Pretty as a Picture: A Ginormous Gainsborough Portrait Hat (1780s)
For most people who are passionate about historical clothing, there's often a particular outfit or era that captures the imagination. It's true for us in fashion trends in our own times as well; we see a celebrity or a person we admire with a particular accessory, and then all of a sudden, it's everywhere and on everyone! The same is/was true in the historical past. Others have written about Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire and her sartorial impact on the British world (and, by extension of colonization, the Empire), but I think this is encapsulated by The Portrait Hat (or Picture Hat, or Gainsborough Hat as it's also often called). I'm not an expert in all aspects of historical dress, but as I've explored this style, I've come across many sources that attribute this trend to Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, having artist Thomas Gainsborough paint a portrait of her in a ginormous and jaunty hat of her own design. The popularity of the portrait and therefore
