Jack McConnell, Milliner to the Stars
December 3, 2015 12:08 PM   Subscribe

Jack McConnell made hats.

Feathered hats. Rhinestone and feathered hats. Flowered hats. Structural hats.
Fabulous high-end "Red-Feather" hats, which were sought by collectors .You can still find them on eBay and Etsy. Prices can really vary.

More about Jack McConnell, who doesn't seem to have left much of an autobiographical footprint aside from his creations. This was his obituary.
posted by Mchelly (14 comments total) 18 users marked this as a favorite
 
Outstanding, thanks for posting this!
posted by LobsterMitten at 12:31 PM on December 3, 2015 [1 favorite]


Oh, that purple wool hat--! Gorgeous creations, thanks for sharing them!
posted by MonkeyToes at 1:41 PM on December 3, 2015 [1 favorite]


I am languagehat and I approve this message.
posted by languagehat at 1:59 PM on December 3, 2015 [6 favorites]


Oh wow! These are amazing. I wish I lived in a time and place where hat-wearing was the norm and not a statement because I feel too self-conscious wearing them, but I absolutely love them. I've bought some and never wear them because right before I leave the house I just think "Nope. Can't carry this off." I look forward to being older and past the point of giving a shit. Maybe I'll wear hats every day, maybe one of these.
posted by billiebee at 3:11 PM on December 3, 2015 [3 favorites]


I'm learning to wear hats. Probably never anything as gorgeous as these creations but certainly a wider adn wilder variety than pulling a black wool nothing over your head in winter.
posted by infini at 3:35 PM on December 3, 2015 [1 favorite]


Well that's the problem, really. People aren't wearing enough hats.
posted by Mchelly at 3:47 PM on December 3, 2015 [1 favorite]


This is wonderful! Thank you! I work in a place with some pretty amazing hats. We had to photograph some of them this past summer for two very exciting projects. I'll have to poke around tomorrow to see if we have any Jack McConnell hats. I'm always amazed at what I find when I get to go deeper into the collection.
posted by peagood at 6:20 PM on December 3, 2015 [5 favorites]


holy crap, peagood, your workplace sounds spectacular.

I'll have to keep an eye out for this label myself now! I always really like finding unfamiliar vintage designers and labels that are really unusual and great-- I got a bunch of 30s Countess Mara neckties once, and they were AMAZING.
posted by nonasuch at 7:49 PM on December 3, 2015 [2 favorites]


> I've bought some and never wear them because right before I leave the house I just think "Nope. Can't carry this off."

Trust me, once you overcome that feeling and start wearing them, you'll realize you can carry it off, and you'll feel great every time you catch a glimpse of your reflection. Join us! We hat-wearers are a minority, but a proud one!
posted by languagehat at 9:53 AM on December 4, 2015 [3 favorites]


Peagood, your "pretty" and "amazing" links made me drool - Are those available for anyone to rent, or only for performing arts and museums?
posted by Mchelly at 10:19 AM on December 4, 2015


*Abandons computer and runs out to the H&M for their cloche inspired wool hats which are ridiculously affordable in retrospect*
posted by infini at 11:42 AM on December 4, 2015 [1 favorite]


That peacock feather one under "hats" in "feathered hats" - just so cool.

What a strange and wonderful thing elaborate women's hats are. We had some hats from my grandmother when I was a kid, when they were out of style and were given to us as dress up clothes, and I really didn't appreciate what we were playing with.
posted by LobsterMitten at 12:05 PM on December 6, 2015 [1 favorite]


I've always loved his hats since I first discovered them. But the obituary is what compelled me to make the post. Not one mention of the word hat. Not sure if it was a gentility thing - that one shouldn't bring one's commerce into the social register - or whether he was gay (and possibly closeted) and the family didn't want anyone to know he was a ladies' milliner. It just seemed incredible to me that he was this spectacular artist, and how easily he might be forgotten. The only legacy he seems to have left are the hats themselves.
posted by Mchelly at 12:34 PM on December 6, 2015 [4 favorites]


They are collectors items. And someone somewhere gloats and coos over their Red Feathers. His legacy will remain alive. Thank you for caring.
posted by infini at 3:00 PM on December 6, 2015 [1 favorite]


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