"Fashion is indestructible."

I'm not sure whether hats are more in the air than usual these days or whether I'm just paying more attention to it because of this blog.  Today in fashion history, for instance, we were discussing Elsa Schiaparelli, who I'm sure most of you are familiar with for creations such as this:

shoe hat by Elsa Schiaparelli, 1938

Schiaparelli is most known for her collaborations with artists such as Dali and Cocteau, especially with regards to her accessories.  In designing these, she took many liberties and came up with some of the most original, "out-there" fashion pieces, many of which can be considered modern and avant-garde even today.  The shoe hat is one of her most iconic and whimsical creations, though I'm still on the fence about it.  There's certainly a part of me that would love to wear that every day (it is, as my teacher called it, a "statement piece") though I can't stop thinking about the looks I'd get walking down the streets of Queens with what appears to be a shoe on my head.  (At the same time, there's also a part of me that wants to design hat shoes... just because.)

My teacher then brought up another famous fashion figure of the 1930s, a man who went by the name of Monsieur Antoine.  Monsieur Antoine, also considered the world's first celebrity hairdresser, was known for his over-the-top, decadent lifestyle.  To give you an idea, he lived in a glass house in Paris and at one point dyed his dog's hair blue.  And during the discussion, our teacher posted this photo:

Elsa Schiaparelli in bathing cap designed by Monsieur Antoine, early/mid-1930s

As I'm sure you can imagine, alarm bells went off in my head.  This bathing cap made of gold hair looks oddly similar to the 1920s bullion hair cloche I had posted on this blog a while ago.

But alas, I don't see Surrealism being particularly relevant in the year 2011, and as our lecture moved forward into the 1940s I came across themes that seemed a lot more current, especially in light of recent [political] events.

It all began with this photo:

photograph by Cecil Beaton for British Vogue, 1941: London after the Blitz

Wartime fashion was not about nonsense, but rather "the business of life." Rations were put into effect to channel as many supplies as possible to the military, and fabrics and leather were certainly no exceptions.   I won't go into too much detail about this as there are many excellent books and articles on the topic.  The important idea for me was that even when everything has been destroyed, fashion lives on.  In fact, looking fashionable in spite of the war turned into a matter of national pride.  Women could not allow themselves to look shabby in order to keep up morale.

Women riding bicycles in German-occupied Paris

Naturally, the restrictions on materials led to a great number of innovations in fashion, especially in the United States, which was no longer able to look at the Paris couture houses for direction.  Hats, in particular, became one area where the most fun could be had:

 

Shortage of hair dyes as well as water rations meant women had to find ways of keeping their hair clean and stylish, and these were some reasons that made the turban hat look extremely popular and practical.  Hats were small enough to be more embellished than clothing, and sometimes women would use unconventional materials such as newspaper to decorate and update their hats.  Does that remind you of anything else?

The more and more I study fashion history, the more I am starting to see hats as the most powerful fashion item, rather than simply another accessory.