1860s era spoon bonnet

Here are a few images of a recently completed soft bodied 1860s era high fashion spoon bonnet I completed for a customer attending a San Francisco Dickens Festival.

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The bonnet is chocolate brown shot silk with iridescent red netting and handmade ribbon roses. Just a hint of green makes this bonnet not only holiday friendly, but a perfect year round bonnet as well.

In lieu of building a complete buckram frame, I prefer to make a soft body out of muslin that cradles the back of the head. This way, the bonnet molds to the head rather than the head conforming to the shape of the bonnet frame.

However, the bonnet brim is heavily stiffened to hold its shape over a long period of time. By combining a soft muslin body with a stiffened brim, the result is an extremely lightweight bonnet and a perfect fit.

This style of bonnet works best with a low hair style but will accommodate a mid level hair style as well.

Merry Christmas�and�Happy Holidays�from Maggie May’s Historic Clothing!

About Susan

Hi! My name is Susan and I am a historian, seamstress, teacher, mother, and wife. My passion for history has manifested itself in the art of recreating clothing from different periods of time. Growing up in the American South, I am heavily schooled in the art of recreating clothing from the 19th century. After nearly a decade of immersing myself primarily in the Victorian period, I found the need to branch out and explore other periods of time. However, it is my connection with the American South and the clothing of rural America that continues to be the driving force behind my designs. View all posts by Susan