- Fashion history: dressing to impress in the 17th century
Marie Antoinette may have picked precisely the wrong time to flaunt her passion for outrageous headwear, but that didn’t stop Paris fashion – flamboyant, feather-bedecked hats in particular – becoming the envy of women of means across Europe and America. Not that the new flamboyance was welcomed by everyone. At first, the English aristocracy claimed to be shocked. To Lady Charlotte Bury, a novelist, noted beauty and delight of the highest circles of London Society, “the ugliest part of the habillements [attire] is the high chimneys on their heads, which... are covered with feathers”.
Nevertheless, English society, and Lady Charlotte, were soon persuaded. Feathers – mainly ostrich, pheasant and peaco*ck for plumes, and marabou (the feathers of adjutant storks found in parts of Africa) for trimmings – adorned wide-brimmed hats set atop hair piled high. It was fashion in the extreme. And it was unbelievably popular.
Mayan macaws
But this use of feathers and whole stuffed birds for head adornment and hat decor long predated Marie Antoinette. The Mayan civilisation of the Americas used the feathers of a variety of birds – especially brilliantly coloured quetzals and parrots such as macaws – to decorate headdresses worn by the elite of their society. New Guinea tribes- men have been wearing headdresses of stunning arrays of birds of paradise feathers for many thousands of years, while the Plains Indian headdresses of eagle feathers worn by Henry VIII wore a flamboyant panache of four-foot-long feathers when he majestically rode into Boulogne tribes such as the Sioux, Crow and Blackfoot were of huge spiritual and political importance for millennia.
In Europe, feathers first became common as a hat decoration in the early 14th century. During the 16th century, hats adorned with ostrich feathers were in demand by those wealthy enough to purchase them in the fashion centres of Europe: Paris, Vienna, Florence and Prague. Wealthy ladies, courtiers and high-ranking military officers wore them too.
A famous panache of feathers, comprising no fewer than eight plumes, each over four feet long, was worn by the ever flamboyant King Henry VIII when he rode majestically into Boulogne, his forces having seized it from the French in September 1544. They were probably the tail feathers of a species of Indian peafowl.
More like this
This kind of panache, usually comprising naturally white or black ostrich feathers – but sometimes dyed in other colours – atop an officer’s hat was deemed to have a practical function as well, and was not simply an adornment. It made the wearer much more visually obvious to his soldiers. Before the battle of Ivry in Normandy in 1590, King Henry IV of France commanded his leaders “not to lose sight of his white panache, that it would lead them to victory and honour”. His forces won the battle, thanks to his panache or otherwise.
The ostriches whose magnificent feathers were used to make these panaches originally inhabited virtually all of north Africa, much of eastern and southern Africa, the Arabian peninsula and large parts of the Middle East. They had always been hunted for food, but once a market developed in Europe for their feathers to adorn hats, the killing was stepped up. Chased on horseback until they were exhausted, or shot, their populations were soon being depleted. In 1807, an estimated 509 kilos of ostrich feathers were imported into France alone. By 1850, they had been reduced to near extinction across the Arabian peninsula; they had all but disappeared from north Africa before the 19th century was out.
In fact, the killing only slowed when the first ostrich farms were set up in the southern cape of South Africa in the 1860s. After that, feathers from farmed ostriches dominated the trade – and saved the wild ostrich from certain extinction.
Snow-white plumes
By 1600 the feathers of more exotic birds were appearing in Europe: incredibly colourful bird of paradise skins from New Guinea; parrot feathers from South America; and the snow-white, gossamer-fine breeding plumes of egrets from southern Asia and the Americas which, by 1914, were worth up to 28 times the equivalent weight of silver. There are no accurate records of the numbers of wild egrets killed worldwide; estimates for how many little egrets were supplied annually for millinery alone vary between 5 and 200 million. Only in recent decades have their numbers recovered.
Feathers of some British birds were sought after, too. Great crested grebes, attractive common birds of lakes and reservoirs, were shot for their chestnut-brown ear feather tufts, known in the trade as “tippet”. Their slaughter began in the second half of the 19th century and reduced them to just 42 pairs in nine years. Seabirds – in particular sea-cliff breeding kittiwakes – were persecuted too. The black-marked white wings of these small gulls were popular for decorating fashionable ladies’ headwear.
