1960s Mother - Daughter Mod Hats

Here in Seattle, we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Beatles first performance in our city. What fun!! Special exhibits, performances by cover bands that specialize in the Beatles' music, and the like are going on all week.

So in honor of the Fab Four, and the Mod fashions that spread as fast as their music (aka the "British Invasion"), here are two hat patterns that I recently posted in my shop, one for girls and the other for ladies. Looking like Mother-Daughter patterns, they date from 1965 and typify the Mod style of that day. Totally groovy!

Simplicity 6274

Simplicity 6191

And here's a Beatles tune to add a little energy to your day. :)

Easter Hats from March 1949

A new Easter hat is the perfect accent for your new Easter dress or suit. Which one of these lovely hats from March 1949 would you pick?

 A woven powder-pink straw - perfect for a dark spring suit and and small, piquant face.

  

A cherry-red straw hat with iridescent ribbon pouf, side-dipped brim to frame the face.

 

A youthful helmet cloche of fine straw braid and winged with two tiny brilliant feather birds.

 The perennial sailor in a soft rich coffee straw - perfect with a tailored suit.

 A cartwheel hat the color of toast, with a gently rolled brim, head-fitting crown, and soft leaf-green trim - it's a delicately flattering hat when you are dressing up.

This enchanting off-the-face bonnet combines purple and pink.

March 1949 - Easter Bonnets for Every Face!

From March 1949 comes advice on the right hat for your face shape. If you are lucky enough to have an oval face, like the beauty above, then you can wear any style and shape of hat.

If you have a long face, a bonnet with a broken crown will cut the height of forehead, and a deep crown helps hide the depth of your head. You can also wear a large-brimmed hat, providing the brim dips. Don't wear a high crown or a tiny hat.

Balance a triangular face with a thick-edged bonnet, which emphasizes the heart-shaped look.You can also wear a slanted pillbox set slightly back, or a small beret.

If your face is round, the hat line should be broken  at the side. A deep crown is a good balance, and a tiny brim frames the face. You can also wear a deep-crowned hat, a one-sided toque, or a bonnet with a high curving brim.

For the square face, try a smallish sailor with a flower-filled brim to balance the width of the cheekbones. A rolling brim with a profile line, a tilted, draped turban, or a beret angled to one side are also good.

Before and After Hit Parade: 1960s Winter Hats - Cool Fashion!

Seamstress: Michelle
Pattern: Simplicity 7326

This pattern for hats from 1967 provides both a very Mod turban-style pill box hat and beret with some saucy variations. How can you beat that combination? Seamstress Michelle chose to sew view 1.

The Results:

Don't you just love it?! What a totally charming result. Bright braid trim on a thick white wool adds up to a cute and winter wonderful look. Michelle says that she chose a "white wool that had a lot of tooth and was also pre-washed for more felting.  I also did a polartec hood from that pattern which I've worn quite a bit too."

Michelle loves to sew, although she states that she does not sew professionally, just for family and friends. She especially loves sewing vintage 40s and 50s fashion, and thinks it's too bad more women don't sew. She is becoming quite a collector of vintage patterns, so expect more of her work to appear here.