Evening hat

Miss Sally Milgrim|Milgrim

ca. 1932 · wool, feather · Costume Institute

The fashion for "Eugénie" hats exploded in popularity following the release of Romance, a 1930 film starring Greta Garbo (1905-1990) with costumes by Gilbert Adrian. Set in the mid-19th century, the same era in which Empress Eugénie (1826-1920) reigned over the French court and influenced fashion throughout Europe, the film featured a particular hat that particularly appealed to movie audiences ready for a departure from the cloche style of the late 1920s. Worn at an angle to show off the ears and hair, the small hat trimmed with feathers and, in this example, a veil as well, epitomized coquetry. The popularity of the style represented the power of film to affect the American millinery industry.

Artist

Miss Sally Milgrim|Milgrim

Date

ca. 1932

Medium

wool, feather

Culture

American

Department

Costume Institute

Credit line

Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Mrs. George A. Bonaventure in memory of Mrs. James Steel, 1965