Friday, May 23, 2008

Hatpin History - A Woman's Crowning Glory


Stunning , sparkly, and very sharp. Mysterious.

The Hatpin.




A vintage piece of the past we no longer use. But for some reason, we love to collect and display them.





Here is a bit of history of the hatpin from The American Hatpin Society:


Prized by antique collectors today, hatpins were commonplace and controversial. They ranged in size between 6 and 12 inches long depending on the size of the hat they needed to secure to a woman’s head. They were fancy or practical, made from every available material ranging from precious metals to gemstones to plastics and paste. Hatpin makers marketed their products to the various levels of society, ranging from the extremely ornate and expensive to the simple and functional. The heyday of the hatpin was between the 1880's and 1920’s, after which hair styles became short and the hats became smaller making the pins unnecessary.
(Thank you - SOLD!)


I've been collecting hatpins for several years now. I had seen them in antique malls and had been drawn to their glitz and glamour. After I started attending local auctions I was able to acquire a few of my own to keep...and some to pass on to others for their own collections. They always seem to sell out. They get harder and harder to find and unfortunately, for the antique dealer, the price keeps going up when bidding. But I just had to bid on a hatpin holder and a few pins for the Bella Rosa store. It just seemed like the right fit.






This one is my favorite...it has a ruby colored stone in it. I just have one hatpin left in the store, Bella Rosa Antiques, if you'd like to see what's available.

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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Loved your hatpin info!! There has got to be a good use for them....let me think for a while on that one. If not, I agree, they are beautiful to collect.

Thanks for stopping by. I will definitely check out the sale!!

Warm Regards,
Karen Eileen

Anonymous said...

As always Jillian fantastic finds on your hat pins and I loved all the history you gave on them, well done. Things sure have changed since then in the way we dress, from ultra formal to so casual.