Wide-brimmed hats with shallow crowns were popular for women in the mid 18th century. They were often made in a range of materials such as straw, openwork, paper and ribbon. This example shows the use of feathers of common origin, such as those from cocks or guinea fowl, dyed in a variety of colours for a vivid effect. Such hats were worn as fashionable daywear with short jackets and petticoats. They demonstrate the 18th-century trend for taking items traditionally associated with working-class dress and transforming them into fashionable styles.A round hat with a shallow crown and wide brim decorated with cock and guineafowl feathers in natural colours and dyed blue, yellow, red and green. The feathers are stitched to a linen ground which is lined with blue taffeta.