Cloche hats
Cloche hats, characterized by their bell-shaped, close-fitting design, gained immense popularity among American women during the 1920s. The name "cloche" comes from the French word for "bell," reflecting its distinctive shape. Initially popularized by the Parisian milliner Caroline Reboux, the cloche was made from various fabrics, with wool felt being the most common, making it accessible to women across different socioeconomic backgrounds. The hat's simple styling marked a departure from the elaborate designs of previous decades, and it complemented the era's trendy bobbed hairstyles.
Cloches became closely associated with the flapper lifestyle, symbolizing women's newfound independence during the Jazz Age. They were often adorned with ribbons, feathers, and other embellishments, allowing wearers to express personal style. The cloche's practical design also made it suitable for sports and outdoor activities. Notable figures like Amelia Earhart and Hollywood stars frequently wore cloches, solidifying their status in popular culture. Though its prominence waned by the 1930s, the cloche remains an iconic representation of 1920s fashion, reflecting broader societal changes and the evolving role of women during that period.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Cloche hats
Hugely popular during the 1920s, the cloche was frequently worn by models in fashion advertisements. It was promoted by Coco Chanel, whose classic little black dress was debuted in 1926 by a model wearing the simple, elegant hat. The cloche was closely linked with flappers and their lifestyles and interests.
The cloche, a bell-shaped and close-fitting style of hat named after the French word for “bell,” was ubiquitous among American women in the 1920s. The term was first used in this context in a 1907 issue of London’s Westminster Gazette, and in 1908 it was cited as a popular hat worn by Parisian women. Caroline Reboux, a milliner working in Paris, France, is credited with its creation. Reboux’s process was improvised: She fit a length of felt to her customer’s head for sizing and then cut, folded, and sewed the cloche. American women wore cloches made from a variety of fabrics, including silk, velour, cotton, and straw, but wool felt was the most common material. Such a range of materials made the cloche a truly democratic style, accessible for women from a wide range of classes and economic strata.
Basically unstructured, the cloche’s simplicity of style and shape was a departure from the large, ornate styles and extensive frameworks that characterized the hats of the previous decade and century. Its snug fit complemented the popular bobbed hair, and its eyebrow-length brim added to the mystique of the flapper, emphasizing her kohl-lined eyes. The cloche’s stylistic simplicity also made it ideal for ornamentation and customization by its owner. Women rimmed their brims with wide grosgrain ribbon and glued feathers, beads, and other objects to the hat’s exterior. It was considered a sporty hat, and women often donned it to play tennis or golf, or to ride in cars or motorcycles. Aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart posed for photos wearing a cloche, and the majority of Hollywood’s film stars sported one in public. Newspaper stories in the New York Times’ fashion pages debated the hat’s longevity as a trend at least five or six times a year. Toward the end of the decade, wearers put a new spin on the cloche by flipping up the brim to mimic the appearance of a sailor’s cap, thereby extending the craze. The cloche remained popular into the 1930s and still occasionally graces the pages of fashion magazines, but it is most representative of the 1920s.
Impact
As a functional and stylish hat, the cloche symbolized American women’s independence and reflected the changes in aesthetics and values that swept the United States during the Jazz Age.
Bibliography
Lehnert, Gertrud. A History of Fashion in the 20th Century. Cologne: Konemann, 2000.
Shannon, David. Between the Wars: America, 1919–1941. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1965.