Hat thumbnail 1
Not currently on display at the V&A

Hat

2003 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Wide-brimmed black straw hat trimmed with net veil and feathers


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
straw, net, feathers
Brief description
Deida Acero, London, 2003. Black straw hat with wide brim and feather trimming.
Physical description
Wide-brimmed black straw hat trimmed with net veil and feathers
Gallery label
  • Hat Deida Acero 2003 Cynthia Crawford, Margaret Thatcher's long-term personal assistant, also managed her iconic wardrobe. Mrs Crawford purchased this hat from the department store Peter Jones for Baroness Thatcher to wear at the funeral of her husband Denis in 2003. She wore it again the following year at the memorial service for the former President of the United States, Ronald Reagan. London Straw, silk, feathers Given by the family of the late Baroness Thatcher(December 2016 to mid 2017)
  • A Prime Minister's Wardrobe 1979 - 2003 In 2016, the V&A was given a selection of clothing belonging to the former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (1925-2013). The collection includes outfits worn by Baroness Thatcher at significant moments in her public and private life, and constitutes a record of the working wardrobe of one of the most important figures in recent political history. As a powerful woman in a predominantly masculine environment, Margaret Thatcher used her wardrobe as a strategic tool to inspire confidence and project authority. She was a strong supporter of the British fashion industry, and commissioned many of her signature tailored 'power suits' from the London firm Aquascutum. Thatcher understood the power of image, especially in a media-driven world, and frequently wore bold colours in order to make a visual impression. She was also aware that her wardrobe had a diplomatic function, recalling, 'I took a close interest in clothes, as most women do: but it was also extremely important that the impression I gave was right for the political occasion'.(December 2016 to mid 2017)
Credit line
Given by the family of the late Baroness Thatcher
Object history
This hat was worn by Thatcher to the funeral of her husband in 2003. She then subsequently wore this hat the following year to the funeral of Ronald Reagan (1911-2004), President of the United States from 1981 to 1989, and a close friend of Thatcher. The hat therefore holds both a deeply personal role and a politically significant role in Thatcher's story.

- Daniel Milford-Cottam
19/10/2016
Association
Collection
Accession number
T.1597-2017

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Record createdSeptember 27, 2016
Record URL
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