- 15 things you didn’t know about fashion in the First World War
Gradually, hats adorned with exotic feathers were no longer the preserve of the wealthy. From the mid-19th century, the catalogues of the large department stores that had begun to spring up brought a huge variety of hats to a much wider clientele; before this, they had sported hats made of rabbit fur or even wool. In France it was Bon Marché and Galeries Lafayette; in London, Whiteleys was followed by Peter Robinson, Liberty and Harrods.
Unsurprisingly, the trade burgeoned. In the first quarter of 1885, 750,000 egret skins were sold at London auctions, and in 1887 a single London dealer handled 2 million of them. The city cornered the international feather market, and buyers came from across Europe and from the US to view and buy stock. Nearly 40 million pounds’ weight (more than 18,000 tonnes) of plumage and bird skins, excluding ostrich feathers, was imported into the UK between 1870 and 1920. Maybe 200 million birds a year were be- ing killed. At its peak at the end of the 19th century, the feather trade was worth £20m a year to Britain.
WH Hudson, an author, naturalist and leading British ornithologist of his day, recoiled with horror as he witnessed one sale of 80,000 parrot skins and 1,700 skins of birds of paradise late in 1897. “Spread out in Trafalgar Square they would have covered a large proportion of that space with a grass- green carpet, flecked with vivid purple, rose and scarlet,” he commented.
By the mid-19th century, feather-embellished hats were the height of fashion in US cities too. Sometime in 1886, Frank Chapman, a leading American ornithologist, took two afternoon walks to record the birds he spotted in New York’s uptown shopping districts. Three-quarters of the 700 ladies’ hats he saw were decorated with whole stuffed birds, sometimes several on one hat, or were adorned with their feathers. He counted 40 different species. With no legal protection, any species – American or imported – could be killed.
In the US, whole colonies of tree-breeding egrets and herons were soon shot out, their exquisite breeding plumes cut off and the birds left to rot, their eggs and starving youngsters abandoned. To keep up with demand, plumes had to be imported. The 33,000 pounds of egret plumes recorded as being exported from Argentina, Brazil and Venezuela between 1899 and 1912 represents somewhere around 15 million of the smaller species of egret. In 1903, the price for plumes offered to American hunters was $32 an ounce, twice the value of gold at that time. Later they reached $80 an ounce, the price for increasing rarity as the birds were hunted down.
Ending the carnage
How did the ladies wearing them justify the bird killing? Some wrongly assumed that these were naturally moulted feathers and no birds were killed. Others subscribed to the belief that human “needs” reigned supreme over wild nature. There was also a commonly held and naive view that there was some self-perpetuating abundance of birds, and that more would appear miraculously each year, however many were killed.
Whole colonies of egrets and herons were shot out, their exquisite breeding plumes cut off and the birds left to rot
However, not everyone tolerated this fashion-stimulated carnage. And some were determined to take direct action. For in- stance, in 1889 Emily Williamson, a well-to- do resident of Didsbury, Manchester, established the Society for the Protection of Birds (SPB). Joining forces with three other women who had set up the Fur and Feather League in Croydon, Surrey, their campaign created the RSPB and led, after many acrimonious exchanges with the trade and its supporters, to legislation banning feather importation in 1921. It had taken more than three decades.
- Stitching the fashions of the 19th century
Across the Atlantic, in 1896 Harriet Hemenway and her cousin Minna Hall started a similar campaign in Boston, Massachusetts. Steadily attracting more and more members, they formed Audubon – to- day one of the largest bird protection charities in the world – and fought a long, verbal battle with the millinery trade. Although some protective legislation was passed in the US after a few years, the importation of feathers wasn’t banned until 1918, when the US Congress passed the Migratory Bird Act.
Fashion, always ephemeral, was changing anyway. By the 1920s, automobiles – a more potent fashion icon than a feather-adorned hat – made it impossible to wear a hat the size of a small coffee table in a car with a hood.
