Balmoral Bonnet.

[Mike S]

I experimented with making my own all black balmoral, using one of my existing ones as a template. I don't like those single colored balmorals on the market (sans dicing) in general, because they lack the wide brow band and look more like a conventional beret to me.

I used some wool broadcloth I had left over from my period garment making days as a living historian. I will likely make this again using a heavier weight wool (melton or kersey), because although I used an osnaburg interfacing, and fully lined the bonnet, it does pucker a bit more than I would like.

Critiques are welcome, as this is the experimental stage and I'm still very much tweaking the pattern.

If anyone knows of a top quality maker who offers an all black balmoral with a separate wide brow band like the diced versions, let me know. Even the superlative Robert Mackie bonnets are more like a beret on the all self colored models, with an integral brow.