SMITHSONIAN
Black Synthetic Straw Wide Brim Hat
1960s · 1960s · American
Production
mass-produced
Material
synthetic straw polypropylene
Culture
American
Movement
Space Age
Influences
1960s geometric modernism
A wide-brimmed hat constructed from black synthetic polypropylene straw in a tight spiral weave pattern. The crown is low and rounded, sitting close to the head, while the brim extends dramatically outward in a perfectly flat plane, measuring approximately 6-8 inches from the crown edge. The synthetic material creates uniform, parallel ridges that follow the circular construction from crown to brim edge. The hat's geometric precision and use of modern synthetic materials reflects 1960s Space Age design principles, where traditional millinery forms were reimagined through industrial materials and streamlined silhouettes.
hat
Connected To
Influences·1960s geometric modernismMovement·Space Age
SHAREDsame era · cross-culture
These hats capture the 1960s split between utopian geometry and space-age pragmatism, both rendered in synthetic materials that promised a future free from natural limitations. The black wide-brim's concentric ridges create hypnotic optical rings that seem to vibrate against themselves, while the golden pillbox's tight basketweave pattern transforms humble raffia into something that looks molded rather than woven.
Text74%
Image84%
Entity44%
Movement·Space AgeTechnique·machine-weaving
SHAREDsame era · cross-culture · cross-category
Text49%
Movement·Space AgeTechnique·machine-weaving
SHAREDsame era · cross-culture · cross-category
Text60%
Movement·Space AgeTechnique·machine-weaving
SHAREDsame era · cross-culture · cross-category
Text50%
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