Acartwheel hat (alsocart wheel hat) is a hat with a wide-brimmed circular or saucer-shaped design. It may be made in a variety of materials, includingstraw orfelt and usually has a low crown. It may be similar to thepicture hat andhalo-brimmed hat in shape.[1] Typically, it is worn at an angle to show off the curve of the brim, rather than being worn at the back of the head in the manner of a halo hat.
The cartwheel hat became popular in the years leading up toWorld War I. TheMilwaukee Sentinel described the new fashion in 1914: "Do not be astounded if you notice a smartly gowned woman with a hat of huge proportions...The new large hats are broad brimmed and have low crowns, which are not discernible when the hat is worn, hence they resemble cartwheels tilted at a becoming angle".[2] These early versions might be covered invelvet,taffeta orsilk; some included flower, fur or feather trims.[2]
The cartwheel hat appeared in films and fashion during the 1930s – an American newspaper described the latest Paris fashion for straight and curled-brim cartwheel designs in 1934. The correspondent described crowns so shallow that hats had to be secured with a rubber band above or below the hair, which must be "perfectly coiffed" as it was revealed by the hat.[3] In 1936, an Australian newspaper report about racegoers at Brisbane'sAscot racing meeting noted the abundance of: "wide-brimmed shady hats of the cartwheel type".[4] The following year,The Observer described: "cartwheel hats with exceedingly low crowns and brims which slope very slightly downwards", also noting that London millinerAage Thaarup was showing versions forAscot in straw and lemon-yellow felt.[5]
One of the most influential showcases of the potential of the style was the 1939 filmGone with the Wind, in whichVivien Leigh (Scarlett O'Hara) wore a huge cartwheel with green ribbons designed by celebrity millinerMr. John.[6][7]
While aHattie Carnegie cartwheel design appeared on the cover of AmericanVogue in 1938, the style is most associated with the period afterWorld War II austerity and make-do-and-mend was over.[8] By 1945, new cartwheel styles were being offered with open crowns.[9]
_still_1.JPG)
Four years later,Rita Hayworth wore a variation on the cartwheel made of sheer material to match the pleatedJacques Fath dress for her 'low key' wedding toAly Khan – an event that generated huge interest and replica designs of her outfit.[10][11] By spring 1950, the cartwheel hat was being tipped inLife alongside pleated dresses as the: "new silhouette". The hat designs featured were also by Mr. John.[12] A month later,Life noted: "The recent tendency to go bareheaded has been reversed simply because the new season's narrow silhouette looks better when balanced with a hat." The article singled out the cartwheel in a new "unseasonal" coral velvet.[13]
The cartwheel became particularly closely associated withNew Look fashions. Dior's Y-line collection of autumn 1955 showcased cartwheel hats, paired with pearls, princess-line dresses and stoles.[14] While the size and shape of hats could be extreme, such designs were made not just for day but evening wear; theVictoria and Albert Museum archive includes aChristian Dior cocktail frock designed to be worn with matchingtulle cartwheel hat.[15]
High-profile wearers of the style includedQueen Elizabeth who wore a straw cartwheel shape on her tour of Australia the year after hercoronation – although her hat was less extreme than some of the Dior models.[16]
The cartwheel hat has continued as a favourite showstopper for weddings and events – with designers such asPhilip Somerville,Graham Smith andFrederick Fox including them in their millinery ranges.[17][18] There have also been notable revivals in high fashion;Christian Lacroix featured dramatic forward-angled designs in his 1987 autumn collection.[19] He also featured cartwheel shapes in neon orange and shocking pink in 2002.[20]