Cloche hats were a rage in the 1920s and seems like they are back in vogue and it'd be pretty interesting to know how to make them. Read on to learn how to make a cloche hat.
Cloche is what the French call a bell and therefore this hat is called a cloche hat. Its design was quite a rage amongst the women in 1920s, and with many women still wanting to have a couple of them in their collection, definitely implies that they have not quite disappeared from the world of fashion.
In the era where they were highly popular, they were not simply worn as a fashion accessory but were often adorned with ribbons attached on their circumference and different styles of ribbons denoted different meanings.
Ribbons with arrows on it suggested that the lady was single and in a relationship, the one with knots indicated that she was married and a bright and colorful bow implied that the woman was single and interested in dating.
The Guidelines
Making a cloche hat involves the following considerations.
● The first crucial bit in making is the measurement. Remember, this is a close-fitting hat and therefore one must be very careful with the measurement. Even an inch extra could make it look clumsy when worn.
So to get the exact measurements, place the measuring tape at the center of the forehead. Take it around the head, under the bump, at the back of the head, and then to the front from where you started.
● Next comes picking the right pattern that suits your style and taste. Cloche patterns mostly include four pieces and a fusible interfacing is recommended to get the proper fit even if your chosen pattern does not mention involving it.
● Choosing a fabric that is comfortable to wear and easy to maintain is important and therefore you might want to consider going for wool, felt, lycra, or even leather (depending on where you intend to use).
The fabric will consist of two lengths ― upholstery fashion fabric and lining fabric. It's better if you go for a color that contrasts with the upholstery type.
● Also choose the embellishments that you'd like to adorn your hat with and they could be anything from a ribbon to jewels to flowers. Anything that would suit the fabric, texture, and the color of the hat.
● Making a cloche hat is pretty easy with the fact that, once you have all the materials assembled including the sewing machines, the needles, thread, scissors etc, all you need to do is, follow the instructions that come with the patterns.
Laying it out, cutting it, and finally sewing it is all that needs to be done to produce a perfect hat. Please note that you should try the hat and then machine-stitch the two side seams at the crown region to ensure that it fits perfectly, just as a cloche hat should.
● Once it is completely stitched, add the adornments.
Cloches are great for a casual look as well as for a dressy look. In fact, it's one of the versatile hats that can be worn in winters and is also one of the top choices when it comes to women's summer hats.