Pinch Pleats, Ladies' Hats and Mushrooms

  While wondering about the hillside on my thrice daily hikes, many things catch my eye and deem further investigation.  Always on the lookout for unusual patterns in things, the artist in me will drop to my knees to photograph even the smallest of finds.  Recently, a mushroom sort of "jumped' out at me and demanded attention.  Well, maybe jumped is too strong of a word here but the mushroom was quite different than any I have photographed before.  This one seemed to be upside down.  It was firmly attached to a dead branch but its gills were on the upper side instead of below the cap.  This gave the thing a quite ruffly look almost like a lady's hat from years past.  In fact, it looked a lot like one that my grandmother used to wear.  Well, the top of the hat did not look like it but rather the lining was pleated and just about the same color as the mushroom.  Since I was a mere tot when I first noticed the hat, I saw the underside of the brim of the hat more than the top. 

  As I sat looking at that tiny mushroom and  thinking about Grandmother's pleated hat lining, I had to giggle a bit about the similarity.  That hat made quite the impression on my young brain.  I thought Grandmother was the most stylish lady in town with her hats, purse and pumps.  In reality, Grandmother's hats were all handmade.  Her father (my great-grandfather) was the proprietor of the only hat shop in Biloxi for a number of years.  "Carter, the Hatter" was renown in the area for his fine hats...both men's and ladies'.  Grandmother literally grew up making hats so whenever she wanted a new headpiece, she simply sat down and created it.  The pleated one so firmly implanted in my memories just happened to be one of her favorites.  Each tiny pinch-pleat was precisely measured and hand sewn for the lining and the hatband held a silk nosegay of small roses.  I wonder if she got her inspiration from a similar mushroom?

  The mushroom is one of many that belong to a group called split gill mushrooms.  Not that the identity means anything to me as I cannot get past that hat thing.  Still, it was a fine way to spend a few minutes.   Memories are great like that....just saying.

The Hat Shop

Back in the day..years and years ago..in old Biloxi, Mississippi, there was a milliner's shop. Carter's Hat Shop with its large hat-shaped sign advertising "Carter the Hatter" sat in the middle of town on the busy Howard Avenue. This was a shop that served the men and women of the area and kept them in the most stylish of hats. Here, William would make all sorts of fine hats. There were the felt Fedoras, the Beaver-skin Top Hats and the ever-popular Derby hats. He also made western style hats or "cowboy" hats..much like the well-known Stetson. He designed straw hats, made "Panama" hats and beanies. One side of the shop was for the ladies. Here Elizabeth, William's wife, would make hats and bonnets and "decorate" the ladies' hats. She would sew on ribbons, veils and flowers. More often than not, there would be feathers or fine plumes added to the hats. In the shop, men were able to choose from an assortment of fine gloves, ties and suspenders. Ladies could pick up gloves, a handheld fan or perhaps a hatpin.The little shop did well as a family business and eventually was turned over to the sons of the family and was split into two different businesses. One

son stayed in Biloxi and the other moved to Pascagoula, Mississippi. The shops stayed in business for quite some time but then they felt the crush of the introduction of the department stores. Ready-made, cheaper hats replaced the quality hand-made type and the hat-making shops closed. Styles change and now what seemed almost a necessity has become almost an oddity. Years ago, it would have been almost unheard of for a man or woman to leave the house without a hat. People had dress hats, everyday hats, church hats and work hats. What has become of the hat???

William and Elizabeth were my great-grandparents. They owned and ran Carter's Hat Shop for many years and always handmade each hat that they sold. Fine quality hats were created in this tiny shop. The detail of each was meticulously attended and the end product was carefully inspected. My great-grandparents taught their children the trade all the while making sure they were also well -educated. There though..the trade ended. The hat-making skills came to a screeching halt. I am not sure that any of my parents generation nor of my generation would know how to make a quality hat. I am quite that any attempt on my part would be quite depressing to my great-grandparents. I can just imagine them looking down on

me and shaking their heads in disgust at the sloppy job I would be doing. The conversation might go something like this... William ..."What is she doing?? My beaver skin! Oh, my!" Elizabeth.. "Dear..she is trying..have patience!" William.. "Egads! Does she have all thumbs? She will definitely ruin the blocks if she is not careful!" Elizabeth.. "Oh no..please..not my plumes! That's it! No, you must get her to leave the shop!" William.. "She surely is not a descendant of mine! Have you ever in your life seen such a mess!" And so it goes....

I did fall heir to all of the hat-making tools and some of the original hats that survived through the ages. I would love some day to attempt to pull together a hat but I suppose the beaver-skin or rabbit-skin would have to be a no-go. Perhaps the felt Fedora would be better! Good old felt never offended anyone! I could have rather a fun time trying to decorate the hats, though! I am sure great-grandmother would approve of some of the new trims that are on the market now. Hmmm..this might be something to ponder..a Hat Shop!