Death in Venice
All summer long I’ve been craving a some sort of practical sailor wear. Truth be told, it probably started when I sewed my last Halloween Costume, which was a little sailor suit. That might’ve fit the bill, as I am not opposed to pieces that blur the line between daywear and costume, but the polyester sheet I made it out of (all I could find in navy at the thrift!) is not my preference and relegates it to the dress-up bin. I expected to get this project moving at the start of the summer, and have had it planned as an E-Pastiche since then, with the idea of a white, cotton mini dress with a bib style sailor collar. Now it’s October! Well, I might’ve missed the boat on it for this year, the itch has been scratched by a vintage sailor shirt acquired at the end of summer. I did, however, decide to go ahead with the newsletter, watch Death in Venice, and make myself a hat.
Death in Venice chronicles the Venetian holiday taken by an aging composer with frayed nerves and hampered creativity. His solitary stay at the costal resort, the sumptuous Grand Hotel des Bains, is intended as a reprieve from his work, to regain his composure after the negative reception of his latest symphony. Instead, he becomes infatuated by a young boy, Tadzio, the ideal of beauty, a vision of perfection to this addled man, which serves to further his deterioration. His artistic sensibilities are enlivened by the sublime beauty, but his repressed emotions and regret over his age and way of life create an obsession which results in his downfall. I really enjoyed reading this essay on it, entitled Ruinous Infatuation, on the Criterion blog for further context on it’s references, the more subtle and symbolic aspects of the fixation, as well as the overt and controversial romantic perspective.
I’ve talked before of my love for children’s wear that has something of the sailor in its reference, and Tadzio’s wardrobe is a panoply of it. I could return to it again and again for every nautical need I may have, and it would serve well as a jumping off point for any number of projects…
… as I shifted the plan to making a hat, I did depart from the movie’s options, which were mostly straw boaters and wider brimmed canvas ones (though I do love how it looks on Tadzio above with the brim molded upwards!). I wanted to make a “dixie-cup” style navy hat, due mainly to this gorgeous silk version from Cawley Studio seen below on Kathrine Maron—
Dixie-cup hats are so linked in my mind to sailor wear, I was surprised that they don’t feature in the costuming of the movie. Turns out, Italy is the wrong setting for it (an American shape), and the 1910s is the wrong period as well, not as inextricable as I thought! Well, forgive me, I went ahead with it.
I made a standard white hat with a nice stiff cotton. There is a free pdf pattern online from JA Academy, which I used to get the general shape of the pattern pieces, but I drafted them with some haphazard measurements I took myself. I tried adding a bow like the Cawley Studio hat, but it wasn’t quite right, now I’m wondering if I ought to jazz it up in another way. It looks very standard issue now, but wearing it is still whimsical! Would additional ornament make it look more or less costume-y? Some options to consider, are a band of dark ribbon, finished at the back with the tails hanging down, or a jaunty pom pom on top!
Let’s see…
Sometimes, going one step further with the wacky makes something easier to wear, counterintuitive as that may seem. I am wondering if dolling up the hat will do that for me, or if it will relegate it to the bin! Surprisingly, the timing of this make, and pairing the hat with fall staples instead of summer ones makes it feel fresher and less cliche. Bring on the boldness!
XOXO
I think a couple of navy ribbons around the brim would dress it up just enough!
I remember when I was little and we took a family trip to Old Orchard Beach. Uncle Jack and I got sailor hats as souvenirs.