It's true that no respectable 18th c lady would step out with an uncovered head, and preferably with a head covered by both a linen cap and a hat. But the flat, wide-brimmed hats that were so fashionable in 1770 can also serve a purpose beyond style and modesty. On this early morning with a slanting autumn sun, left, these two ladies - interpreters in Colonial Williamsburg - know there's no better way to keep the brightness from your eyes than a hat of fine Milano straw.
Alas, all of this glorious sunshine will soon be gone - the weather forecast predicts rain and a thirty-degree drop in temperatures tomorrow.
Definitely practical, and also very pretty! :D
ReplyDeleteSo funny. Almost all re-enactors I know choose their hats based on “amount of shade provided” (cause we miss our sunglasses).
ReplyDeleteHow pretty! I was just in Williamsburg - now I'm home and I miss it :( Thanks for the pretty reminder!
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