Evening toque

Designer West's American

ca. 1915

Not on view

The museum's collection contains a number of ladies' hats spanning a thirty year period from the Brooklyn firm of West's, which was established in 1853. These hats come from three donors, each of whom gave multiple West's hats to the collection and no other milliner in greater quantity, suggesting that this was a business with a well-established aesthetic and variety of merchandise which could secure a loyal clientele. The innovative and robust quality shared by all of the West's hats supports this suggestion. In this toque, an elaborate combination of materials, including various shapes of sequins, paillettes and beads, is employed to create a glamorous effect. The highly textured and glittering surface is complemented by the vigorous burst of egret feathers.

Artwork Details

Overview

Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

Title: Evening toque
Designer: West's (American, founded 1853)
Date: ca. 1915
Culture: American
Medium: silk, feathers
Credit Line: Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Mae Schenck, 1960
Object Number: 2009.300.1526a–c
Curatorial Department: The Costume Institute

More Artwork

By West's

In the same medium

From the same time and place

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Evening toque, West's American, silk, feathers, American — Evening toque
West's
1915

Mourning hat, West's American, silk, feathers, American — Mourning hat
West's
ca. 1888

"The Tarts", Elizabeth Hawes American, silk, American — "The Tarts"
Elizabeth Hawes
1937

"Butterfly", Charles James American, silk, synthetic, American — "Butterfly"
Charles James
1955

Evening dress, Charles James American, silk/rayon, silk, American — Evening dress
Charles James
1946

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