Ideas for vintage-style winter hat?

[TillyMilly]

Hi Ladies

With this artic winter we in Europe are having at the minute I need to buy a warm winter hat that covers my poor ice-cold ears- I'd like it to be something vintage inspired or not look too out of place with a 40's stye woollen coat, something casual- and google images isn't showing me anything but formal hats I was hoping someone here may be able to inspire me? Thanks.

 

[1961MJS]

Hi

what I looked for was "Rabbit Fur Mad Bomber Hat", but I did find this:

http://www.furhatworld.com/fashion-fur-hats-c-36_57.html

Later

 

[Flicka]

How about a beret? You can tuck your ears under that. Or a knitted, beret-style hat? They are easy to find and many (even new ones) are in classic styles worn in the 40s and 50s.

Myself, I alternate between a faux fur hat (nicknamed 'the Brezhnev' by me) and a black, square beret-style hat I crocheted myself (inspired by a hat in The Thin Man). Works well enough for the Swedish winter anyway.

 

[TillyMilly]

Thanks for the suggestions girls- i do have a beret but I tend to purchase it on the back of my head. I found loads of vintage fur hats on ebay, I might get one of those. I also have my eye on a cute red and white Fair Isle bobble hat!

 

[Katinka von K.]

@tishkaminx: I´m trying to sell a vintage fur hat for little money, maybe you are interested?

For the very cold days we are having recently I wear a thick head made out of leopard plush. It´s warm like nothing else and looks a bit Audrey. So maybe plush would be something?
Or a knitted turban made of thick wool? They are quite in style at the moment (that´s what I heard!) and maybe you can get one on high street?

 

[TillyMilly]

Hi Katinka- i would indeed be interested- can you PM me the details please?

 

[Edward]

Ladies.... please forgive the intrusion, I just realised as I type this that this is in the Other Place, but.... Might I suggest a ushanka? Very strong vintage pedigree in Eastern Europe, and you can find them very easily. A number of eBay sellers sell them as Soviet Militaria; I have a few, they come in a wide range of earthtones, greys, white, blacks. The ones I have seem to be a good quality rabbit fur. They came with the Soviet badge, though I never attach it (I love Soviet iconography, but prefer a civilian look to my hats). I've seen a number of ladies, both vintage and otherwise, wearing them and looking great. Mine came from a seller in Russia, to my door in London including postage around GBP16.00.

 

[Flicka]

Ladies.... please forgive the intrusion, I just realised as I type this that this is in the Other Place, but.... Might I suggest a ushanka? Very strong vintage pedigree in Eastern Europe, and you can find them very easily. A number of eBay sellers sell them as Soviet Militaria; I have a few, they come in a wide range of earthtones, greys, white, blacks. The ones I have seem to be a good quality rabbit fur. They came with the Soviet badge, though I never attach it (I love Soviet iconography, but prefer a civilian look to my hats). I've seen a number of ladies, both vintage and otherwise, wearing them and looking great. Mine came from a seller in Russia, to my door in London including postage around GBP16.00.

Aha, that's exactly my Brezhnev! I guess her first name is Ushanka then. It looks like rabbit fur, but it's really fake. It's a good copy though; I was almost mobbed by animal rights activists outside of Harrods once. But really, like Ali G once said, it's made from 'an animal called a Crylic.'

My father always wore them when I grew up (he also had a big, Stalin-style mustache - he looked like a caricature of a KGB agent which was horribly mortifying for a pre-teen in the 80s). In fact, I think they've been in use here since well before the Russian revolution - I think I've seen them around in photos from the 19th century. We still think of them as Russian though. And I'm not going to say what a popular nickname for them here means...

Definitely vintage, but to me more of a man's hat (she said happily, and wore it anyway).

 

[Edward]

Yes, to my eye they have that perfect edge of being a "man's" item that when worn by a lady emphasises her very femininity. I'm not articulating this well, but think the effect of Marlene Dietrich in full white tie and tails cut for her figure. The round-crowned style of hat we know as the modern ushanka originated in Russia in the early Twentieth century, and as a civilian item predates military use. It was only after the formation of the Soviet Union and a later revision to the Winter Soviet Army uniform that it became adopted by the military. Interesting, as so many things seem to go the other direction (i.e. military use to adoption as civilian wardrobe). Anyhow, sorry, I'm being an interloper again...

