An interesting challenge! A client brought 4 elaborately decorated pillboxes she had discovered on Ebay. The original hats were all very small and rigid, she wanted them transformed into a larger less precious hats she could wear more comfortably.
After considerable musing I decided to use this hat brim with its gracefully arched bicorne shape and blocked the new brim using a light blue felt.
I used similar ribbon roses, embroidered leaves and lace to extend and integrate the elaborate trim style onto the brim and cover the join between the two pieces.
Lastly, I used curled ostrich plumes to soften the flat top of the pillbox and give height to the hat. The finished hat is suggestive of the head wear fashions of 18th Century nobility.
