A couple of weeks ago I stood in a thrift shop holding a 1930s-era cloche hat. The black velvet crown seemed in good condition, though it looked "off."
All done and ready to wear...
I set the hat tentatively on my head, finding it too small. I put it down and moved on looking to see what else I could find. Two steps away, I turned back and picked up the hat again.
How I found it...
Upon closer examination, I realized why it seemed "off." Someone had tried to make it smaller by adding an odd dart under the band and crimping the crown circumference. On a whim, I got it.
The remains of the dart on the right...
When I arrived home, I tried my hand at a bit of renovation. I clipped the threads of the crimp, and un-bent the wire in the binding of the brim. The velvet crown held the shadow of the crease and the ribbon band had been trimmed. I tried it on... and it fit!
I wanted to do something fun with the hat... and considered painting it like I had other hats. Given its age, I just couldn't do anything that could not be reversed. So painting was out.
One of my other painted hats...
I considered searching out the 1930s ribbon and restoring it to a more authentic state. Given the crimp, I decided there were probably other hats out there as better museum pieces. Besides, I wanted to wear it. So I didn't feel the need to do actual restoration work.
Since the original hatband no longer fit around the crown, I tried a variety of substitutes.
Side note: A few years ago, my friend Cristina, went to Europe and brought me some absolutely scrumptious vintage trim. Unsure of where to use it, it went in my stash.
Lovely vintage trim...
Fast forward: I remembered that beautiful trim. I liked the vivid colors on the velvety black of the hat, so to me, it didn't matter if they were from different eras.
I stitched the new band in place. There remained an ever so slightly odd look to the crown from the crimp. I decided a few fluffy black feathers would cover it nicely.
And just like that, my new-to-me hat was ready to wear. Shortly thereafter, I placed it on my head and went out and about. The grin on my face conveyed my pleasure upon getting several compliments on the hat.
I love it when it works.