The world was changing, too. With so many families grieving loved ones lost in the First World War, flamboyant, attention-seeking headwear seemed somehow inappropriate. More conservative attire was de rigueur. Although the war had cut off the bulk of feather imports into London, and a tax was imposed on the import of luxury goods, feathers included, it was a human catastrophe – not an animal one – that precipitated a fashion reassessment.
Malcolm Smith is a biologist, a former chief scientist and former deputy chief executive at the Countryside Council for Wales. His books include Hats: A Very Unnatural History (Michigan State University Press, 2020)
This article was first published in the February 2021 issue of BBC History Magazine
FAQs
Gradually, feathers came to indicate that the wearer was healthy, civilised and cultured. Artists and musicians took to wearing them as a mark of subtlety and style. “They have a certain tactility that was seen to signal an artistic nature,” Rublack says. Like most fads, this enthusiasm eventually wore off.
Which birds were almost hunted to extinction for their feathers used in clothing ornamentation? ›
During this 'plume boom,' many species of bird of paradise, particularly the most sought after Greater Bird of Paradise, were almost wiped out because of the fashion of using the bird's feathers to decorate hats.
What is a feathered hat called? ›
1 Answer. A fascinator is a small decorative hat with feathers and flowers, popular among royals as an ornate headpiece. Feathers can also be added to cowboy hats or fedoras, traditionally symbolizing bravery or status. 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 22, 2021.
Why did ladies wear hats? ›
Around 1900 dress etiquette dictated that a woman should not leave the house without a hat. Owning and wearing a unique model of hat signified the wealth and social status of the wearer. Women's hats, therefore, came in many shapes, colours and materials, while men's hats retained a classic style and shape.
Why did Victorians wear hats? ›
Hats became larger and were the most important accessory among women during this time period. They were used primarily as protection from the sun but eventually became known as a symbol of class and authority. Hats were an essential part of a woman's appearance and, therefore, were worn whenever a woman left the house.
What does a white feather in a hat mean? ›
The white feather is a widely recognised propaganda symbol. It has, among other things, represented cowardice or conscientious pacifism; as in A. E. W. Mason's 1902 book, The Four Feathers. In Britain during the First World War it was often given to males out of uniform by women to shame them publicly into signing up.
Which bird was killed in large number to give ladies feather for their hats? ›
The snowy egret—and its slightly larger cousin, the great egret—were similarly imperiled by the late 1800s, when fashionable women began wearing hats adorned with feathers, wings and even entire taxidermied birds.
What once common North American bird was hunted to extinction until the last one named Martha died in the Cincinnati Zoo in 1914? ›
Martha, the Passenger Pigeon, passed away on September 1, 1914, in the Cincinnati Zoo. She was believed to be the last living individual of her species after two male companions had died in the same zoo in 1910.
Which of these bird species was hunted to extinction within a century because it was flightless and restricted to a single island? ›
The great auk (Pinguinus impennis) is a species of flightless alcid that became extinct in the mid-19th century.
...
Great auk.
| Great auk Temporal range: |
|---|
| Order: | Charadriiformes |
| Family: | Alcidae |
| Genus: | †Pinguinus Bonnaterre, 1791 |
| Species: | †P. impennis |
15 more rowsToday, a fascinator is worn on occasions where hats are customary, sometimes serving as an evening accessory, when it may be called a co*cktail hat.
Jester - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Open main menu.
What is a Casque hat? ›
Casques resurged in popularity during the 1950s. Characteristics: A close fitting cap or helmet that extends from the back of the head to frame the wearer's face. Often trimmed with feathers or leaves, casques have no visor or brim.
What did wearing a hat symbolize? ›
The hat represents authority and power. Because it covers the head, the hat contains thought; therefore, if it is changed, an opinion is changed. The covered head shows nobility, and different hats signify different orders within the social heirarchy. Removal of a hat upon entry into a building shows respect.
Why Americans stopped wearing hats? ›
One of the biggest reasons for the loss of hat-wearing is likely that we now have better control over our indoor climate than we used to. This is also why men can now go in and out of doors, sometimes wearing fewer than two layers of clothing, and why things like gloves and scarves aren't as popular as they used to be.