 

[Flicka]

Yes, to my eye they have that perfect edge of being a "man's" item that when worn by a lady emphasises her very femininity. I'm not articulating this well, but think the effect of Marlene Dietrich in full white tie and tails cut for her figure. The round-crowned style of hat we know as the modern ushanka originated in Russia in the early Twentieth century, and as a civilian item predates military use. It was only after the formation of the Soviet Union and a later revision to the Winter Soviet Army uniform that it became adopted by the military. Interesting, as so many things seem to go the other direction (i.e. military use to adoption as civilian wardrobe). Anyhow, sorry, I'm being an interloper again...

Oh, I know what you mean, believe me. I love the look of very masculine clothes on women (I sometimes wear a three piece suit and for some reason it makes me feel extremely feminine).

Randomly, the exact style with ear flaps seems to have become part of our military equipment early in the 20th century - this is a m/1915 hat (meaning 'model 1915'): http://www.digitaltmuseum.se/things/plsmssa-m1915/S-AM/AM.012742 while the earlier m/1885 (model 1885) was just a round hat without the flaps: http://www.digitaltmuseum.se/things/plsmssa-m1885-1904-1909/S-AM/AM.012746

The m/1915 isn't really round-crowned though, is it? It's a bit square-ish. Does that mean it's a different type of hat?

ETA: this general's hat from 1918 is somewhat similar to the style too: http://www.digitaltmuseum.se/things/plsmssa/S-AM/AM.104316 but I think it's Finnish

 

[Edward]

Furry, ear-flap hats along those lines go back centuries in Russia, Scandinavia and Germany, though nowadays they are most commonly thought of as a Russian thing - maybe because their use by the Red Army became such a strong image? The last one you post especially is close to a ushanka. To the best of my understanding, the cylindrical body shape with the flat crown is a standard feature of the ushanka, but to some degree it's a "trilby / fedora" type issue of semantics....

 

[Mrs Chaddsley_Corbett]

A Headscarf is always an option

 

[TillyMilly]

Thanks - I forgot about this. Funnily enough my Mum was waxing rapsodic about head scarves today, as th wind was destroying her hairstyle.

 

[betty amazing]

I usually opt for a knitted/crotcheted beret of some kind - perfect for keeping the ears warm! Something like this is pretty cute http://www.thehatcompany.com/515-1995-thickbox/vintage-inspired-cable-knit-beret-663h.jpg and not too formal!

xx

 

[bunnyb.gal]

Alice Hannah does some cute vintage-y stuff along those lines, often with scarf &/or gloves to match. I'm a big fan of woolen or knit berets and cloche-type things, with a bow, or attaching a paste brooch to them.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Alice-Hannah-Stripe-Pearl-Beret/dp/B005QZ0OF0/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1329199218&sr=8-5

 

[Flicka]

Just to show what I wear - here's my home made, square, beret:

and here I am with Brezhnev (I usually wear the flaps up, though):

Both are perfectly adequate, but the latter can probably withstand arctic conditions!

 

[betty amazing]

Alice Hannah does some cute vintage-y stuff along those lines, often with scarf &/or gloves to match. I'm a big fan of woolen or knit berets and cloche-type things, with a bow, or attaching a paste brooch to them.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Alice-Hannah-Stripe-Pearl-Beret/dp/B005QZ0OF0/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1329199218&sr=8-5

Ooh they're lovely, I wish this one was a beret - the camel-coloured one is adorable xx

 

[MissNathalieVintage]

I agree with the scarf idea. I wear them all the time during the winter and they are tons warmer then hats. Plus there are quite a few diffirent ones you can wear to very your winter outfit from day to day. And if you are fearing you might look to granny wearing a head scarf you can also wear a wonderful dark red or plum lipstick. Her are a few pretty ones I found on ebay and the prices are afortable, too. LEOPARD PRINT: http://www.ebay.com/itm/FASHION-HOT...90759?pt=US_Scarves_Wraps&hash=item3a707db927

Elegant Shawl Flower Pattern: http://www.ebay.com/itm/32-x32-Squa...07606?pt=US_Scarves_Wraps&hash=item3371bdf936

ViNtAgE RED BLACK BLUE GOLD CARRIAGES: http://www.ebay.com/itm/ViNtAgE-RED...37848?pt=US_Scarves_Wraps&hash=item4600afe3d8

Plus, the most fabolous thing about wearing a head scarf is that it will not crush or mess up your hairstyle.

 

[Katinka von K.]

An ushanka always seems like a good idea in a real winter situation. Plus I like their look when the flaps are worn down

@Tishkaminx: please forget everything I said about the fur hat I´m selling. It seems like some moth tried its teeth on it during the last months without my notice...