Dinner toque

The asymmetrical, insouciant form of this hat epitomizes the high achievement in draped millinery design which developed alongside less structured and spontaneous clothing from 1910 to 1914. The artfully arranged crown with its two upstanding tails is visually anchored by the swath of lace around the brim, whose seaweed-like pattern compliments the undulating velvet. Although the velvet appears to be draped in a casual and carefree way, it is in fact painstakingly manipulated over a complicated wired foundation to create a specific form. The beautiful flowers make a striking contrast to the somber black. They are given a modernistic feeling by the incorporation of lamé petals and echo the tight, simple form the famous "Poiret rose" emblem of avant-garde couturier Paul Poiret.