I often get questions on how to repair vintage hats. Quite often, the veiling is torn, the color has faded or the hat simply needs to be cleaned. Here are a few tips:
- Veiling – Vintage veiling does not hold up well at all, but this problem is easily remedied. Veiling can not be fixed. You can just take off the old veiling and replace it with new. An excellent source for veiling is www.judithm.com. She sells wonderful veiling in all colors. To repair most vintage hats, you will need less than a yard.
- Spots on a hat – We have all seen dark spots on natural color straw hats. Dip a tooth brush in a solution of 50% baby shampoo and 50% water. Try scrubbing the spot gently to see if the spots come off. If the spots don’t come off, I would suggest getting a floral spray and spraying the straw a new color. Of course, first take off all trims in order to do this.
- Cleaning a vintage hat – If your hat has a lot of dust, try putting a blow dryer on cool and just blowing the dust off of the hat. With velvet or fabric, you can always take a roller brush (similar to a pet hair brush) to get the dust off.
Most importantly, don’t forget to wear your vintage treasure! People love seeing vintage hats on ladies because it reminds them not only of a simpler time, but it can be a fun conversation starter too.
By Polly Singer
Jill,
Thanks for your comments and ideas. Vacuuming a hat gently is a great idea.
Your idea for repairing veiling is a good one. It would take a steady hand and good glue, but could be done.
Polly
Thanks. Glad you found the post helpful!
I would try steaming it over a pot of boiling water and then putting it on a head form and letting it dry. If you don't have a head form, you can use your own head. The hat would need to dry on you however. Good luck! Polly
Carole,
It sounds to me like it will have to have the old feathers removed and new ones added. That’s really the only way to fix the hat. I have never worked with seal skin. It must be quite an amazing hat!
Polly
Hi Dottie,
I foster animals too and know all about the crazy things that can happen. I would hope that mold could be scraped off the hats. You may want to try steaming the hats over a pot of boiling water and then scraping the mold off. I know it is frustrating and if the hats came from a dear friend, it makes the situation even worse. Good luck!