Cressida's Transformations - art and photography

A PASSION FOR HATS The social progress of women during the 19th & 20th centuries is chronicled through the fashion hats they wore. Ask at your local library for a digital copy of this beautiful book.   Click here to return

The History of Women’s Fashion Hats

brought to you with flowers

 For more than 40 years Kathleen Notman has been interested in the history of women's fashion hats. She has published articles in a number of periodicals and organised fashion shows. She has designed hats, modelled hats and created the ever popular series of greeting cards, "Hats & Flowers".

In the 1990s Notman travelled the length and breadth of England visiting regional radio stations to host talk-back shows. The subject of women's fashion hats produced an enormous responce from women eager to talk about their favourite hats and the occasions on which they wore them.

Over the years there have been many amusing incidents involving hats. In Christchurch, New Zealand - where she now lives - a man discovered that she collected "old" hats. He arranged to meet her. He produced an old, battered straw hat that for years his mother had worn in the garden!

"You can have it! I don't want a thing for it," he said.

Notman thanked him for his generosity. However, it was not included in her collection of women's fashion hats.

Since this website was established in 2001 hundreds of visitors have viewed the many features yet "A History of Women's Fashion Hats" has been the most popular. 

"A PASSION FOR HATS" is available from AMAZON.COM and other Internet sites.