Women's Caps?

[cosmoblue]

Do you have recommendations for caps? Which patterns? Which fabrics? Share pics if you could.

[Mrs. Goblin]

cosmoblue said:

Do you have recommendations for caps? Which patterns? Which fabrics? Share pics if you could.

My recommendation is that more women should wear caps. ;D

If I remember correctly, I found some line drawings of several cap varieties and made something up from there. You can't see more than the front ruffle in this picture because I had my bonnet over it for all the photos. D'oh! goblinrevolution.org/cgi-bin/pic_frame.cgi?pic=laha-austen.2005-5.jpg;list=indicies/lahaausten2005.index;base=costumes

But, honestly, most of my outfits are meant for balls, so while headgear is important, caps, per se, are not (being more of a day thing, IIRC.) Still, the regency offers so many options. Turbans, caps, etc...

Turban: goblinrevolution.org/cgi-bin/pic_frame.cgi?pic=wash.irving.3_00.png;list=indicies/washirving2004.index;base=costumes

"beret" hat: goblinrevolution.org/cgi-bin/pic_frame.cgi?pic=cyprians-2006-03.jpg;list=indicies/cyprians2006.index;base=costumes

Hope this helps. I'm looking forward to see what others say. I need a new cap.

[dawnluckham]

I’m in total agreement that Regency women tended to cover their heads both indoors and outdoors more often than we see at period events. Even if you are not wearing a cap, other headdress options should be explored. Turbans, diadems, and ruffled and frilly beribboned and floral headdress are all in order. Married women, and women “of a certain age” who have decided they are no longer participating in the “marriage market” wear lady’s day caps. When going outside, bonnets are often put on right on top to the day cap leaving a ruffled edge peeking out around the face. (This can be quite sweet looking.)

Be warned, it can take quite a lot of experimentation to find the right cap for your own face. It’s not uncommon for women to try 4 or 5 different styles; rejecting one cap after another until they find the one they like the look of. This can be a somewhat painful experience if you’re doing the experimentation on your own as it takes time to make caps. They tend to be fiddly things to make. The ideal situation is to get together with a group of women with a wide selection of cap styles and over tea and biscuits, enjoy a “cap party” where all the styles are tried on. It’s amazing how a cap on one person will look adorable and the same cap will do positively nothing for the next person.

Also take heed! Don’t fall into the “Bicentennial Mob Cap Trap”! During the American Bicentennial (1976) a standard “mob cap” was worn and accepted as period dress. This sometimes called “shower cap” is in no way historically correct for the Regency period. This is the cap that is made by cutting a circle of fabric and running a casing an inch or two from the edge of the circle to draw up the cap. Caps of the Regency were much more complex than this circle cap and the fit is EVER so much more attractive!

William Booth Draper has several cap patterns available. The Country Wives pattern series are all excellent for Regency headwear:

www.wmboothdraper.com/Patterns/womens_patterns.htm

Scroll down the page for all of these patterns, as they’re not grouped together or in any order. Each of these patterns makes from 4 to 5 options, all of which are well researched. You won’t find “fine” bonnets offered in these collections, but there are some really beautiful caps for all different classes and situations.

Country Wives
Beribboned Caps 1780 to 1810

Country Wives
British Regency Caps 1780 to 1820

Country Wives
Caps for the Working Poor Mid 18th to Mid 19th Century

Country Wives
A Variety of Lappet Caps mid 18th to early 19th Centuries

Country Wives
Caps for the Upper Crust 1790 to 1820

Country Wives,
Workwoman’s Outdoor Bonnet c. 1789-1818

Also shown on this page is the “La Fleur de Lyse” pattern, which has some very cute options. Be careful with your research for this one. This pattern is intended for a slightly earlier time frame, but some of the styles carry over very nicely to Regency dress.

And the Kannik’s Korner patterns are also listed here. Kathleen Kannik’s research is second to none. Her patterns (all of them) are well worth looking at.

Scrolling further down the page you’ll find the Fig Leaf patterns. I haven’t used these patterns myself, but they’ve got a very good reputation. Would love to hear if anyone has worked with them and what they thought.

[cosmoblue]

I would love to have a cap party! That sounds like fun. Before my hair grew so large I used to wear a lot of hats, almost everyday. I always have had one of those faces that I could wear just about any style and it would suit my appearance though rarely my taste. It would be just my luck that I would be the opposite with caps. My hair is so massively voluminous I don't have many options really.

The caps links you shared are great. I love the country wives patterns.

[dawnluckham]

Almost all of the lady's caps I've encountered from this era have a ribbon adjustment to help tie it on. This doesn't mean tie it under the chin. Most of these caps tie to the hair, wrapping the ribbon around the pony tail or the hair in an up-do of some sort. It doesn't matter how "big" your hair is. They've got lots of room for fit.

[Mrs. Goblin]

My ruffly cap, in fact, was built to go over my hair when it was long, and in a high bun. Talk about a lot of hair! Okay, so my hair is straight, but it's very thick and when it was down to my waist, it made a huge bun. Now that I've chopped my hair (so baby can't grab it) (it started out as a fashionable "a la victime" but is now a little more modern) the cap doesn't fit as well. Hence, the need for a new cap.

