Beautiful wide brimmed “Blum’s Vogue” (see below reference) portrait hat, a pristine 1940s collectible millinery piece. Expertly constructed of black velvet, top trimmed with gathered and pleated black organza. The inner body is a horsehair base Hat is to be worn a bit like a beret. Underside has several small combs attached to secure onto wearer’s coiffure. The inside of the crown is trimmed with black ribbon and a taupe mesh fabric. One size fits all as it can be styled in a variety of positions. One can use bobby pins or hat pins to further arrange and secure. Label: Blum’s Vogue, Chicago. In honor of Chicago Styled: Fashioning The Magnificent Mile®, the Museum blog will publish a series of posts highlighting the stores, garments, designers, donors, and urban developments featured in the exhibition. The woman who is clever is not a slavish follower of style. She never clings blindly to an arbitrarily prescribed fashion. Individuality is a much more important result to strive for than mere newness. Blum, Within the Portals. Blum’s Vogue was a specialty department store founded by Harry and Becky Blum in Chicago in 1910. The original store was simply called Blum’s and was located in the Congress Hotel, then home to Sarah Bernhardt, Ethel Barrymore, and other famous theatrical stars of the day. Blum’s quickly became successful, and shortly thereafter the Blums opened a second store, Vogue, a few doors down. In 1924, the Blums bought their own building at 624 South Michigan Avenue and began extensive renovations. Finally, in 1930, they moved to their new premises and combined their two stores into one: Blum’s Vogue. The store was enormously successful, expanding to several locations in Chicago and eventually nationwide.

Tags: 1940s, black, blum's, organza, portrait, velvet, vogue