This and the other three examples in Related Items are part of a number of evening hats in the John Bright Collection made in the form of wigs. Dating from the late 1920s to the early 1930s they are based on current hairstyles executed in metallic thread or braid. Whether long or short in style the focus of the hair lay towards the base of the head, either above the neck or either side of the face. Dressed close to the head, in common with natural hair and hats of the period, the wig-hats appear helmet-like, conforming to the current fashionable silhouette that was sleek, smooth and glossy, and embracing the contemporary aesthetic of unashamed modernity. They contributed to the light-catching qualities of the beaded, sequined evening dresses with which they were worn.

This wig-hat, like the short-haired version in Related Items, is made of metallic thread, but is styled into ‘headphones’, the long ‘hair’ being plaited each side of the head and wound round over the ears. It was a popular style of the time for those not ready to cut their hair into the more fashionable bobs, shingles and Eton crops.