Artist Statement:
In an 1883 photo believed to be of Phoebe Watson, she is wearing a flat tipped, straight sided and flat brimmed hat, a shape generally associated with a “boater”. The straw boater was worn by women and children as early as the 1860s and adopted as a staple of menswear in the 1880s. Coco Chanel re-popularized the boater in the 20thcentury. Phoebe was fond of parties and hosted many social gatherings. I imagine Phoebe wearing a straw boater at one of her garden parties.
For my boater, I have plaited Siberian iris leaves from my garden in a pattern popular for boaters: 4-end rustic plait. I have sewn the plait to a wired sinamay base for strength and created rosettes and spreuers from rye straw for a finishing touch.