fascinator
noun

- a decoration for the head, like a very small hat, worn by women on special occasions and made from feathers, artificial flowers, etc.

Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary

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ORIGIN

A fascinator hat is a lightweight, ornamental headpiece often featuring feathers, beads or flowers. The use of the term fascinator began in the 1990s when such headpieces became popular for wearing at weddings and other social occasions.

The word originally referred to a fine, lacy head covering similar to a shawl and was made from wool or lace. The term had almost fallen into disuse by the 1970s.

In the early 21st century, the term has made a comeback, but the meaning has slightly changed. It is now used to describe a delicate, slightly-to-very frivolous head decoration worn almost exclusively by women.

Fascinators are particularly popular at premium horse-racing events, such as the Grand National, Ascot and the Melbourne Cup.

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THE FASCINATING HISTORY OF FASCINATORS

The women of almost every civilization throughout history have decorated their hair. Native Americans use feathers. Aztecs would braid hair with strips of coloured cloth. Ancient Egyptians adorned their wigs with gold. In ancient Greece and Rome women used flowers or jewels and sprinkled their hair with gold powder.

At the end of the 13th century, a very popular form of hairstyle was the ‘ramshorn’, using coiled hair around the ears and a centre parting (Princess Leia-style). Jewelled brooches were often included as part of the dressing. Google search “Portrait of Battista Sforza” (1465-1466) by Piero della Francesca, for a classic example.

In the 16th century, women were adorning their hats and caps with feathers, jewels and lace. The so-called “Attifet” was worn across Europe. It is a fine lace cap adorned with pearls, lined with a wire frame and pulled into a heart shape around the face. Mary Queen of Scots was a well-known wearer of the attifet. Just google “Mary Queen of Scots”.

It was during the 1700s that the millinery (Hutgeschäft) profession was established, offering plenty of hair-decoration options for women. Milliners are mostly women, who specialise in the decoration of hair and hats to match a mood or an outfit.

During the reign of Louis XVI, and later in the 18th century, women of the French court and the upper classes embellished their hair with ‘poufs au sentiments’: hairpieces displaying novelty items, ostrich feathers, fruit and jewellery. Some of the more outrageous items placed into the hair included miniature landscape gardens, animals, and the infamous 'la Belle-Poule', a celebratory model of a famous frigate.

Bonnets and veils became more appropriate during the Victorian era (1837 – 1901), with the use of feathers or adornments for social occasions.

The term ‘fascinator’ appeared in America in the 1860s and referred to a light-weight, loosely-knitted or crocheted scarf, or small shawl worn over the head. It is made of wool or lace. The 1943 musical 'Oklahoma' made reference to this use of the term fascinator.

Elsa Schiaparelli’s contribution to witty headwear in the 1930s: surrealist cocktail hats displaying a lobster or single, full-sized shoe.

Fascinators and cocktail hats fell from fashion after the 1960s and then became more of a fashion statement again in the 1980s. Princess Diana and Grace Jones were wearing fashion hats regularly, for example: “ViolinaFascinatorHatWithPin”.

Worn at first on catwalks and then to weddings, formal evening parties and horseracing events around the world. Wedding Fascinators are a fashion alternative to the traditional wedding veil.

The popularity of the fascinator has been increased by Royals. Even the Queen wore a fascinator for the wedding of her grandson Peter Phillips.

Kate Middleton, Princesses Beatrice, and Eugenie have all become prolific fascinator-wearers. Philip Treacy designed the much talked about bow-shaped fascinator on Princess Beatrice at Kate Middleton’s wedding to Prince William. She also wore a fascinator for a wedding in 2009 that was a stunning swarm of butterflies atop her head.

The 'pouf' or 'pouffe', also 'toque' (literally a thick cushion) is a hairstyle and a hairstyling support … Amy Winehouse was famed until 2011 for her 'Beehive-pouf' hairstyle, with other singers such as British artist Adele also following the trend.

If you’re still reading this far, and want to be completely up-to-date, check out pictures at “Meghan fascinators”.

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SOURCES

François Boucher, “20000 Years of Fashion”

Bronwyn Cosgrave, “The Complete History of Costume & Fashion: From Ancient Egypt to the Present Day”

“V is for Vintage”

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Practice OWAD in an English conversation, say something like:

“Felicity wore a feathered FASCINATOR at her wedding and looked fabulous.”

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https://donorbox.org/please-become-a-friend-of-owad-3

Paul Smith