Historical information

Fur hats were a necessary accoutrement for fashionable women who wore furs. Typically, the fur hat might be purchased from the furrier to match the colour and often the pelt of the coat or stole, rather than from a milliner. Hats, like coats and stoles were often dyed to achieve uniformity of colour. Tastes in the colour of furs also changed over time, so hats, coats and stoles could be updated to match prevailing tastes. Until the 1960s in Australia, there were many furriers, who usually brought from Europe experience in identifying fur types. With the decline in the fur industry, these skills are noticeably scarcer in Australia today.

Significance

The Kew Historical Society’s fashion and design collection is comprised of costumes, hats, shoes and personal accessories. Many of these items were purchased or handmade in Victoria; some locally in Kew. The extensive hat collection comprises items dating from the 1860s to the 1970s. Most of the hats in the collection were created by milliners for women. There are however a number of early and important men’s hats in the collection. The headwear collection is particularly significant in that it includes the work of notable Australian and international milliners.

Physical description

Circular, brimless women's fur hat.

Inscriptions & markings

Nil