© Darna's East Angel Harbor Hat Shoppe is dedicated to designing Victorian and Edwardian hats and accessories that have both an element of realism combined with imagination; my hat designs transcends time and I truly want to enchant you and assist you on your journey to somewhere in time! My designs are exquisite reproductions of the Victorian and Edwardian Eras; as a designer, I take artistic license when adding flowers, feathers and whimsy’s to my re-creations. This is a nice quote that I like to share with you: In HAT FASHION design, we must remember there's nothing NEW, only what's been FORGOTTEN and now re-created! (author unknown) I offer gorgeous tea hats perfect for any occasion including church and weddings! When you're wearing one of my Victorian or Edwardian hat designs you'll look and feel so elegant that you will in effect be transported to another time and place. When you're getting dolled up for that special tea party, perhaps promenading down a lovely lane on the arm of your beau or becoming animated with pleasure as you dash off to the horse races. You'll transcend into another era; to an era of elegance, grandeur and total femininity. Just placing the magnificent feather and flower adorned hat on your lovely new hairdo, slipping on the delicate lace gloves and reaching for your fashionable parasol and you'll feel a rush of delight as you become a stunning picture of a lady from days gone by. I love designing Edwardian Hats! The Edwardian hat style epitomizes the elegant wide brimmed hat that perched upon upswept hairstyles (referred to as the Gibson Girl Style). Tiny waistlines were still in fashion during Edwardian times, so corsets were a must. The contrast of the huge hats to the tiny waist were epitomized in cartoons and also on postcards. For a brief period of time, the hats became so large that they became the fuel for many jokes. The Edwardian hats were adorned with luxurious plumes, mostly ostrich, but also egret feathers. By the turn of the 19th century millions of birds were being killed by plume hunters; they were paid as much as 32.00 per ounce, which made them twice their weight in gold. Eventually the price rose to 80.00 per ounce. Women were named the enemy of the bird by the Audubon society. The feathers used in today’s hats are what is referred to as "shed" feathers. The Edwardian Hat style is still desired today for re-enactments such as the Somewhere in Time event at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, MI. Also for Titanic events held each year in April. Edwardian Hats also grace the ladies who love to attend tea parties. It's a style that has ingratiated itself into our hearts and also our minds eye. Dating the Edwardian Era All available literature is clear on one point, that the Edwardian Era cannot be precisely isolated to the period of King Edward VII short reign (1901-1910). The term Edwardian may be taken to mean the period which encompasses the mid 1890s to the outbreak of World War 1 in 1914. The Titanic era is 1912. Influence of King Edward VII on Edwardian High Society London society in the Edwardian Era was dominated by the King. The legend that surrounds the era is primarily due to the influence of Edward VII. He was a man not only larger than life, but with an insatiable appetite for a wide variety of indulgences from wine to women. A picture of him in ceremonial robes is shown in the page heading. He favored ripe bodies and ripe minds, lovely women with curves that emphasized their womanhood. He liked to be surrounded by handsome women of mature years with generous natures. All these things the King appreciated in women, and because of him all these things existed. (excerpt taken from http://www.fashion-era.com/the_mood_of_edwardian_society) King Edward VII Born: 1841: Died: 1910: Reigned: 1901 -10 Eldest son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert and in 1863 married Princess Alexandra of Denmark; their second son succeeded as King George V after the death of the eldest son, the Duke of Clarence, in 1892 The first member of the Saxe-Coburg and Gotha dynasty Presented with jeweled arms and armor on his visit to India (on behalf of Queen Victoria) in 1875-6 Commissioned Alfred Gilbert to create the Art Nouveau tomb at Windsor for the Duke of Clarence As Prince of Wales lived chiefly at Marlborough House, London and at Sandringham House, Norfolk (purchased in 1862 and soon rebuilt) After his accession initiated a major refurbishment and redecoration project at Buckingham Palace Gave Osborne House and its estate to the nation