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Permission given for reprinting of this document for non-profit and/or educational purposes Monica McKeon/Aureliad’Ouesant

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Short Stock Pleated Hat


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Definition: This is a short stock pleated hat, which is characterized by its flat tip, pleated fabric covering the tip and stock, and an attached brim. The short stock pleated hat was seen from the mid 1540s onward, and was worn by both men and women. Versions of the hat can be seen in Bavaria, Spain, Netherlands, and England. Professional Hatters made this type of hat (Ginsburg, 1990). From Queen Elizabeth’s accounts, we know that she employed both hatter and cappers (Arnold, 1988). Three examples of this type of hat appear below. Note that Maximilion’s hat has a slight flare down by the brim whereas Elizabeth’s hat is more perpendicular from tip to brim.

There are several written accounts of hats of this period, and one of the most detailed is found in the lengthy invective of Stubbs, writing in 1583 in “The Anatomies of Abuses” (see endnote for text). Stubbs’ observations can be summed up:

• Hat styles ranged from high hats to flat hats • Hats were made of silk, velvet, taffeta, wool and sarcenet

o Sarcenet was a delicate silk fabric • Hats were made in a range of different colors. • Hat fashions changed rapidly. • Hats were frequently decorated with feathers - even children had them in their hats.

There are fortunately several extant hats still remaining. Janet Arnold in Patterns of Fashion mentioned one such hat housed at The Museum of London.

Maximilion of Bavaria (1573-1651) Queen Elizabeth – from “The Hunt”

Ulrich, Herzog zu Mecklenburg


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The short crown pleated hat at the Museum of London: Arnold briefly discusses this hat in her book, Patterns of Fashion. She comments that this hat has a hard foundation and that it is covered in black silk. After visiting this hat and being able to inspect it closely, I can add some additional information: The cover fabric, foundation and brim seem to be original. Since there is wiring around the brim, which matches the type of wire in the tip, it seems unlikely to have been cut down or altered. This hat has a 6-gauge spring metal wire at the tip and around the brim. It is not wired around the headplate. According to Oriole Cullen, Curator of Dress & Decorative Arts Museum of London, this type of silk covered wire was available and in use contemporaneous with the hat’s original construction. We know that Queen Elizabeth purchased silk covered wire according to her wardrobe accounts: MS Egerton 2806, Fol 173 r Queen Eliabeth's wardrobe accounts

“…venice silver and Thred: one doz of partelett laces: nyne doz fyve yerds of wyer whipped with silke: cxxv tronoye Nedells: xix yerds di of Sipers & tyffenye: one yerde iii quarter of lawne: fyve Gyrdells made of venice golde and silver: vi barbary buttons of like golde and silver: Twelve hollande Smockes:…”

Upon close inspection, this particular hat tip seems to be made of formed felt with heavy sizing leading to the comment of it being “hard”. The felt is more likely wool rather than angora as there do not seem to be the longer hairs one would expect from an angora felt, which is the other type of popular felt for this period. (Ginsburg, 1990) Hat blocks were available and widely used in this period (Ginsburg, 1990), but it is not certain if a block was used for this foundation or not. Over time, the area where the tip and stock meet has felted together, and determining whether the tip and stock were constructed separately or were formed over a block depends on whether threads sew the tip and stock together, or merely hold the wire in place. Since the area is not accessible for physical inspection without significant invasion of the hat, I was not able to determine the construction method. Perhaps some future research using Non-destructive imaging methods will be able to make a more conclusive determination. The brim on this hat is heavily sized linen. The sizing is likely made from animal glue. What’s left of the lining is a pale blue/grey silk taffeta through which one can see the felt foundation on which the hat is made. There are silk threads still attached to the button thread on the top outer surface, which seems to indicate that the button originally held the lining to the top of the hat.


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My version of this hat: The chart below shows the original materials used and the materials that I used. I made a couple of changes from the original. I used wool instead of silk as I like how wool makes up and there are several accounts of wool used in these types of hats (Arnold 1988). The other material I changed was to use glue-sized linen rather than felt as the glue sized felt I made was not strong enough to stand up effectively – more experimentation is needed on that element. Period materials/techniques My version

Cover Fabric Black silk brocade wool

Thread silk same

Foundation materials Sized felt sized linen Sized linen

Lining Silk taffeta Silk dupioni

Interior of hat Cotton wadding silk whipped wire same

Finishing touches Gimp edge Gimp edge

Constructing The Hat

I decided to make a separate stock and tip simply because I think it most likely to have been done that way for 2 reasons:

1. Note the sharp edge between the stock and tip – that is very difficult if not impossible to achieve using a block with stout felt.

2. A separate stock and tip would have required more time, skill, and materials so it seems likely to have been the construction used for those wanting to display their affluence.

The pattern for the stock needed to be cut with a slight curving angle in order to attain the slight angle on the finished hat.

The tip on the hat at the Museum of London is totally round, so I used a round tip as well.

