A bumper brim is a millinery feature in which the hat brim is tubular in design, making it a prominent feature of the hat. In order to achieve this effect, the brim may be rolled, stiffened or padded. A bumper brim can be added to a variety of hat designs, from small to large.[1]
The bumper brim was popular during the 1930s, when it was added to small hats, usually these were tilted well forward on the face.[2] It could be incorporated into hats made of a variety of materials; a 1937 article in The Times describes a new trend in London for small summertime bumper brim hats, designed for street rather than beach wear, made of straw, grosgrain or felt.[3]
In the same year, a Virginia Gardner article in the Chicago Tribune reported on key trends from Chicago designers and highlighted the bumper brim as the major innovation of the season. "'The new muffin hat', a buyer explained. 'It is exceeded in importance only by the new bumper brim'."[4]
Bumper-brimmed designs also featured in the 1940s, when they were often worn well back on the head – often in the style of a halo hat – in order to frame the face.[citation needed] Millinery editor of Women's Wear Daily Maud G. Moody attended a 1946 fashion show in New York held by representatives of the French millinery industry – including Elsa Schiaparelli and Rose Descat – and described the most notable designs as including beret-type hats with bumper brims. She also highlighted a wide-brimmed padre hat, combining red crown with navy-blue bumper brim.[5]
In the 1950s, hats with bumper brims were often worn square on, creating a wider profile.[1]
Hillary Clinton wore a blue velour rolled-brim hat at Bill Clinton's 1993 Presidential Inauguration. The design, which was by Connecticut milliner Darcy Creech, attracted criticism.[6] An article in The New York Times reported it was considered unflattering by fashion critics and some commentators considered it inappropriate to wear a hat once her jacket had been removed.[7] An article originally published in The Times ahead of the 2009 inauguration of Barack Obama provided a run-through of previous fashion hits and misses among first ladies and noted that Hillary Clinton's headgear had become known as the "Oh-God-What-is-That? Hat".[8]
Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands favours a bumper-brim style, wearing a blue version during a 2013 visit to Amsterdam with President Putin. She also wore a distinctive multiple-rimmed bumper design in black straw for the memorial service to Richard von Weizsaecker in February 2015.[citation needed]
