Dictionary

Cloche is a bell-shaped fitted hat for ladies, invented in 1908 by the milliner Caroline Reboux. The name for this hat originates from the French word “cloche” which can be translated as “bell”.

The popularity of cloche has been at its peak during the early twentieth century. Couture houses like Lanvin and Molyneux  started to hire milliners to produce such hats that precisely matched their clothing designs. 

Cloche hats were usually made of felt and were typically designed to be worn low on the forehead, with the wearer’s eyes only slightly below the brim.