Antique Merry Widow Hat, Ostrich Plumes | Edwardian Elegance

A Merry Widow hat is a large, dramatic, wide-brimmed hat that became a sensation in the Edwardian era, around 1907–1912. It takes its name from the 1905 operetta The Merry Widow by Franz Lehár, which inspired a fashion craze after the musical’s leading lady appeared wearing an enormous picture hat trimmed with feathers.

The hat, a fashion sensation of the Edwardian era around 1907 to 1912, was characterized by its enormous wide brim—often reaching up to eighteen inches—and a slightly upturned or softly drooping shape. Its crown was typically low or moderately high, sometimes domed, and the entire creation was lavishly adorned with ostrich plumes, artificial flowers, lace, ribbons, or layers of tulle. Usually made of straw or felt and sometimes covered in silk or velvet for formal occasions, the hat was designed to be worn tipped forward over the eyes for a dramatic, feminine effect. As the epitome of early twentieth-century extravagance, the Merry Widow hat quickly became both a status symbol and a must-have accessory for fashionable society women.