in 1902 Commissioned many items from Fabergé as gifts for Queen Alexandra, including models of animals at Sandringham (taken from http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/eGallery/collector.asp?collector=KE7) The Edwardian period or Edwardian era in the United Kingdom is the period 1901 to 1910, the reign of King Edward VII. It succeeded the Victorian period and is sometimes extended to include the period up to the sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912, the start of World War I in 1914, or even the end of the war in 1918. Perhaps because of the King's fondness for travel, the period was marked by an enthusiasm for the art and fashions of continental Europe. Socially, the Edwardian era was the period during which the British class system was at its most rigid, although paradoxically, changes in social thought, particularly the rising interest in socialism, attention to the plight of the poor and the status of women, expressed in, for example, the issue of women's suffrage, together with increased economic opportunities as a result of rapid industrialization, created an environment in which there could be more social mobility and people would become more liberal. This change would be hastened in the aftermath of World War I. The upper classes embraced leisure sports, which led to rapid developments in fashion, as more mobile and flexible clothing styles were needed. The corset was modified; its everyday wearing was gradually abandoned. The arts The Edwardian Period was also known as the Belle Epoque - meaning beautiful era. Art Nouveau was a huge influence during this time on the whole of everyday life. Art has never dominated the aesthetics of an era as thoroughly as it did during this time. Despite the relatively short duration of the period, it is characterized by its own unique architectural style, fashion of dress, and even way of life. In the United States, the Edwardian Period is deemed to be followed by the Arts and Crafts Period in design and art. Theatre The theatre during the Edwardian Period is marked by the rise of the New Drama, or plays by George Bernard Shaw, Harley Granville Barker, and Continental imports by Henrik Ibsen and Gerhardt Hauptmann; the decline of the actor/manager system as headed by Sir Henry Irving, Sir George Alexander, and Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree, which ended effectively with the start of World War I; and the continued popularity of music hall performance. Literature In fiction, some of the best-known names are H.G. Wells, John Galsworthy, Arnold Bennett, Joseph Conrad, E.M. Forster and P.G. Wodehouse. Apart from these famous writers, this was a period when an enormous amount of novels and short stories were being published and consumed, and a significant distinction between highbrow literature and popular fiction was emerging. Among the most famous works of literary criticism was A.C. Bradley's Shakespearean Tragedy (1904). A selection of significant events 1902: End of Second Boer War in South Africa. 1908: Olympics held in London. 1909: Louis Blériot crosses English Channel by air. 1910: Creation of Union of South Africa. 1912: Sinking of the RMS Titanic. 1914: Start of World War I. (See also Britain in World War I.) 1915: Failed British invasion of Gallipoli. 1916: Battle of the Somme. 1917: United States enters World War I. 1918: End of World War I. Influenza pandemic. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edwardian_period The Victorian era began in 1837 when Victoria (born 1819, reigned 1837-1901) became Queen of England…she ruled until she died in 1901. Hers was the longest reign in United Kingdom's history. TheVictorian era encompasses an extremely large array of hat styles from tiny little hats that perched on your head to large and elegant feather and flower laden hats. The utilization of flowers and feathers and even using whole birds became a near obsession with the hat designers and hat wearer of this era. The following will give you an idea of what style of hat was worn during the Victorian Era: The Victorian Era (1837-1901) began when Queen Victoria took the throne in England. The styles that followed gave birth to a fantastic hodgepodge of women's bonnets and hats. The bonnet was the fashion statement of the 1840's; a refined straw base adorned with tulle, ribbons, laces, artificial flowers, grapes, fruits, leaves, small birds, feathers, and ostrich tips; it had a modesty drape to cover the neck. Women who gardened or lived in the countryside wore the wide brimmed Gipsy to protect