For the relatively wealthy, the Edwardian Era was an age of elegance in female fashion. The drab dresses associated with Victoriian times took a back seat to modern fashions that were ever-changing, and often designed by famous fashion houses.
This was also a time when nobody left the house without wearing a hat. Even the poorest people wore one, and the wealthy would own several, changing them during the day for different occasions. When travelling, the expensive hats were transported in strong hat-boxes, as not having the right hat was unthinkable.
The trend was for hats to get larger, and fancier. Many were ridiculously large, and fancy in the extreme. Here are some examples.
beetleypete 
Fashions tend to become more and more elaborate and decadent before they change. I’ve seen some quite ridiculous hats on the heads of the current royalty.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Our Royal Family’s hats have no class at all. The Edwardians would be horrified to see them.
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLiked by 1 person
They are impressive, but I remember reading about the incredible amount of birds that were killed to create those hats, and I can only say it’s good that the fashion changed, or there would be none left by now. Thanks, Pete.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, they must have slaughtered so many lovely birds to provide the feathers. They had very different attitudes to animals at the time of course.
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLike
I think there must have been an awful lot of ostriches missing their feathers. I once wrote a story that included a character wearing such a hat. She was very prissy.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, those poor Ostriches! 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Has o plenty, smiles not so much. I guess that means hats were only for the serious. Warmest regards, Ed
LikeLiked by 1 person
I suspect they kept their faces rigid for the necessary long exposures, Ed.
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Easier to be stern and the like than to smile. Warmest regards, Ed
LikeLiked by 1 person
(1) I’m going to stick my neck out and theorize that those humongous hats were cervical spine crushers. #C1-C7
(2) Scientists now say that the reason a giraffe’s neck is so long is that it never wore a hat.
(3) A ten-gallon hat only holds three quarts of whiskey. But most dusty saloon patrons were too drunk to care that penny-pinching western hatters had shortchanged them.
(4) We have western stores here in Las Vegas that feature plenty of cowboy hats, proof that we’re doing our part to appease the country’s mad hatters. #WesternWonderland
(5) I now own a black cowboy hat. I knew that I’d have to eventually face the music and buy one. (No one but Pete will get this comment.)
(6) Milliners are a sad lot these days.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Millers and Milliners are both dying trades. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Those hats would be good for social distancing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Most definitely! 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I feel quite bold wearing a fedora with a feather or two. These hats were something else! Fascinating to look at, wouldn’t fancy wearing them. I wonder what the ladies of the time would make of our bare headed ways today?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Going out without a hat would be scandalous, Helen! 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLike
A lost slice of fashion art indeed!
LikeLiked by 1 person
One that has never ‘come back in fashion’ either. 🙂
Maybe it is time for huge hats again?
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLike
Over- sized hats for women are as rare as bras were during the 60’s.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I was brought up with women who usually wore hats. But they were not as big as these in the late 1950s. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I guess a lady had to practice walking and moving her head. Great photos, Pete.
LikeLiked by 2 people
They all wore hats as children of course, so had time to develop such skills.
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I hadn’t thought about that. Best to you, Pete.
LikeLiked by 1 person
How did they not break their necks? I don’t get on with hats and with one of those, I can imagine that it would have been everywhere except on the back of my head. I have never understood why we allow fashion designers to dictate. I have a photo of my grandmother obviously taken in a studio. Perhaps they provided clothes for photos? I certainly never saw her dressed up. She had 6 children and was widowed in her 40’s. Life was very tough yet she still had a twinkle in her eye. I wish I had managed to know her better.
LikeLiked by 1 person
There are many photos of women wearing such hats in public, Carolyn. I think they were just used to wearing them from childhood, so thought nothing of it.
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLike
Cool photos….kinda reminds me of the hat Carmen Miranda wore in the Bob Hope movie…..well done chuq
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, Carmen’s famous ‘Fruit Hat’! 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLiked by 1 person
wow, I would tip over! imagine all of the birds involved ), beautiful though –
LikeLiked by 1 person
There must have been some skill involved in being able to spend hours with one of those on your head. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow, some of these must have been really heavy.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I can’t imagine wearing the biggest ones. It must have been hard to stop them falling off.
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I suppose they wore hatpins, but some of those hats are preposterous!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Bonkers 🤣
LikeLiked by 1 person
Fashion extremes have always been a bit bonkers. Funny to look back on though. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Indeed!
LikeLiked by 1 person
These are brilliant, Pete!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have long been fascinated by huge hats, Sue. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLiked by 1 person
😄😄😂
LikeLiked by 1 person