Hat

Madame Suzy

ca. 1940 · wool · Costume Institute

While not all were as tiny as the "doll hats" in fashion at the time, hats of the late 1930s and early 40s generally had a more modest profile than those of previous decade. In this example, the facility of the designer shows in the folding and pleating of the cherry-red felt, rather than in the use of more ostentatious trimming. This tasteful restraint in ornamentation and the skill evident in its shaping give the hat a certain Parisian chic. The donor of this hat gave several similar hats, showing a preference for this size and style.

Artist

Madame Suzy

Date

ca. 1940

Medium

wool

Culture

French

Department

Costume Institute

Credit line

Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Nini Turcotte, 1949