What did Victorian ladies wear on their heads? ›
Bonnets, from plain to elaborate, were practical for outdoor wear, while caps were normally worn indoors (although sometimes under bonnets). Caps were usually made of woven cloth and embroidered or covered with lace. Ribbons and flounces might further embellish caps.
What are the Victorian hats called? ›
Bonnets were widely in style during the start of the Victorian era. These could be fashioned from straw or silk or any material in between, but the most important part of these Victorian hats was the wide brim.
What is the name of Victorian hats? ›
The boater, a stiff straw hat with a moderately deep, flat-topped crown encircled by a petersham ribbon and a flat narrow brim, was universally popular with men and women for the country, the seaside and boating; also worn by the seaside was the helmet, made of cloth with a small brim and a helmet-shaped sectional ...
What are some facts about Victorian hats? ›
The Victorian bonnets had large crowns and were often trimmed with frills, feathers, artificial flowers, ribbons, lace, or some kind of fruit or vegetable. It's interesting to mention that wide-brimmed bonnets were worn by both town and countryside women.
What does stick a feather in your cap mean? ›
idiom. : an achievement or honor that someone can be proud of. The promotion was a feather in his cap.
What does one more feather in your cap mean? ›
an achievement to be proud of: It's a real feather in our cap to be playing in the state championship. Success and achievements. a roaring success idiom. accomplishment.
Lifting the burden: When a family plans for death
For what it's worth, reference.com says that spiritually, a white feather is “typically seen as a sign from an angel or spirit of a loved one who has passed on.
Is it illegal to keep a feather from a bald eagle? ›
The Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (16 U.S.C. 668-668d), enacted in 1940, and amended several times since, prohibits anyone, without a permit issued by the Secretary of the Interior, from "taking" bald or golden eagles, including their parts (including feathers), nests, or eggs.
What's the biggest killer of birds? ›
For instance, habitat loss is thought to pose by far the greatest threat to birds, both directly and indirectly, however, its overall impact on bird populations is very difficult to directly assess.
What birds went extinct for hats? ›
But once, Snowy Egrets were rare. During the late 1800s, five million birds a year including Snowy Egrets were killed so their feathers — and sometimes even the whole birds — could be added to the hats of fashionable ladies in Europe and America.
Which bird was becoming extinct because its environment was being destroyed? ›
7. California Condor
californianus). Unfortunately, they are critically endangered. The bird actually went extinct in the wild in 1987.
Who were the extinct animals once the most common birds in North America but merciless hunting and slaughter led to their extinction? ›
The passenger pigeon or wild pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius) is an extinct species of pigeon that was endemic to North America. Its common name is derived from the French word passager, meaning "passing by", due to the migratory habits of the species. The scientific name also refers to its migratory characteristics.
What was once the most abundant bird in North America but was driven to extinction in 1914? ›
About September 1, 1914, the last known passenger pigeon, a female named Martha, died at the Cincinnati Zoo. She was roughly 29 years old, with a palsy that made her tremble. Not once in her life had she laid a fertile egg. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the passenger pigeon's extinction.
Which era is known for the extinction of the non avian dinosaurs and the rise of humankind? ›
66 Million Years Ago: Cretaceous-Paleogene Extinction
In addition to its most famous victims, the non-avian dinosaurs, the K-Pg event caused the extinction of pterosaurs and extinguished many species of early mammals and a host of amphibians, birds, reptiles, and insects.
What animal was almost hunted to extinction in the 19th century? ›
In an increasingly consumerist society during the 19th century, however, bison were hunted to the brink of extinction by frontier whites.
What type of animal was nearly hunted to extinction in the US during the 1800s? ›
But by the late 1800s, there were only a few hundred bison left in the United States after European settlers pushed west, reducing the animal's habitat and hunting the bison to near extinction.
Fedoras were much associated with gangsters during Prohibition era in the United States, a connection coinciding with the height of the hat's popularity between the 1920s and the early 1950s.
What is a Cooper hat? ›
The Cooper is a classic Australian country hat. It's the perfect finish to add a touch of class to any outfit. 100% Pure Wool Felt. Leather Sweatband. Brim Length: 8.5cm.
