This week is a little different. I’ve talked about cosplays and different retro inspired topics, but now I’ll get into a more historical reenactment flare, and doing it on the cheap.

It’s my never-ending despair that so many reenactors insist that the hobby (regardless of era) is expensive. I’ve here to say: you can do it on a budget, and not sacrifice historical accuracy in the process. Saying otherwise is so very detrimental to the hobby, and to encouraging others to partake in history. I’m advocating for inclusivity, while educating.

So there’s just a taste of my soap box. I’ll step down now.

This week, I’m going to present a cute, little fixed turban hat for the Regency era.

Turbans were quite popular in the Regency era (what folks typically think of when we talk about Jane Austen for a reference). They varied from pieces of beautiful fabric wrapped, and tied around the head, and those that were “fixed,” or made to look wrapped, but in actuality, tacked down as a proper hat.

I had originally thought to simply cut my matching fabric and wrap around my head. There’s plenty of good tutorials on the internet for that, but then I grabbed the fabric and realized that I didn’t quite have enough. To the internet I went, and found this wonderful tutorial by one of my favorite blogs and historical seamstresses: Festive Attyre.

Conveniently, sun hats are on the cheap at places like Target and Walmart, so I picked up a cheap one from Target and cut the brim off. Warning, don’t do this on carpet with a nosy kitty. The straw bits shed and then you have to painstakingly pick up the pieces.

After, I cut a strip for the band around the printed edge of my fabric (PS. I’ll talk more about this fabric when I post about the dress itself that matches it when I wear it in a few weeks). I cut a giant oval, and went to work following the tutorial.

It was fairly easy, and I’m no milliner. In fact, that’s where I will save and spend: on hats. They’re tricky buggers. Not this one. I really enjoyed the draping, and inconsistency of the pleating. You cut your fabric, then sit and just pin and stitch. I actually did it watching television, and in the span of a movie, had it complete.

The final touches, the pulling, and folding on the access of the crown poof (though I’ve seen enough evidence of different hats that you could stop there if that’s the look you’re going for), is a trial and error, pull, tack with pins, and stare at it for a bit, experiment. I redid my pins about three times before I ended up with the final product.

In the end, it creates this cute fixed turban. Now, I haven’t decided if I’m sticking some flowers or feathers in it (probably feathers), and I still need to line it (though I just may not)…but for $5 and some left over fabric, I have a cute hat that is 100% accurate, and didn’t break my bank.