52 thoughts on “SNARK WEEK: Bonnets Are the Derpiest

  1. Were not there bonnets, super derpy ones, in Lark Rising to Cranford?
    And I seem to remember one or two in Raintree County starring the marvellous Liz?
    I wonder if Meryl also had a no bonnet clause in Out of Africa? Her hats are most excellent. (Said in a Bill & Ted’s voice)
    And didn’t both Elizabeth & her big sis in P&P wear one?

    1. Yes, yes, yes to all! I have a HAAAAAUUUUGEE file of derpy bonnet photos, actually, but this post was going on & I was getting tired of looking at the damn things ;-) I’ll just have to do another bonnet-derp post next year!

      1. Thank you.

        I needed the snark this week with all the Patrimony happening in DC. Congrats on your participation in the walks. I’m a Democrat in a house of Republicans.

        More derpy bonnets would be most appreciated.

    1. We’ll have to do an ‘all the unfortunate bigginses’ post one Snark Week (we do have an explanation of why they’re unfortunate on the site, but y’know, a gallery would be helpful!).

      1. *snorts while drinking a Sprite and …* lol.I’ve read the explanation and I laughed all the way through.
        Wonder what would happen if the ‘unfortunate Biggins’ and ‘derpy bonnets’ had offspring? Whatever, it’ll be a fashion disaster.

  2. Trystan, you slay me! Your bonnet-castrating snark brought a true smile to my face after an un-lovely day at work. Although I will confess to owning a couple of bonnets that I do really like. Guess I drank the derp-aid…

    1. Same here, I do have a couple I like, one in particular that I will argue to the end is as smart as a smart hat! But, lordy, yes, the Derp is strong with these and many other bonnets!

  3. My God, It’s True! They make even Alex Kingston (Alex Kingston!!!) look derpy! They are a scourge!!

    (meanwhile, how snazzy and chic by contrast do the Main sisters look in the North and South Image?!?! Terri Garber’s Ashton is sorta my secret hero, even though she is a terrible floozy and sleeps with Col Bent and everyone else, but my oy my, was she entertaining! – have the Frock Gals done a North and South write-up? I still thrill to the recollection of Kirtstie Alley’s emerald silk gown).

  4. I will take even the derpiest bonnet over a woman with no headgear running around outside. Every time I see it, I want to scream “whooooooooooore!” at the TV.

    1. Lena Headey as Lady Catherine de Bourgh in P&P&Z didn’t wear an unfortunate biggins, a derpy bonnet but wore up hair up and with plenty of Bobby pins/Kirby clips and kicked butt. Very badass.

  5. Love this post x1000. Also, does it not look like Nastassia Kinski’s Tess just took a child-sized bonnet and turned it the wrong way up to make that adorable hat?

  6. You know, I read through much of the post thinking you were being really unfair to bonnets. But then I thought about it a bit and, OMG, you’re totally right! Smart historical hats are FAB, but (most) bonnets are just Derp-personified. I do still think there are some good ones out there and maintain that one of them is one that I made that I think is smart as all get-out. But, yeah, they’re heyday was really the 1840s-1860s, which, as you say, was the death of fashion.

    Now I’m just going to have to try not to get over-snarky when I talk about them in this term’s fashion history class.

  7. I like bonnets too – but I’m one of the derpiest people that I know, so I guess it just fits.

    (Seriously, though, a lot of bonnets in costume dramas are done so badly as to look fugly, it’s no surprise they take on a derpitude.)

  8. Agree completely and: all the points for Malcolm Reynolds’ bonnet. No bonnet list would be complete without.

    1. An ugly is sort of like a hooped mini-calash that you added to the end of your bonnet for extra coverage/shade…. Tess is wearing a sunbonnet. It doesn’t look like a slat bonnet (which would have wood slats inset into the brim)

      I kinda like some bonnets – and (sorry!) technically, some of these “chic hats” would be considered bonnets on a technicality (such as Tess’s “chic little hat” – that is actually a bonnet!) because they tie under the chin and sit on the back of the head.

      No mention of Scarlett’s green bonnet that Rhett brings her back from Atlanta, and that she actually puts on the wrong way round at first??

      https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/a6/c1/81/a6c181917a457a1222ba5619e4110ea8.jpg

      (I literally suppressed a shriek of laughter when this was the first image I saw of it worn the right way round!! Her FACE!! https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/c8/e5/27/c8e527f9611a6b5043ac93c1aa6de57a.jpg )

  9. CAPTAIN MAL!!!! *bows down* Excellent addition, and the exception who proves the rule. Pardon me while i wipe off the drool…

  10. Yes, the bonnets are not cool, but neither is using an abelist term like “derpy” to describe them, especially when you use it over and over and over again and in the title. I love your site but please, using a term that describes the mentally less fortunate isn’t nice.

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