I used glue sized linen as the foundation for the tip, stock, and brim. While in the original, only the brim was made from this material, I decided to use it for the tip and stock as well as my glue-sized felt didn’t work out well.

stock pattern


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The brim required glue-sized linen. I created some glue-sized linen, using two layers thick of 6 oz linen. Washing the linen in hot water first, I then added rabbit skin glue for the glue sizing. I used:

1. A wooden frame large enough for a ½ yard length of fabric 2. ½ yard of 100% linen 3. 1 quart of period type glue – I like rabbit skin glue which one

can find at most art stores. 4. Paint brush and spray bottle

I attached the fabric to my frame, painted the glue onto the linen and let it dry completely. Adding fabric to brim When adding fabric to the brim one adds 1/4 inch to brim pattern and use it to cut out 2 pieces of fashion fabric. Place fabric on brim and pin it securely. I finished the edge using a running stitch as the original has this finishing under the gimp. The headplate within the original hat is a slight oval suggesting that the headplate may have been cut for the wearer. So, I chose to cut the head plat to a slight oval. Fabric over the stock I cut a circle that covers the tip and stock – I like to use a large protractor for this task. I them placed the center of the circle on the center of the. tip I pinned the fabric to the center front, back, and sides. I them began quarter pinning until pleats were located along stock edge. I then turned the pleats along the bottom and secured using a stab stitch. Adding the stock to the brim The brim and stock are attached using the tabs cut earlier. I like to use a stab stitch for this as it is secure. I used linen thread. Adding lining The lining in the original hat is a silk taffeta. Taffeta is a great choice as it is stiff and has a lot of body so is more likely to stay standing in the hat without any additional sewing but due to cost, I chose to use silk dupioni which has the same body but costs less. The hat lining is made up of the tip and stock shapes sewn together around the top of the hat. It created a very smooth finish and keeps the inside of the hat looking as good as the outside. Hatband The original hat did not have its original hatband any longer, but discoloration could be seen where on had once been attached. I used petersham for the hatband. It is a type of Italian Rib Silk, which would likely have been used, in the late 15th C. (Amphlett, 2003)


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Stubbs, “The Anatomies of Abuses”, 1583

"Some times they were them sharp on the crowne, pearking up like a sphere, or

shafte of a steeple, standing a quarter of a yard above the crowne of their

heades; some more, some less, as please the phantasies of their mindes.

Othersome be flat and broad on the crowne, like the battlements of a house.

Another sort have round crowns, sometimes with one kind of bande, sometime

with an other; nowe blacke, nowe white, nowe russet, nowe red, nowe greene,

now yellowe, now this, nowe that, never content with one colour or fashion two

dayes to an ende. And as the fashions bee rare and straunge, so are the thinges

wherof their Hattes be made, diverse also; for some are of silke, some of velvet,

some of taffetie ,some of sarcenet, some of wool: and which is more curious,

some of a certaine kind of fine haire, far fetched and deare bought, you may be

sure; And so common a thinge it is, that everie Serving man, Countrey man, and

other, even all in differently, do weare of these hattes . For he is of no account or

estimation amongst men, if hee have not a velvet or a taffatie Hatte, and that

muste be pincked and cunningly carved of the beste fashion; And good profitable

Hattes bee they, for the longer you weare them the fewer holes they have.

Besides this, of late there is a new fashion of wearing their Hattes sprung up

amongst them, which they father upon the Frenchmen, namely to weare them

without bandes;but how unseemlie (I will not say how Assy) a fashion that is, let

the wife judge. Notwithstanding, howe ever it bee, if it please them, it shall not

displease me. Another sort (as phantasticall as the rest) are content with no kind

of Hatt without agreat bunche of feathers of diverse and sundrie colours, peaking

on toppe of their heads, not unlyke (I dare not say) Cockscombes, but as sternes

of pride andensigns of vanitie; and these fluttering sayles and fethered flags of

defiance to vertue (for so they are) are so advaunced in England that every

Childe hath them in his hat or cap: many get good living by dying and felling of

them, and not a fewe proove themselves more than fooles in wearing of them."


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Bibliography: Amphlett, Hilda. “ Hats: A History of Fashion in Headwear”. Dover Publications: New York, 2003 Arnold, Janet: Queen Elizabeth's Wardrobe Unlock'd, W S Maney and Son Ltd, Leeds 1988. ISBN 0-901286-20-6 Arnold, Janet: Patterns of Fashion: the cut and construction of clothes for men and women 1560-1620, Macmillan 1985. Revised edition 1986. (ISBN 0-89676-083-9) Ashelford, Jane: The Art of Dress: Clothing and Society 1500-1914, Abrams, 1996. ISBN 0-8109-6317-5 Ashelford, Jane. The Visual History of Costume: The Sixteenth Century. 1983 edition (ISBN 0-89676-076-6), 1994 reprint (ISBN 0-7134-6828-9). Cumming, Valerie. Exploring Costume History 1500-1900. London: Batsford, 1981. Digby, George Wingfield. Elizabethan Embroidery. New York: Thomas Yoseloff, 1964. Dreheer, Denise. “From the Neck Up An Illustrated Guide to Hatmaking” Madhatter press: Minneapolis, 1981 Ginsburg, Madeleine. The Hat: Trends and Traditions. New York: Studio Editions, 1990 Hearn, Karen, ed. Dynasties: Painting in Tudor and Jacobean England 1530-1630. New York: Rizzoli, 1995. ISBN 0-8478-1940-X. Kliot, Jules and Kaethe. Millinery Feathers, Fruits and Flowers. Lacis: Berkeley CA, 2000 Nunn, Joan. Fashion in Costume, 1200-2000. 2nd edition. A & C Black (Publishers) Ltd; Chicago: New Amsterdam Books, 2000. Starkey, David. Elizabeth The Exhibition at the National Maritime Museum. Chlotto&Windus. 2005

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