Bonnet

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The exaggerated brim of the poke and 'coal-scuttle' style bonnets of the 1840s gave way to a more revealing style in the 1850s, when curtailed brims exposed the face and much of the hair. In this 1854 example, the smaller scale lends itself to lighter materials and decorative treatments. The mix of tufted ribbon, blonde lace and tiny feathers create a pleasing and delicate face-framing confection.

The Costume Institute

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Costume Institute's collection of more than thirty-three thousand objects represents seven centuries of fashionable dress and accessories for men, women, and children, from the fifteenth century to the present.

Metropolitan Museum of Art