Fashionable Hats – Autumn 1896

The Delineator Late Victorian Millinery Catalogs from September 1896

This genuine hand-colored fashion plate originates from the September 1896 autumn edition of the prominent American and British monthly magazine The Delineator, published by The Butterick Publishing Co. in London and New York. This rare archival illustration, marked as Plate C.P. 15, serves as a high-utility commercial directory showcasing “Fashionable Hats” for the upcoming winter social season. The lithograph compiles six distinct portraits of elite Gilded Age society women, beautifully detailing the transition toward the dramatic, wide-brimmed millinery styles that characterized the late 1890s and the approaching Edwardian era.

Gilded Age Elaborate Plumes and Velvet Ribbon Hat Trimmings

Each numbered figure in this antique print demonstrates the complex textile assembly and ornamentation prized by late 19th-century modistes. The central arrangements highlight oversized, architectural hats overflowing with structured silk bows, tall yellow aigrette feathers, rich black velvet ribbons, and dense clusters of artificial pink roses. The bodices feature high, structured ruff collars, pleated lace fichus, and vibrant satin capes in emerald green and pastel blue. This historic catalog provides immaculate visual documentation for vintage hat collectors, theatrical costume designers specializing in turn-of-the-century aesthetics, and researchers of the Butterick pattern archives.