Ladies, show us your hat pins!

[TessTrueheart]

Anyone else like hat pins? Here are some of mine (sorry for the shaky photos):

 

[SweetieStarr]

Hat pins?

Hi everyone,

I have a couple of the very wide-brimmed hats, but have a hard time keeping them on my head. I have a couple of what I think are hat pins, but they look like bobby pins with a wide opening. The hats do not have any holes in them, but it's kind-of a meshy material, so I stick those pins through the hat, but it still doesn't hold it very well.

If I am correct, don't normal hat pins look something like this?

Any ideas for keeping these hats on that don't have big holes for these hat pins?

Thanks ladies!

 

[Shearer]

I don't use hat pins, so I'm probably not the right girl to answer this question... and I'm not sure what type of wide bobby pin you are referring to.

BUT... if you don't have the long hat pins (which I think were just stuck through the hat and into your hair) perhaps you could try sewing loops onto the inside of your hat and sticking bobby pins through those and securing to your hair...?

I don't have a picture of this readily available... perhaps another FLer does... but vintage fascinators, cocktail hats, and toppers can have these sewn on the underside.

 

[=ritzy=]

Hi everyone,

I have a couple of the very wide-brimmed hats, but have a hard time keeping them on my head. I have a couple of what I think are hat pins, but they look like bobby pins with a wide opening. The hats do not have any holes in them, but it's kind-of a meshy material, so I stick those pins through the hat, but it still doesn't hold it very well.

If I am correct, don't normal hat pins look something like this?http://www.broadwaterrosejewels.com/Hatpins/Hatpins/6849.gif

Any ideas for keeping these hats on that don't have big holes for these hat pins?

Thanks ladies!

you know i also have the same question too...usually I put the hat pins inside of the hat and then secure them with bobby pins..but I have a feeling that is not the correct way to use it...does any one know what I can do to keep my hats in place without showing the pins???[huh]

 

[Lady Day]

Yes, thats a hat pin.

Hat pins are a good 5 inches or longer, generally have some ornate top, and pierce the hat directly, is looped through the wearer's hair, and is poked back out through the hat and then often capped with a pin stop. Hat pins are super thin (thinner then a safety pin), and thats generally why most vintage ones are bent.

They can be worn on the side, in the back, to be seen or not to be seen, it all depends on how you want to:

1) display the hat and or pin

2) want to wear your hat

LD

 

[dollydaydream]

I use a scarf to hold my straw hat on. I use a hat pin with the pillbox type.

A good idea is to sew hair combs onto the inside of your hat. It works lke a dream. I use that method on hats I've made

 

[KittyT]

Hat pins are super thin (thinner then a safety pin), and thats generally why most vintage ones are bent.

Really? All the hat pins I've seen are quite a bit thicker than a safety pin. I'm resurrecting another thread on hat pins to post some photos of some of my grandma's pins that I rediscovered last night. I don't know what else they would be, but the posts on them are rather thick. Please correct me if they are supposed to be something else.

 

[KittyT]

Seems like there are a few ladies here who wear hats, I'm surprised this thread never had any replies to it! I don't like wearing hats, but I think hat pins are sort of unusual and obscure, kind of like dress and sweater clips!

Here are some hat pins that were my grandmother's. I thought I'd lost them and turned them up during some major cleaning last night!

Unfortunately, one of these glass ones has been damaged :-(

The one on the left is either turquoise or glass. I think the one on the right is exquisite with those tiny enameled flowers. I guess it really needs a cleaning!

Not sure about the pearls in this one, but knowing my grandmother, they're real. She adored tiny pearls

Does anyone know of anything that can be done to rework old hat pins into other types of jewelry? Some of these would make amazing brooches or necklaces.

 

[Vintage Betty]

Wow ladies those are beautiful. Most of mine are bland, or are crafty reproductions. Here's a pic I had handy of some of them:

 

[Vanessa]

A couple of mine:

 

[KittyT]

A couple of mine:

WOW those are just exquisite!

 

[Vanessa]

Thanks. Here's a pic of two I picked up at at swap meets:

The big green one is missing rhinestones on one side, but I love it. . .need to get around to fixing it. It's about 7" long.

And another I just bought:

 

[Vintage Betty]

Yes, thats a hat pin.

Hat pins are a good 5 inches or longer, generally have some ornate <snipped>

LD

That information is correct for Victorian-era hats and hairstyles. However, for other periods, the hat pins can be less than 5 inches and be plain on the top with glass, etc. Sample below.

 

[Vanessa]

Yep, I have a dozen or so of those type - in white, grey, black & peach. I find them utilitarian though and prefer the fancier celluloid or rhinestone ones. (Plus, I'm always worried I'll forget there's no cap on the end and bleed all over my hat.)