Godey's 1864  "A woman may be an angel of goodness, a Minerva in wisdom, a Diana in morals, a Sappho in talent, yet if she wears … an ill arranged bonnet or headdress, her virtues and talents will be forgotten and she will cease to be agreeable even to the eye of affection."

It's the mid 1850s and you must survive on your own because a runaway mule has killed your husband.  You're left with nothing but the mortgage on the home in which you're raising your three young children.  What to do?  What to do?

Perhaps you might take a position of some sort.  Horrors!  But whatever are you qualified to do?  All you know is keeping a clean house, cooking, and tending children as mother and nursemaid. 

You could marry the portly druggist who has readily made his intentions known, but the very thought of his fat damp fingers on your bare skin leaves you needing to loosen your corset strings so you can take a deep breath, lest you get the vapors.

As you're walking home from the market, having spent your last few pennies on flour to make bread for the children, your eyes settle on a Help Wanted sign in the window of Miss Mary's Fine Millenary.  You dash inside, and in minutes, your enthusiasm plus the word of Miss Ella Dunnigan, a nodding acquaintance secures the job.

You're a novice, but in no time at all, you're stitching a wreath of flowers on the brim of a straw bonnet.  On your way to learning a reputable trade, which will make it so utterly unnecessary to wed the distasteful druggist, you find yourself humming as you sew. 

The best part, aside from the fact that your children will have full tummies every night, is that Miss Mary allows you to make one bonnet each season for yourself, on your free time, of course, with scrapes from her sewing room in the back of the shop.  And so you create, guided by the styles presented in Godey's and Peterson's ladies magazines, the standard accepted by everyone over the years.

 

 

1855 to 1857  The round or square crown is large with a wide brim.  It sits on the back on the head, not shadowing the forehead.  Being very open and away from the cheeks, it frames the face.  The earpieces are long, narrow, and pointed.  Fringe and lace may be used as trim.

1858 to 1859  Brims are extending out over the forehead these days.  They  are rounded on the sides.  The curtain, or trim along the back bottom edge, is narrow and double plaited.  Fancy ribbon is decoratively edged for the chin ties.  The trims of choice are velvet and feathers.

1860  Bonnets are now large and extend even further forward beyond the forehead.  The brims are angled vertically higher rather than horizontally.  Some say this style is flattering to few faces.  Still, many are worn. 

As you grow older and much wiser, you realize personal preference is key when it comes to bonnets.  As the seasons change, so do the whims of fashion. 

The ladies who wear your millenary confections are made to feel more beautiful and confident and that, indeed, is a better thing.