Trimming a Straw Regency Bonnet

 My goodness, it has been a month of Sundays since my last blog post!  Fear not, the blog has not been entirely abandoned, as I do still believe long-form content to have its place and value - especially for teaching new sewists and even as a reference for those with decade(s) of experience.  Though, I confess my updates will continue to be more regular over on my Instagram @youngsewphisticate and Facebook Page - so if you don't already, you might consider following there to stay up to date with the latest adventures and projects.

For my few, but dedicated blog followers, today I have two posts planned.  The first is the one you are currently reading on the trimming on a Regency Era straw bonnet, and the second will include a tutorial on making Romantic Era tucked petticoats.  I am attempting to document projects from 2024 at least, which include a few more catch-up posts and some exciting plans ahead.  As always, thanks for reading - and I hope you enjoy today's blog posts: 

I spent this past Easter weekend taking in the sites of New York City - from museums to the Broadway stage with Chelsea - to strolling down Fifth Avenue with Cheyney and her crew during the annual Easter Parade!  While I may not have had time to make a whole new outfit, I absolutely needed an Easter bonnet for the parade, and evening's Easter Egg Strut, hosted by the one and only Dandy Wellington & his band!

Years ago, I had commissioned another friend and straw milliner, Anna Worden, of the blog: If I Had My Own Blue Box and her shop: A Milliner's Whimsy, to reproduce a specific style of Regency Era poke bonnet that I fondly refer to as my "mailbox."  Anna painstakingly handstitched, wired, and blocked this straw beauty - which I newly trimmed for the NYC trip.

Historical Inspiration

Again, I fell in love with this 1810s to early 1820s style poke bonnet, of which there are several extant examples to study, including this one which was sold at auction: 

Poke bonnet, c.1810 - 1815.
Meg Andrews auction website, sold.

While the images are not the best, the accompanying description is a little more helpful: "with deep crown and upturned brim, all in a narrow plaited straw, the brim edge of crin (horsehair) and straw, lined with palest eau de nil silk the brim area covering a card support, the wide ribbons in shades of rose pink with brown and gold plaid, edged with silk tufts, crown 6 3/4 or 7 cm deep; ribbon 6 in or 15 cm."  I followed suit with pleating ivory silk along the brim of mine, and attaching wide ribbon ties inside at ear-level. 

Here's another example of the style, dated 1815 - 1820 from the Snowshill Wade Costume Collection, National Trust:  I just love the curve of the brim, and took note of the ribbon placements as well. 

Poke bonnet, c.1815 - 1820.
Snowshill Wade Costume Collection, National Trust: 1349493

Construction Details

Do you want to know a (not so secret) secret about me?  While I certainly can - and have done millinery in the past, I much prefer to purchase blanks (or completed pieces) pieces from my talented friends, like Anna Worden!  Plus, it's just nice to be able to support their business, and thoroughly enjoy wearing a bespoke original.  I took a few pictures of the straw blank before decorating it to admire its curves - and the way that Anna shapes and stitches straw into beautiful period pieces never ceases to amaze me: 

Hand-sewn straw poke bonnet, made by Anna Worden.
Find her custom historical hats and bonnets at: A Millinery's Whimsy

Anna made the crown very deep to fit over all of my hair -
all of those circular rows of straw are mesmerizing!

And this is where I stopped taking in-progress pictures, unfortunately...the next step was to cover or line the brim.  I pleated and stitched a rectangle of ivory silk taffeta along the brim and a couple inches into the crown to act as a facing.  I might go back and add a full lining too, to keep the straw from snagging on my hair.

Ivory silk taffeta pleated along the brim and interior facing.

With my deadline quickly approaching, there was no time to order new millinery flowers or ribbons, so I decorated with what I could find in the stash.  Starting with a wide, royal purple moiré ribbon, I pleated and tacked a length along the outer crown like the extant examples, and made a few big bows for the sides and center back.  I twisted together a wreath of various vintage silk and velvet flowers, and covered the wire stems with floral tape.  Once everything was secured in place, I added long moiré ribbon ties to the inside.  

All of the trimmings - vintage moiré ribbon and silk and velvet millinery flowers - came from the stash.

Completed Project Pictures

With a full trimmed bonnet, I was ready for the NYC Easter Parade! 

And a few more wearing my bonnet with my Easter OOTD (outfit of the day) - there are lot more pictures on my social media from both events (morning parade and Easter Egg Strutt) too! 

Thanks again, Cheyney, for inviting me along for a truly NYC Easter experience!

My parade look, complete with American Duchess "Emma" boots
& borrowed golden cloak from Cheyney!

My look for the Easter Egg Strut, including new accessories for a favorite Regency dress.
Now that I know the dress code - I want to step it up for next year!

Thank you for reading & special thanks to our generous patrons! 

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