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Let These Vintage Hats Inspire Your Easter Bonnet Game

1 minute read

For all its religious significance, Easter has also long been associated with springtime and renewal and an opportunity to don some fine new duds. Though the item’s popularity is on the decline, the Easter bonnet was once the staple of the holiday’s festive garb, often embellished with pastel ribbons and symbols of the season. For those inclined to bring a little vintage flair to this year’s Easter fashion, there is much inspiration to be found in the LIFE archives—from eyelet embroidery that casts floral shadows on its wearer’s face to a hat that doubles as a bird’s nest.

And for a song to match these throwback fashions, none fits the bill better than Judy Garland and Fred Astaire’s Irving Berlin-penned duet “Easter Parade,” from the 1948 film of the same name:

Liz Ronk, who edited this gallery, is the Photo Editor for LIFE.com. Follow her on Twitter @lizabethronk.

Postilion hat made of lizard skin. 1939.
Postilion hat made of lizard skin, 1939.Alfred Eisenstaedt—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
Katharine Hepburn wearing a hat on the set of her Broadway play "The Philadelphia Story." 1939.
Katharine Hepburn wearing a hat on the set of her Broadway play "The Philadelphia Story," 1939.Alfred Eisenstaedt—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
A war inspired hat. 1939.
A war-inspired hat, 1939.George Karger—The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images
Revival of eyelet embroidery with a punched hole hat and necklace. 1940.
A hat with eyelet embroidery casts floral shadows on the face, 1940. Alfred Eisenstaedt—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
A woman modeling a Sally Victor Hat. 1940.
A woman models a Sally Victor Hat, 1940.George Karger—The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images
A woman modelling a new spring hat. 1941.
A woman models a new spring hat, 1941.Herbert Gehr—The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images
Lady wearing an extravagant hat. 1945.
A lady wears an extravagant hat with flowers and a veil. 1945.George Karger—The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images
Fashion at the Races. 1945.
Checkered fashion at the horse races, 1945.Nina Leen—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
Woman adjusting flowered hat while looking in trick one-way mirror. 1946.
A woman adjusts her flowered hat while looking in a trick one-way mirror, 1946.Yale Joel—The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images
Model Marjorie Henderson, wearing feather hat designed by bride Barbara O. Ehrhart. 1947.
On model Marjorie Henderson's hat, the early bird catches the worm, 1947.Charles E. Steinmeimer—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
Teenagers wearing "Penny" hats. 1948.
Teenagers wear "Penny" hats, 1948.Nina Leen—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
New french hat for spring. 1948.
A new french hat for spring, 1948.Nina Leen—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
Brightly dressed spectators attending event in England. 1950.
Brightly dressed spectators attend an event in England, 1950.Cornell Capa—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
College Hats circa 1950s.
An image from a story on college Hats, circa 1950s.Gordon Parks—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
Models on beach wearing different designs of straw hats. 1950.
Models on the beach wear different designs of straw hats, 1950.Nina Leen—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
Miss Sweden Anita Ekberg, sporting a severely styled sailor hat during her hat-buying spree while visiting US, 1951.
Miss Sweden Anita Ekberg sports a severely styled sailor hat during her hat-buying spree while visiting the U.S., 1951.Lisa Larsen—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
Well furnished hat is trimmed with table, chairs, rug, odd kitchen equipment and a sleepy peon. 1951.
A well-furnished hat is trimmed with table, chairs, rug and kitchen equipment, 1951.Nina Leen—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
A hook fastened John Frederics hat under the models horsetail.
A hook-fastened John Frederics hat allows space for the model's ponytail. Martha Holmes—The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images
Mamie Van Doren sitting in her Jaguar wearing a hat. 1954.
Actress Mamie Van Doren sits in her Jaguar wearing a hat, 1954.Loomis Dean—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
A woman wearing a party hat with two flowers decorated in the traditional garden style as part of the Gainsboro fashion collection. 1956.
A woman wears a party hat with two flowers decorated in the traditional garden style as part of the Gainsboro fashion collection, 1956.Sharland—The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images
Wives of missile men celebrating husbands' work on satellites with silly hats. 1958.
An image from a series on wives of missile men celebrating their husbands' work on satellites with silly hats, 1958.Hank Walker—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
Spring hats in Japanese department store. 1962.
Spring hats in a Japanese department store, 1962.Don Cravens—The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images
English comedienne Hermione Gingold modeling a derby-style hat. 1963.
English comedienne Hermione Gingold models a derby-style hat, 1963.Bob Gomel—;The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images
Beatles hat worn by German girl at a resort near the Baltic Sea. 1964.
A German girl wears a Beatles hat at a resort near the Baltic Sea, 1964.Walter Sanders—The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images
Actress Brigitte Bardot during filming of movie "Viva Maria". 1965.
Actress Brigitte Bardot wears a hat during the filming of the movie "Viva Maria," 1965.Ralph Crane—The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images

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Write to Eliza Berman at eliza.berman@time.com