Fashion Blogs

Create an elegant bonnet or formal hat with a touch of Romantic-era style in honor of Jane Austen's celebrated heroines. While millinery art inspired by Regency fashions typically isn't cheap to purchase, some of the decorative techniques behind those beautiful hats can be created by hand.

The basic hat choice used for these designs can be a simple straw garden variety or a rounded paper weave; what makes the hat special is the trim or ribbons, along with a few tucks and tricks of the trade that transform the hat with old-fashioned appeal. Reams of ribbon, silk flowers, and a few creative choices are the essentials needed to craft a one-of-a-kind Regency fashion tribute.

Making a Regency Bonnet

From rounded straw and paper brims to simple hand-stitched designs, the ultimate Regency-era bonnet can be surprisingly simple. A rounded scoop brim and large gathered dome highlight a formal bonnet which Austen's heroines would have worn to tea or traveling. Similar straw varieties can be purchased or crafted with patterns; finished designs are painted or covered with a thin but elegant fabric like taffeta or velvet to mimic the traditional design.

Other crafter may prefer to make their own simple bonnet using a free online pattern with modifications like paper or cardboard inserts for shaping the brim. A few pleats and tucks are also needed to shape the dome into the squashy, stylish wrinkles. Trim finished bonnets, making sure to include ribbons for tying the bonnet beneath the chin.

Ribbon Trim and Silk Flowers

Silk, satin, or cheaper synthetic ribbons are perfect for trimming bonnets. Use a pleated ribbon to wrap around a straw hat or fabric bonnet's dome, letting the ends taper into an elegant criss-cross before trimming with a decoration. Longer ribbons can be sewn beneath for tying the bonnet or hat.

Realistic silk or fabric flowers are perfect for trimming hats and bonnet with an authentic touch. Keep selections simple with dainty clusters of decorations or a few rosettes trimming the ribbons.

Decorative Ornaments for Elegant Bonnets

A truly elegant Jane Austen bonnet or hat requires an old-fashioned embellishment or two. Decorative feathers were a popular choice for trimming bonnets, from spotted guinea feathers to small, curling varieties.

Pin feathers, ribbons, or flowers in place with a decorative brooch-style piece. From vintage brooches to cheap decorative earrings, a single stone-and-setting piece or elaborate medallion makes a charming finishing touch. Large vintage pearl, metal, or gold buttons also work well.

Creative Alternatives for Chic Hats

Instead of synthetic flowers, craft blossoms and scrolls from Flame Test Lab Report to decorate hats and bonnets. Form a sea of miniature paper blossoms or a cluster sewn to the dome's base for an elegant touch. Replace craft ribbons with a length of antique or vintage lace, creating the perfect ribbon trim for hat brims and elegant cords for tying the hat beneath the wearer's chin.

A Jane Austen hat or bonnet brings out the romantic hidden within crafters and artists as they craft original pieces inspired by old-fashioned millinery. Trim a modern design with decorative tips from the era where sense and sensibility held no sway over the heroine's perfectly elegant hat.