One of Georgiana's numerous fashion achievements was her invention and popularization of what was known at the time as The Picture Hat. When she sat for Gainsborough in 1783, Georgiana wore this heavenly haberdashery which she had designed herself and after the was painting exhibited at the Royal Academy the hat became all the rage. Numerous women went straight to their milliners requesting "the picture hat" that they has seen at the Royal Academy. Whether they actually liked the oversized feathered and ribboned black hat, or were only imitating the fashionably elite is not known. But this hat resurfaced in the following century among Victorian women now called the "Gainsborough Hat".
Lauren and I are making a gallant effort to recreate our favorite 18th century hats as best we can. Under completion they will be unveiled at hat day at the Saratoga Racetrack. Whenever that is.
Some bloggers have successfully been able to recreate this hat. Given my limited experience in the
dangerous life of haberdashery, this could turn out to be very interesting. Below are some pictures I've found of this fabulous hat.
circa 1909
From the upcoming film The Duchess which I have yet to obsess upon in the blog. Notice the skull-like quality to Kiera's face, so 18th century
I am probably reiterating myself by discussing the Picture Hat but it is not to be ignored in this exploration of haberdashery! Plus, it is an all-around fabulous hat. An invention of Georgiana herself, she wore her creation when she sat for Gainsborough in 1785. When the full-length painting was exhibited in the Royal Academy exhibit women immediately ran to their respected hat-makers demanding the same hat they had just seen. Due to the hat being so new they found themselves requesting the "the Duchess of Devonshire's picture hat" since they knew nothing of the hat except that fashion-guru Georgiana was wearing it. Frankly, that was all the incentive that they needed. Judging by the following fine portraits that appear after Georgiana's portrait's creation, you can see how the trend took off. The hat itself was very simple, which was possibly part of its appeal. It consisted of a very large brim, with a sash over the crown and topped off with large drooping ostrich feathers. The hat made a comeback in the Edwardian period and was renamed the "Gainsborough Hat." The following paintings were created between 1785 and 1788.
