“In your Easter bonnet, with all the frills upon it/You’ll be the grandest lady in the Easter parade.”
These lyrics are from the title song by Irving Berlin from the 1948 film Easter Parade (starring Judy Garland and Fred Astaire). How did the tradition of wearing elaborate hats at Easter come about? Easter, symbolic of rebirth, is celebrated in springtime, when the flowers begin to unfurl and animals give birth to their young, and it's believed that in premodern times people wore garlands of flowers and leaves to celebrate the end of winter and the arrival of the longer, lighter days of spring. At the end of a cold dark winter, women often gladly switched out of heavier, darker, more practical clothing and celebrated spring with pastel colors, lighter fabrics, and more frivolous hats. Manhattan's Easter parade began in the 1880s and continues today (today's hats are often over-the-top themed hats rather than the elegant chapeaux of the past)--there's still time for you to make your bonnet and book a ticket to New York!
Let's take a look at some hat patterns from the Pattern Patter team...and while we're at it, how about picking a frock to go with your lovely bonnet (interestingly, a "bonnet" is traditionally defined as a hat or cap with strings that tie under the chin, definitely NOT what we think of today as an "Easter bonnet"). And let's not forget the little ones...or the guys...or the dogs!
As always, please click on the image to enlarge it.
Middle row: Butterick 4146: PrettyPatternShop
Bottom row: Butterick 6033: PurplePlaidPenguin
Top row: Advance 2082: sewbettyanddot
Second row: Advance 9457: DejaVuPatterns
Third row: Butterick 5282: beththebooklady
Fourth row: Butterick 6766: serine23
Top row: Advance 3806: JeaniesShop
Middle row: Advance 9953: ViennasGrace
Bottom row: Advance 3806: JeaniesShop
There is a style for everyone--and that's the beauty of sewing with vintage patterns, don't you agree? Which style suits your fancy? Tell us in the comments!
I love hats, I wish we could wear fancy hats every day. Great post!
ReplyDeleteMy mother made me the coat/dress/hat in the top row when I was 5 years old. I loved the tulip hat!
ReplyDeleteGreat article, I never knew why we dressed up - other than for mass.
So many great hats! I love all of these patterns.
ReplyDeleteGreat information and lovely patterns. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteFantastic post! Thanks for all of the work you put in to this post, really well done!
ReplyDeleteI love to wear hats. When my hair was long and dark I could wear any kind. Now that it's short and grey in wear very few well. Thanks for the posting it was great!
ReplyDeleteGreat Easter finds! I especially love those 1930s/40s dresses.
ReplyDeleteEaster bonnets a beautiful way to great spring.
ReplyDeleteI loved watching all the styles of shoes go by on Easter Sunday mass. Of course, back then hats were mandatory in church and no pants for women - dresses only. I wish more people dressed up. That was the real Easter Parade. Great post Sherri!
ReplyDelete