Abstract
This is a thesis about hats which were not only worn by ordinary women in Britain but made by them too. Home-made fashion has generally been overlooked in fashion histories which have prioritised couture creations worn by social elites. This thesis argues that, for many women living through the first half of the twentieth century, millinery, an essential aspect of dress, was a ‘do it yourself’ affair, and this amateur aspect of fashion, now marginalised and forgotten, was something culturally significant.The current questioning of the social and environmental impact of so-called ‘fast fashion,’ and revival of interest in home-made clothing gives a context to this study. My aims are to consider the home-made millinery of ordinary women from an earlier period ‘from the inside out,’ using recreative methodologies, to better understand their motivations for making, to see and think with the hand of the makers, and to appreciate their skills and material resourcefulness. Using my own skills as a maker, this thesis presents a series of re-making exercises, following period hat patterns and designs used by amateur makers c.1920-1949 from the collection of Worthing Museum and Art Gallery, to consciously engage with the processes of making. Hats were a sensitive social index: this thesis therefore asks, what kinds of hats were made by female amateur milliners in the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s? Why did women make their own millinery in a period where ready-made, mass produced items were increasingly available? Which kinds of tacit knowledge are revealed by the recreative analysis of home-made millinery? How can this analysis enhance our understanding of everyday fashion and amateur handicraft in this historical period? This thesis challenges the perceived lack of requirement of specialist knowledge required for amateur millinery and argues that this amateur craft formed a widespread and complex social, cultural and economic activity which enabled makers to engage with aspects of modernity and identity and to produce a whole range of creative, fashionable and communicative objects. It also argues that examining examples of amateur millinery as repositories of tacit knowledge via object based, recreative methodologies can broaden and enrich our understanding of making.The current questioning of the social and environmental impact of so-called ‘fast fashion,’ and revival of interest in home-made clothing gives a context to this study. My aims are to consider the home-made millinery of ordinary women from an earlier period ‘from the inside out,’ using recreative methodologies, to better understand their motivations for making, to see and think with the hand of the makers, and to appreciate their skills and material resourcefulness. Using my own skills as a maker, this thesis presents a series of re-making exercises, following period hat patterns and designs used by amateur makers c.1920-1949 from the collection of Worthing Museum and Art Gallery, to consciously engage with the processes of making. Hats were a sensitive social index: this thesis therefore asks, what kinds of hats were made by female amateur milliners in the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s? Why did women make their own millinery in a period where ready-made, mass produced items were increasingly available? Which kinds of tacit knowledge are revealed by the recreative analysis of home-made millinery? How can this analysis enhance our understanding of everyday fashion and amateur handicraft in this historical period? This thesis challenges the perceived lack of requirement of specialist knowledge required for amateur millinery and argues that this amateur craft formed a widespread and complex social, cultural and economic activity which enabled makers to engage with aspects of modernity and identity and to produce a whole range of creative, fashionable and communicative objects. It also argues that examining examples of amateur millinery as repositories of tacit knowledge via object based, recreative methodologies can broaden and enrich our understanding of making.
| Date of Award | Jul 2024 |
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| Original language | English |
| Awarding Institution |
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| Supervisor | Annebella Pollen (Supervisor), Charlotte Nicklas (Supervisor) & Gerry Connolly (Supervisor) |