Late Victorian Era Ladies' Headwear - Autumn 1874 Fashion Book by Debenham & Freebody, London
Models -
30. Brown or Black Felt Hat trimmed round with a fancy silk scarf and velvet, and a handsome velvet bow and feathers at the side. Price from 31/6.
31. A felt or chip hat. The flat low crown has large bows at the side, a bird's head in the front and two long feathers behind.
32. Morning Cap of lace, muslin, and ribbon, having no crown, and suitable for young matrons. Price from 10/6.
33. This dainty little head-dress for Evening wear consists of a series of blue ribbon bows surrounding a mother-of-pearl ornament not unlike the breast-plate of a Life Guardsman. Price from 7/6.
34. A very becoming Morning Cap. The crown is composed of muslin, is trimmed with Mechlin or Valenciennes lace, with a ribbon bow in front. The ribbons carried round the back of the Cap and terminate with bow and ends. Price from 10/6.
35. A bonnet of brown velvet edged with silk, having long drooping undyed ostrich-feathers falling over the crown. Price from 35/-.
36. A Black Velvet Bonnet of the Pamela form lined with pink silk, long ends of pink ribbon falling over the hair at the back, and a quilling of tulle coming next the face. It has pink bows and blackberries outside. Price from 28/6.
37. A stylish Bonnet composed of brown silk velvet turned up with blue. It has a bow in front and Aigrette at the side of either colour. Price from 27/6.
The Bonnets of the season still so closely resemble hats, it is difficult to tell the one from the other. Strings are only worn by elderly ladies, and nearly all have flat crowns and are turned up in front. Felt will be very fashionable both for hats and bonnets, and a profusion of feathers, more particularly undyed Ostrich. Jet, especially blue jet, and blue steel are as much worn as ever, and the last novelty is the introduction of the Moonstone, mounted as a jewel. Silk and velvet combined are much used, and it is still the fashion for the bonnet to be made of the same silk as the dress. Among the Paris patterns one of the best for this purpose has a soft crown made of a kind of double puffing of the silk surrounded by a velvet bandeau of a darker shade, a pin of Moonstone in the centre over the forehead.
Heliotrope and Ponceau are still greatly in favour. The latter is bright and generally becoming. A Paris bonnet of black tulle and beaded lace of the Marie Stuart form has a Bandeau of Ponceau velvet and an Aigrette of the same colour. The hats are of felt or straw, and are very generally turned up at the side, with a bunch of flowers or feathers.
Morning Caps of lace and muslin are still in fashion - Mob caps, Charlotte Cordays and the like. There is also a great variety in those intended for Evening wear. One of the prettiest from Paris has a pink silk scarf loosely tied round the muslin crown, and a bunch of roses at the side. Some are larger than heretofore and droop gracefully over the hair at the back. Foulard is also much introduced in the trimming of headdresses.
One of the most tasteful novelties is the Spanish Mantilla and scarf combined. One end of the black lace rests on the top of the head, with a large black ribbon bow. Falling gracefully about the neck, another bow attaches it to the left shoulder; it then crosses in front, the ends tying loosely at the back. Price 79/-.
