but they're often some kind of fabric or velvet; always with a veil for a peek-a-boo top.

Birdcage veil hat from unionmadebride

This birdcage veil hat (sometimes called a whimsy) is nothing more than a veil, with a bow on top. Some of them have feathers or chenille dots; some of them nothing more than the allure of the veil.

Feather cocktail hat from TheVintageHatShop

This is feather cocktail hat has a wonderful asymmetrical design, with feathers sweeping across the front and down one side.

Beaded skull cap from Alexsandras

This last beauty is a wool skull cap with bugle beads in a luscious pink. I love the free form shape of the front of the hat.

Fresh Picks: Accent on Accessories

To jazz up your wardrobe for fall, think vintage accessories for a look that’s all your own. Adding a hat, scarf, belt or necktie gives stylish flair and new life to those classics already in your closet!

Vintage forward front tilt h... TheVintageHatS... $28.00	Linde California silk 50s Ha... 11karri $69.00	Vintage Aries Ram Tie Tack P... BlackRain4 $24.99
vintage 80's gilded gold... beguilingvinta... $22.00	Vintage White Leather Kid Gl... victoriansenti... $15.00	Vera Neumann Vintage Red Whi... Vintageday $22.00

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Welcome New Members: Artful Vintage, Cheeky Chic Vintage, Judy Go Vintage, and The Vintage Hat Shop

Emily of Artful Vintage hits the auctions and antique shops in Southern Illinois to bring a wonderful variety of items—from primitive metal boxes, to ceramic planters and gardening tools, to pictures and other décor items. I’m especially taken by her brass stencil letters.

Another fabulous Illinois shop, Chicago-based Cheeky Chic Vintage specializes in industrial items, such as wonderful printer trays and Mad Men-era lamps. You’ll also find some unbelievable barware, vintage cameras, and odds and ends such as a rocking horse or ceiling light. It’s a captivating combination.

With more than 400 items, Judy Go Vintage has an eclectic mix of housewares, décor, art, fashion, accessories, and even furniture. Judy adores vintage textiles, and it shows in her exquisite selections. She’s based in the Hudson Valley, New York, but has managed to live all over the world.

 

Back in Northern Michigan, Cindy of The Vintage Hat Shop has some fabulous finds—cloches, berets, pillboxes, fedoras, fascinators, you name it. It’s impossible for me to pick a favorite, so let me just share this straw hat from the 1940s. I could spend all day trying these on (in a cyber kind of way).