their face from the sun. The 1850's saw the brim of the bonnet grow smaller allowing the face and the hair to show. This particular style of hat began its insurgence into society by being worn by young women of the day, older women considered it to be unladylike and rather fast. By the late 1850's the riding hat was introduced and it was fabulously adorned with exotic plumes and ribbons. The 1860's also saw a change in the style of the bonnet; from the round shape to the oval spoon bonnet and with the new hairstyles, came the dainty bonnet that sat atop the bun. The younger set craved even more daring styles: forward tilting pillboxes and porkpies. On the seashore and in the countryside the gipsy and the straw skimmer which was a wide brimmed flat hat held in place by hatpins. These remained the popular choice to keep the complexion peaches and cream. The 1870's began with the smaller hats of the 60's, but by the end of the decade as hair styles changed so did the hat; a scaled down version of the wide brimmed Gainsborough from the 18th century reappeared. The most common material used in hat making had been straw, but now hats began being formed over wire frames and covered with velvets, silks, and lace. The 1880's saw the hat get bigger with higher crowns and a small version of the top hat adorned with tulle became the popular riding hat. By the 1890's hats were more popular than bonnets and the trim was wired to incredible heights, the more elaborate the better. As women became more active, straw boaters and fedoras were being worn for hiking, bicycling and tennis. The Edwardian period began when Queen Victoria’s son, Edward, became King of England; his reign ended in 1910. This period saw the first phases of the larger wide brimmed hat. The Titanic Era was named for the British ship that went down in the North Atlantic April 14, 1912 when she struck an iceberg about 400 miles off Newfoundland, Canada. This era saw an influx of truly large and even more elaborate hat designs and these are some of my favorites. And although the Edwardian period ended in 1909; these large and elaborate designs are associated with that time period. The Titanic Era was followed by WW I and the world was not focusing on style as it had been before...however styles for women were at the beginning of a major change. By the time the Flapper Era emerged in and around 1926, the hemline rose on shift-like shapeless dresses and corsets became a thing of the past. The stockings were rolled down below the knees and the knees were rouged. The hair style became a close cut bob and although wider brimmed hats were still in style, the cloche hat which fit very tightly to the head became all the rage with these "modern" women. I love delving into the designs of the more exotic French bonnets as well as the more elaborate and lavish styles worn by actresses, such as Lillie (Lily) Langtry (1853-1929) and Lillian Russell (1861-1922). These more elaborate styles worn by the actresses of the nineteenth century were brought to life by actress Mae West (1893-1980) in her movies...such as Belle of the Nineties, Klondike Annie and Every Day’s a Holiday. Lovely illustrations of the more lavish styled hat can also be seen in early twentieth century European postcards. Lillian Russell (1861-1922). Lillie Langtry's autobiography The Days I Knew was published in 1925. My favorite movies starring Mae West(1893-1980) Belle of the Nineties Klondike Annie Every Day's a Holiday My Little Chickadee She Done Him Wrong POINTS of INTEREST The Costumer's Manifesto

TM Designer and Shoppe Owner: Darna Michie Darna's East Angel Harbor Hat Shoppe has been Established on line since July 2002 I'm a cottage industry. It's just ME designing and creating hats, accessories and jewelry; I strive to make each hat or item as unique as possible! To find a style of hat that you're searching for, you can click on a category in the search box above or click on a photo below. God Bless America! To find a hat for your event Click on the photos below: Victorian Tea Hat Edwardian Tea Hat Red Tea Hat Purple Tea Hat Pink Tea Hat Titanic Tea Hat Victorian Sass Hat Southern Belle Tea Hat Flapper Hat Kentucky Derby Hat Victorian & Edwardian Cape or Shawl Church Hat Victorian Parasol Somewhere in Time Hat Victorian Riding Hat Top Hats & Derby Hats Darna I accept Visa, AMEX, MC & Discover cards Just CALL: 509-233-8007 Shop Hours: 9-5 pm Pacific Time Click here for TERMS of SALE TESTIMONIALS HAT BOXES FANS & BOAS GIFT CERTIFICATES Copyright 2006 Darna Michie WEBPAGE updated August 14, 2008