Why in the world did we ever stop wearing hats? Aren't they beautiful?
Plus, think of all the stress you'd save on a bad hair day...just put
on a cute hat!
Hats must have been all the rage in the early
20th century in Logan, Utah, and the surrounding communities. From the
looks of things, every girl had more than one hat. I think they might
have been the most important fashion accessory.
Alice James, Lila James Heninger, Ethel Heninger
Naomi and Henry Heninger

Hazel and Josh Gunnell

Naomi Heninger

Hazel Heninger

Naomi Heninger holding Maxine Gunnell, her granddaughter
My
great-grandmother, Sarah Ann Brown Gunnell was a milliner or hat maker.
She wrote a short life story - this little excerpt tells how she got
her start making hats:

Sarah Ann Gunnell
"At
the age 16, I was sent to learn the millenary and dress making art to
Sister Ellen Whiton. Thereafter I followed that line in a limited way
sewing and making straw hats. My sister braiding the straw and various
patterns. I had become quite adept at making the trimming for the hats
out of the natural and died straw thus we manufactured all the family
hats and sold many."

These are her three oldest children - Rosella, Veda, and Charles - I'm sure she's the one that made their cute little hats!
What
about you - do you wish we still wore hats like they used to wear? What
kind of hat would you choose? Do you have old family photos of women
wearing hats?
I hope you'll leave me a comment and let me know - just click on "comments" below this post and follow the instructions!
This story is my contribution to the 10th edition of the Blog Carnival "Smile for the Camera."


Comments Imported from Blogger:
3
comments:
I love the hats. I like to wear baseball caps but how awesome would it be if we wore hats like those. They would be like shoes for me...get one you love and then you have to buy clothes to match it. My favorite is the one Hazel has on in the portrait. She sure was pretty! ~Jenny
I'm with you - a hat for every outfit...or an outfit for every hat!
Love all the hat photos. My Mom makes hats-crocheted-for my girls they wear them a lot-but aren't allowed to wear them to school which is a bummer.