DAZZLING 1940s' COPPER FELT TOQUE WITH MATCHING LONG PHEASANT FEATHERS

This is a most elegant round, copper color felt toque (A small cap or bonnet having a narrow brim or no brim). There are matching colored long, curving pleasant feathers attached at the top with a bow of the same felt. Some of the feathers are green, creating a beautiful contrast. The hat was created to be worn year round, as the label states: A YEARROUNDER - Magically smart the year round. The wartime 40’s saw a huge variety of hats that were suitable for any face shape, hairstyle or personal preference. Throughout the war and on both sides of the Atlantic, elaborate creations brightened dreary utility fashions, brought about by rationing. The only items not rationed were hat materials. Explosions of feathers, veiling and artificial flowers were popular. Imprinted on the felt inside the hat: MERRIMAC HAT CORP. The Merrimac Hat Corporation rose from humble beginnings in 1856 to become the largest maker of hats and hat bodies in the U.S. by the end of World War II. Merrimac Hat Company operated two manufacturing plants at opposite ends in the town of Amesbury, Massachusetts; one made felt hats and the other produced fur hats. Abner L. Bailey founded the Merrimac Hat Company in 1856. The company grew through a series of mergers to become the largest producer of hats in the United States. This hat is in wonderful vintage condition and has been lovingly preserved among over 1300 vintage hats we have collected for 40+ years. Mannequin not for sale.