Wilhelmina Elizabeth 1860's-1870's Soft Crown Bonnet and Fanchon

	The Wilhelmina Elizabeth 1858-1870 The Soft Crowned Bonnet and Fanchon
Original Fanchon in our collection	A family of bonnets which spans the late 1850's through the early 1870's, including the soft crowned bonnet and the fanchon. The soft crowned Wilhelmina Elizabeth appeared in the fashion pages as early as 1858. Falls of lace and fabric covered the soft crown. In the early sixties, the brim flared over the forehead mimicking the spoon and low brimmed shaped profile. By late 1864, a long curtain or loops of ribbon replaced the crown or the crown and curtain were left off altogether. The style achieved increasing popularity and continued in use into the early 1870's. The curtainless version of this bonnet should not be worn for impressions dating before late 1864. Curtainless bonnets are not for all women. A large chignon is necessary to fill the void left by the lack of curtain.
Photo by Ernest Dollar 2010	The Wilhelmina Elizabeth is available with many different shapes to span the late 1850's to mid 1870's. The Wilhelmina Elizabeth custom buckram bonnets are available untrimmed from $95 and trimmed from $145. Straw Wilhelmina Elizabeth bonnets are available untrimmed for $55, lined with bavolet for $110, and trimmed from $160. Please email us for details and allow 8-10 weeks for delivery.	Photo by Ernest Dollar 2010