1930s straw hat with - Gem。This stunning 1930s\' straw hat is made of black and gold tone, somewhat resembling leopard or tiger skin. The crown is open, making it more dramatic, and the wide brim tapers towards the back and frames the face, hence the \"halo\" style. There is a large brown grosgrain bow at the top front, and a thin brown strip of veil surrounds the crown and ties at the back, creating 2 streamers. This is a most unique hat! A halo hat (sometimes halo brim hat) is a millinery design in which the headgear acts as a circular frame for the face, creating a halo effect. This millinery design style first appeared in popular fashion in the 1880s known as an aureole, which means ‘a circle of light or brightness surrounding something’. The style reappeared in the 1930s, its open, off-the-face shape a welcome departure from the over-the-brow cloche shape that dominated millinery fashion in the 1920s. Two famous royal faces helped the style gain popularity- the Duchess of York appeared in one at a charity event in 1933 and Wallis Simpson famously wore a halo hat made by Parisienne milliner Caroline Reboux for her wedding to the Duke of Windsor in 1937. Label: NEW YORK CREATION This is an authentic piece of fashion history! This hat is in wonderful vintage condition & has been lovingly preserved among over 1300 vintage hats we have collected for 40+ years. Feathers, straw, flowers & veils are fragile, given their age. Mannequin not for