[Mme de Beaufort]

I'd like a cap too, one that I can put a bonnet over. I love that look.

[cosmoblue]

OMG I am crazy for a cap right now. I am watching P&P and I love them.

[cosmoblue]

dawnluckham said:

I’m in total agreement that Regency women tended to cover their heads both indoors and outdoors more often than we see at period events. Even if you are not wearing a cap, other headdress options should be explored. Turbans, diadems, and ruffled and frilly beribboned and floral headdress are all in order. Married women, and women “of a certain age” who have decided they are no longer participating in the “marriage market” wear lady’s day caps. When going outside, bonnets are often put on right on top to the day cap leaving a ruffled edge peeking out around the face. (This can be quite sweet looking.)

Be warned, it can take quite a lot of experimentation to find the right cap for your own face. It’s not uncommon for women to try 4 or 5 different styles; rejecting one cap after another until they find the one they like the look of. This can be a somewhat painful experience if you’re doing the experimentation on your own as it takes time to make caps. They tend to be fiddly things to make. The ideal situation is to get together with a group of women with a wide selection of cap styles and over tea and biscuits, enjoy a “cap party” where all the styles are tried on. It’s amazing how a cap on one person will look adorable and the same cap will do positively nothing for the next person.

Also take heed! Don’t fall into the “Bicentennial Mob Cap Trap”! During the American Bicentennial (1976) a standard “mob cap” was worn and accepted as period dress. This sometimes called “shower cap” is in no way historically correct for the Regency period. This is the cap that is made by cutting a circle of fabric and running a casing an inch or two from the edge of the circle to draw up the cap. Caps of the Regency were much more complex than this circle cap and the fit is EVER so much more attractive!

William Booth Draper has several cap patterns available. The Country Wives pattern series are all excellent for Regency headwear:

www.wmboothdraper.com/Patterns/womens_patterns.htm

Scroll down the page for all of these patterns, as they’re not grouped together or in any order. Each of these patterns makes from 4 to 5 options, all of which are well researched. You won’t find “fine” bonnets offered in these collections, but there are some really beautiful caps for all different classes and situations.

Country Wives
Beribboned Caps 1780 to 1810

Country Wives
British Regency Caps 1780 to 1820

Country Wives
Caps for the Working Poor Mid 18th to Mid 19th Century

Country Wives
A Variety of Lappet Caps mid 18th to early 19th Centuries

Country Wives
Caps for the Upper Crust 1790 to 1820

Country Wives,
Workwoman’s Outdoor Bonnet c. 1789-1818

Also shown on this page is the “La Fleur de Lyse” pattern, which has some very cute options. Be careful with your research for this one. This pattern is intended for a slightly earlier time frame, but some of the styles carry over very nicely to Regency dress.

And the Kannik’s Korner patterns are also listed here. Kathleen Kannik’s research is second to none. Her patterns (all of them) are well worth looking at.

Scrolling further down the page you’ll find the Fig Leaf patterns. I haven’t used these patterns myself, but they’ve got a very good reputation. Would love to hear if anyone has worked with them and what they thought.

I don't see where you tell us which cap(s) you wear.

[Mme de Beaufort]

I have the pattern for these:


I like cap 3; and I saw something similar to cap 1 in lace being worn in P&P... I can't remember who, but the two tabs fell down behind her shoulders and it looked cool.

[dawnluckham]

These days I mostly wear a modification (I can never ‘just follow the pattern’) of the Fleur de Lyse pattern. Before I made that one, I made a linen copy of a cap in the McCord Museum collection. It’s a cute cap, and I’d like to have another try at it in silk organza, I think.

I gave a formal talk last Thursday. I didn’t have the McCord cap on a display, it’s laying on the table but here is the modified Fleur de Lyse cap (with my silk ‘muffin’ hat and my red shoes also with it). These are cropped pictures and I tried to prevent them getting too blurry, but the quality is as good as I can get for you. The Cap is made from some lovely sheer Egyptian cotton – a gift from a friend. It’s got a fine lace edging and a red and white striped ribbon. The cool thing about this style of cap is the ribbon can be changed whenever you want as it’s just held on with straight pins. It has a similarity to the cap in the painting by John Lewis Krimmel.

[cosmoblue]

Dawn - So cute! I love it.

[Val]

Dawn, I love the two layered ruffle on your cap! I still need to order my Kannicks Korner chemise and cap patterns, but they need to wait a bit.

[chiemi]

Dawn, I love the cap! It's so pretty. Everyone on here inspires me so!

[maudelynn]

Dawn,
those are so very nice! I suppose, now that I am a married woman, I shall have to wear a cap in the day to be proper


I am under the impression that married ladies wore caps in the daytime and unmarried ladies did not. In my studies, I have found that, regardless of the age of a woman, once married caps were considered proper indoors and out. Evening events were a different matter, and could be attended cap-less!