The Coming of Fascinators

From Marie Antoinette to Princess Diana to the women of the twenty-first century, there is one thing that serves as a symbol of luxe- The Fascinator. A true exemplifying work of art and elegance, fascinators provide to the wearer’s glamour and persona. The history of these exquisite adornments is as intriguing as they are! Here’s the fascinating story of fascinators.

The women of every civilization have used some kind of decoration to adorn their hair. The Ancient Egyptians and Persians used gilded wigs, American women used to put feathers in their hair and the Hebrews sprayed Gold Dust to their cheveux. In the fifteenth century, during the renaissance period in Europe, long veils, coifs and hats with decorations were in trend, which was practiced by the Rich aristocrats and the Royals. The common folks couldn’t keep up with the fashion trend mainly because these adornments were tremendously intricate and costly. As an alternative, the common crowd turned towards ‘Tudor Hats’ that were inexpensive and easy to maintain, giving rise to an era of widespread decorated hat users.

The fascinators were decorated with feathers, pearls and all quaint stuff. All of them were hand crafted by milliners, every flower and every detail was carried out to perfection. Therefore, more complex a design, more effort was put in and hence the rise in price tags. In the Eighteenth century, Marie Antoinette, the queen who craved for beauty, luxury and attention, played a major role in bringing outrageous and hefty fascinators into trend and reinforcing their image as luxurious and royal items. She often spent big chunks of money from the royal treasury on bizarre but attractive fashionable items putting her in limelight.

 

But it was not until the 1980s that the modern fascinators were created and popularized by two London based milliners- Stephen Jones and Philip Treacy. Also it was during this time that the tilted versions of these hats on either side of the head were appreciated more. Jones and Treacy are still active and renowned milliners who have made hats for a large number of famous personalities. Their royal clientele includes people like Princess Diana and Isabella Blow. As time flew by, the British brought the game of equestrian and fascinators to American land, which were readily accepted and admired by the crowd.

 

 

Today, these ‘decorated hats’ have grown into something much more exquisite, both, in their beauty and social significance. They’re known worldwide and are praised by people of every culture. No wonder, Fascinators have taken many forms now and have been in trend for a long time and certainly will maintain this position for quite some time.