Leoti; The Story Behind the Collection

Haus of Mourning is pleased to present a new collection; Leoti. The collection features 12 pieces of repurposed hat pin jewelry that represents the strength and resilience of women during the early 20th Century. 

These hat pins were purchased as a collection from a woman who is an antique collector and enthusiast. It is rumored that her grandmother used one of these hat pins as self-defense from a man who was trying to get handsy with her at a movie theater. While hat pins were a practical part of ladies' outfits; keeping their lovely hats on their heads, the pins became quite useful as a tool for self-defense.  

It wasn’t unusual that mashers tried to take advantage of unaccompanied women during the Victorian era. The men would quite literally mash their bodies against women in crowds or on public transit. There were also men who would prey on suffragettes during marches and demonstrations and try to sexually harass them. And this is where the hat pins became quite useful. 

Hat pins were often up to 12 inches long with a pointed end that became the perfect weapon. Leoti Blaker (our namesake for the collection) was visiting New York City from Kansas in 1903 and boarded a crowded stagecoach. An older gentleman sitting next to her started inching closer and closer to her as the coach picked up speed. Finally, he moved his arm around her and that was enough to set Leoti off. She took her hat pin and plunged it into his arm. 

While stories like these were fairly common during this era, the most notable thing was that unlike previous ladies, these women were starting to fight back. There are even some legends that men were killed by hat pin stabbings. As more women started using them for self-defense some cities started passing an ordinance that women couldn’t have hat pins longer than 9 inches in length. 

Eventually, fashion changed, and women adopted shorter hair styles that made the hat pins unnecessary. While hat pins are now irrelevant to fashion, their historic importance remains. 

Our collection is inspired by the strength of these women. Although the pieces in the Leoti collection cannot be used as weapons (that we know of) they are a symbol of courage to always protect yourself.

The collection will be released on February 1st at 12:21 p.m.