The Story of a Straw Hat: From Peasants to Fashion Catwalks

An essential summer accessory, the straw hat brings a touch of style and elegance to any outfit. Before becoming a fashion accessory, its purely utilitarian function was to protect against the sun. Canopéa invites you to discover the history of the straw hat, from the Middle Ages to the present day.

The straw hat to protect peasants

In the Middle Ages, the straw hat was an integral part of the gear for peasants, both men and women, who wore them to protect themselves from the sun during long hours spent working in the fields. Their hats were wide-brimmed and braided with straw or reeds.

The straw hat and Italy

It wasn't until the 16th century and the Renaissance that the straw hat changed status and became a fashion accessory for noblewomen. In Italy, in Tuscany, in the cities of Florence, Fiesole, and Signa, new commercial and artisanal activities emerged around straw. The straw trade and hat-making supported thousands of people. High-ranking ladies personalized their hats by accessorizing them with leaves, flowers, and ribbons. The craze for this new accessory was such that the straw hat fashion crossed the oceans to spread as far as the United States.

The straw hat in France

In France, during the 19th century, the straw hat won over the bourgeoisie. The garden hat became an essential accessory for every elegant woman, not only for walks in the garden but also for social evenings. Nothing was too beautiful to accessorize this item, which highlighted the rank and wealth of the wearer. Flowers, leaves, and fabrics adorned it to give it a unique character. The straw hat was so popular that it inspired one of the most famous vaudeville authors of the time. In 1851, Eugène Labiche chose it as a central element of his play The Italian Straw Hat, in which the accessory, eaten by a horse, is the starting point for a series of romantic misunderstandings that the author was known for.

The straw hat and artists

As early as 1782, Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun depicted herself wearing a straw hat in a painting soberly titled Self-Portrait in a Straw Hat. It wasn't until the 19th century that the straw hat became an accessory used in the composition of many paintings. We find it in the works of Cézanne (The Man with a Straw Hat and The Boy with a Straw Hat) and in a series of self-portraits by Vincent Van Gogh.

The straw hat appears in numerous rustic scenes by the Impressionists: in the works of Auguste Renoir (Luncheon of the Boating Party, Boating Party at Chatou, Bal du moulin de la Galette, The Swing, La Grenouillère, among others). Gustave Caillebotte also seemed to greatly appreciate the accessory, which he placed on many of his characters, both male and female (The Park at the Caillebotte Estate in Yerres, The Gardeners, Fishing, The Orange Trees, Skiffs on the Yerres). In the work of Edgar Degas, we find it as the emblem of The Milliner. The world of the Impressionists is also the atmosphere of the banks of the Marne, the dance halls, and the… boaters ("canotiers"), a world typical of late 19th-century Paris.

The "canotier," a special place in the world of the straw hat

In Paris, in the 19th century, "canotiers" were not yet the hats we know, but the men who operated rowing boats on the Seine. They wore a straw hat with a flat brim and crown, decorated with a wide ribbon, borrowed from sailors' uniforms, which would later lend its name to the hat. The "canotier," initially worn by men, was later adapted into women's versions. Sporty women were the first to adopt it for hunting, cycling, and horse riding. Derived from the male wardrobe and stripped of all the frills that adorned women's hats, the "canotier" had everything to please Gabrielle Chanel. She made it the emblem of her new feminine silhouette at the beginning of the 20th century. The "canotier" subsequently became a signature of music-hall artists like Maurice Chevalier or Fred Astaire.

Simon Porte Jacquemus and his straw hats

All of this brings us smoothly into the world of current fashion, and particularly that of the French designer Simon Porte Jacquemus. He displays a marked taste for the straw hat and incorporates it extensively into his collections. His first model appeared in the Spring-Summer 2017 collection, a flat, wide model adorned with a ribbon, which is reminiscent of the Provençal hats from the designer's home region.

Two seasons later, the Spring-Summer 2018 collection unveiled a straw hat of extraordinary dimensions, a very large sun hat that covers the head and shoulders. Something never seen before. Such a hat was bound to spark the interest of fashionistas. In a short time, it became a highly sought-after accessory for future brides, replacing the traditional veil. We thought it had been relegated to museum display cases, yet here the straw hat is making a comeback among the elegant women of this early 21st century. Hats off!