The Volcano Hat

Last year a cream and navy straw hat from the 1940s exploded into my life. I say ‘exploded’ because the online seller at Another Time Vintage Apparel called it her ‘volcano’ hat. I thought this quite an apt description, as the little hat seems to tilt up out of itself, with the navy grosgrain ribbon placed tumbling out of the well in the centre, somewhat like lava pouring out of a volcano.

The tilt hats popular in the 1940s are perhaps my favourite style just because the precarious angle at which they are worn is quite jaunty – and rather saucy! The downturned brim of some of them allows one to perfect the coy upward glance gentleman find so intriguing.

I also love the way the tilts seem to defy gravity and stiff breezes alike – it’s all down to bins and elastics securing these confections to one’s head. This was a lot easier to do when I wore my long hair in a French roll though – there was something to anchor the hats to. Cloches suit my current hairstyle more, but there’s no way I’m giving up my tilt hats any time soon. My flirting technique would be completely crippled.