The lightweight fabric and upturned, semi-circular brim of this fashionable bonnet are typical of the late 1820s. During this period, many bonnets were unlined and cane was frequently used to shape the brim and crown. This example is trimmed with a single bow at the back of the crown, but would originally have had wide ribbon ties and probably more bows at the base of the brim. All fashionable headwear had to accommodate and accentuate the latest hairstyle. In this bonnet, the upturned brim sat behind a fashionable row of curls on the brow, and the bonnet crown covered the rest of the hair gathered into a bun at the back of the head.