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Laurence Bossion's Diary, Chapter 10
Hats, long weekends in April, and elegance on the go
This newsletter was designed to be a stylish diversion—something to enjoy between scenic views, a cup of coffee in the dining car, and the mild boredom of the journey’s early stages. We’re offering three games dedicated to the refined, scholarly, and sometimes delightfully mysterious world of hatmaking: a quiz, a word search, and a matching game centered on workshop tools, techniques, and craftsmanship. Because a long weekend starts off better when you set out with a little wit—a wit crowned with culture—and a beautiful hat. Naturally.
April arrives with that very French luxury of long weekends, that almost ritualistic way of leaving Paris for a few days—between a suitcase packed in a hurry, a departure at dawn, the bustle of a platform, and the drifting hours on the train. There is something exquisite about these travel interludes: time ceases to be entirely utilitarian; it becomes docile once more. From her studio on Rue Saint-Roch, Laurence Bossion, an artisan and milliner in Paris, wanted to turn a suspended journey into the setting for a cerebral and chic game.
This newsletter was designed to be a stylish diversion—something to enjoy between scenic views, a cup of coffee in the dining car, and the mild boredom of the journey’s early stages. We’re offering three games dedicated to the refined, scholarly, and sometimes delightfully mysterious world of hatmaking: a quiz, a word search, and a matching game centered on workshop tools, techniques, and craftsmanship. Because a long weekend starts off better when you set out with a little wit—a wit crowned with culture—and a beautiful hat. Naturally
1) Hat-making Quiz
Ten ways to tell true hat enthusiasts apart from those who just wear caps.
1. What is a top hat?
A. A top hat with a mechanism that allows it to be flattened and then restored to its original shape
B. Small game marinated in vinegar, which was very popular during the Second Empire
C. A hallway cabinet designed to store gloves, canes, and indiscretions
D. A military dance in which one salutes by folding one’s hat over the heart
2. What is a coltin?
A. A top hat with a mechanism that allows it to be flattened and then restored to its original shape
B. Small game marinated in vinegar, which was very popular during the Second Empire
C. A hallway cabinet designed to store gloves, canes, and indiscretions
D. A military dance in which one salutes by folding one’s hat over the heart
3. What is a calèche in the hat-making industry?
A. An old-fashioned women’s hairstyle that curled inward
B. A mourning wig reserved for aristocratic widows
C. A duel helmet for women from the Directory period
D. A technique for starching hat ribbons
4. What is a convertible?
A. A milliners’ dance performed before the sales
B. A large, enveloping silk hood mounted on hoops
C. A tiny men’s hat reserved for coachmen
D. A round suitcase for carrying floppy hats
5. What is a barrette?
A. A small decorative barrier placed in front of hatmakers’ shop windows
B. A square clerical hat
C. A silver hairpin worn at a ball
D. A Second Empire-era bathing cap
6. What is a bearskin?
A. A fur coat for a spa-goer
B. A tall bearskin hat worn by grenadiers
C. A bearskin stretched over the armchairs in a London club
D. An Alpine carnival mask
7. What is a bibi?
A. A small round hat, once worn over the bun and later pulled down over the forehead
B. A nickname given to novice millinery apprentices
C. A cylindrical handbag for carrying veils
D. A soft pastry served at winter dress fittings
8. What is a four-hump?
A. A traditional Boy Scout hat
B. An orthopedic pillow for women with elaborate hairstyles
C. A military hardtack
D. A nickname for a bad hatmaker
9. What is a galure, or galurin?
A. A hat made of animal skin worn in ancient Rome
B. A scalp condition caused by hats that are too tight
C. A machine for polishing the brims of top hats
D. A starched formal collar
10. What is a pork pie?
A. An English pie balanced on the head as a fashion statement
B. A flat-topped hat with a narrow brim
C. A hunting cap reserved for pig farmers
D. A foldable hat for fashionable picnics
Answers:
1. A 2. A 3. A 4. B 5. B 6. B 7. A 8. A 9. A 10. B
2. Word Search Puzzle: Vocabulary of the Hat-Making Trade
Find all the listed words in the grid. They can be read horizontally, vertically, or diagonally—in any direction.
3. Tools, equipment, and techniques used in hatmaking
Match each term in the left column with the correct definition in the right column by drawing a line with a pen.
Answers:
1 → E 2 → F 3 → C 4 → I 5 → D 6 → G 7 → B 8 → H 9 → A 10 → J