What is a jerry hat? ›
The Country Gentleman Jerry Hat is a hat made for the bold, confident man who wants to stand out from the crowd. This fedora has a contoured brim that goes from generous in the front to sporty in the back.
What does a Breton hat look like? ›
A Breton (or Bretonne) is a woman's hat with a round crown and a deep brim that is turned upwards all the way round, exposing the face. Sometimes the hat has a domed crown. Typically it is worn tilted to the back of the head.
What is a Wellington hat? ›
The Wellington Top Hat stands out from other top hats due to its more unusual shape. It has a wide top, which tapers down into concave sides and sits on a sometimes arching brim.
What is Robin Hood's hat called? ›
The Byco*cket, or “Robin Hood Hat”
The hat which is often known today as a “Robin Hood hat” – as it often appears in storybook illustrations and films on Robin Hood – may have been known in medieval England as a byco*cket, or in medieval France as a chapel à bec.
Whats a Scully hat? ›
This was the one that inspired it all. The Original Boston Scally cap is a wool tweed blend cap that portrays the working-class man gone mainstream. It has a medium profile shape for a more form fitting look. This "scally cap" is comfortable and made to take a beating.
What is a bushman hat? ›
The Bushman is a classic Australian stockman's hat, worn in the outback since before 1900. It is related to the old snap brim Fedora, and was the first hat imported by Akubra from England. It was also the first hat made by Akubra when they started manufacturing in the early 1900s.
Why is it called a boonie hat? ›
The name is derived from "boonie", the abbreviated form of boondocks (itself originally American military slang derived from Tagalog bundok, "mountain", during the Philippine–American War). The hat was similar to the hat worn with the pattern 1941 HBT fatigue uniform.
Why was a hat so important? ›
The hat, as a fashion accessory, became popular in the 20th century. Around 1900 dress etiquette dictated that a woman should not leave the house without a hat. Owning and wearing a unique model of hat signified the wealth and social status of the wearer.
The history of hats extends back millennia, with possible evidence of hats appearing as early as 30,000 years ago. Many head coverings throughout history and around the world carry religious or ceremonial significance. Hats can convey social status or military rank, much like Napoléon Bonaparte's signature bicorne hat.
What is the power of wearing a hat? ›
Hats Help Regulate Your Body Temperature
Your head is the most important part of the body when it comes to regulating your body's temperature. In hot weather, wearing a hat can block the sun's UV rays, which helps to keep your body temperature lower. Adversely, in cold weather, a hat can help your body preserve heat.
What does a feather in a hat symbolize? ›
To have a feather in your cap means to be recognized for doing something well. This term stems from when knights of old were recognized for bravery on the battlefield by being awarded plumes for their helmets. American Indians were also awarded feathers for their headdress for slaying their enemies.
Why did pirates wear feathers in their hats? ›
Pirates were first and foremost seamen and so they wore the clothing typical of all mariners of the period. It is true, though, that some pirates, especially the captains, did dress to impress, and colourful silks or feathered hats were a way to demonstrate success to one's victims and crew alike.
What is the history of hat feathers? ›
In Europe, feathers first became common as a hat decoration in the early 14th century. During the 16th century, hats adorned with ostrich feathers were in demand by those wealthy enough to purchase them in the fashion centres of Europe: Paris, Vienna, Florence and Prague.
When did feather in your cap originate? ›
But where did that phrase “Another Feather In Your Cap” come from? It goes back to the medieval days when knights or warriors would be rewarded for their bravery during battle by getting a feather for their head gear every time they slayed an enemy.
What does the A hat represent? ›
The hat represents authority and power. Because it covers the head, the hat contains thought; therefore, if it is changed, an opinion is changed.
What does it mean when a cowboy puts his hat on a girl? ›
Women, however, have a little leeway. A man who lets a woman wear his hat indicates that he's interested in seeing more of her — and if she takes it off him, it means that she'd like to take off some of his other attire, too.
What does wearing a feather in your hair mean? ›
It symbolizes trust, honor, strength, wisdom, power, and freedom.
