Irene Castle dancing cap

Between 1911 and 1917, Irene and Vernon Castle were at the forefront of a “craze” for social dancing. Usually called “modern dance” at the time, social dance was promoted as form of healthy and enjoyable recreation. Accompanied by lively music, social dances were usually given memorable names, such as Turkey Trot, Grizzly Bear and Bunny Hug. Though some conservative thinkers considered the relatively close contact and hectic movements of social dance vulgar, the Castles insisted that “real dancing is not a series of gymnastic contortions…real dancing means graceful measures tripped out to the lilting rhythms of fine music.”1 Irene and Vernon Castle promoted their refined version of social dance through appearances on stage and screen and by opening a nightclub and dancing school in New York.

In 1914, the Castles authored an instruction manual titled Modern Dance. In additional to the detailed descriptions and images depicting dance steps, Irene Castle authored several chapters focusing on appropriate dancing dress for women. Included are suggestions on corset types (the Castle Corset, designed specifically for dancers), shoe types, stocking color and an injunction against over-sized “picture” hats, which are “unpleasant” for dancing.2 Though Modern Dance features several images of Irene Castle in large hats, she is also pictured wearing a small, close-fitting cap similar to the crocheted and embroidered cap pictured below.

200457Castle or Dancing cap

Cotton

c. 1915

Museum Purchase

2004.5.7

Caps of this type can be found in fashion advertisements dating from the same era. The cap is usually referred to as a Dancing or Castle cap, and is advertised as being constructed from lightweight, transparent fabrics including lace, chiffon and net with delicate trim and embellishment. The wired, stand away points are a consistent feature of the Castle cap. The Dancing cap pictured below was featured in a montage of veils, caps and hoods in the 1915 Gimbel Brothers department store catalog. It was offered in gold or silver lace, and trimmed with a spray of rosebuds.

Castle[1]

From Gimbel’s Illustrated 1915 Fashion Catalog, p. 85

In addition to being a world-renowned dancer, Irene Castle was also a fashion trendsetter. Many of her clothes for both everyday and theatrical dress were purchased from Lucile. She bobbed her hair about 1913, long before short hair became widely popular for women. Castle’s decision to bob her hair may have been based on practicality; Castle’s hairpins sometimes worked themselves loose while dancing. During the teens, when a women sported a short, bobbed hair cut, it was often referred to as a Castle style cut. Not as sleek as a 1920s bob, the Castle style was soft with a slight wave and sometimes a small pouf of hair over the ear. This style would have been kept neatly in place by a close-fitting Castle cap during an energetic dance.

200457-2 2004.5.7 Side view

The wired ‘wings’ are a bit of a mystery. Is the style borrowed from traditional Dutch caps? Were they used to draw attention to the face? Readers, do you have any thoughts?

1 Mr. and Mrs. Vernon Castle. Modern Dancing New York: The World Syndicate Co. 1914: 31.
2 Ibid: 147.

5 responses to “Irene Castle dancing cap

  1. Natalie says:

    One of my favorite movies is The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle with Fred Astair and Ginger Rodgers. I don’t know how historically accurate the movie is but they do have a scene where Irene gets her first Dutch Cap. At least thats what she calls it.

  2. Rachel says:

    Natalie,

    Interesting! I haven’t seen the movie, but I understand the Irene Castle consulted on the script and costumes. When researching this post, I read that Rogers and Castle had a few serious disagreements over costume details. As she was a recognizable star, Rogers apparently had strong ideas about her appearance and costumes that didn’t jibe with Castle’s ideas of herself.

    I’ll have to be sure to watch the movie soon!

  3. Audrey says:

    Irene Castle lovingly called those caps “little Dutch caps”… Vernon bought her very first one for her in Belgium (not Holland, incidentally) when they were on their way to move to swinging Paris in 1911, just after their honeymoon. She thought it was the most darling thing in the world, and it probably was! It was white lace linen. She wore it with her simple wedding dress – her only really nice dress at the time! – when she and Vernon were asked to dance a number at the Cafe de Paris a couple months later. The dance was a combination of the Texas Tommy and the Grizzly Bear – both of which were new dances for Parisians. This launched their career, and the little Dutch cap became Irene Castle’s signature accessory. Her autobiography “Castle’s in the Air” tells the whole story – and also reveals what is and is not true about “The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle”. The film, I believe, has Vernon buying the Dutch cap when they are ON their honeymoon, but that is not exactly true… pretty close though! “Castles in the Air” is a fantastic read and one gets a really good feel for the voice and personality of this modern businesswoman, animal rights activist, and elegant dancer. She is very opinionated and not one to keep those opinions to herself! She talks a great deal about clothes as they are “a part of my stock in trade” (Castle, from “Castles in the Air”). About the house of Lucile she gushes, describing in detail ensembles she had worn at least forty years prior to the book’s date of publication. At one point she calls Lady Duff Gordon “one of the most remarkable dress artists I have ever known”.
    If you can’t get enough Irene Castle after “Modern Dancing” and “Castles in the Air”, read her beautiful “My Husband” – or go to the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts and watch some of her silent films, go through scrapbooks, or peruse box upon box of photographs, souvenir programs, and other memorabilia in Special Collections. Another great Castle bio written during our era (2007)is “Vernon and Irene Castle’s Ragtime Revolution” by Eve Golden. There’s so much to learn about and love about this spunky, sporty superstar! Can I just say a few more things to tempt you…? She rescues a bear from the vaudeville circuit by taking him away in a taxi cab in Chicago… she actually bobbed her hair for the first time when she was just a teenager as a bit of high school rebellion, but then repeated the hair cut several years later as a matter of convenience after a stint in the hospital for appendicitis – plus she’d always liked the look and she insisted that simple hairstyles work better for dancing… the Castle’s all-black orchestra, led by composer James Reese Europe, often went on tour with them, and the Castles were instrumental in opening some previously-closed doors for non-caucasian musicians.

  4. Rachel says:

    Audrey, I’m sold! I had a difficult time finding an available copy of Castles in the Air when researching this post, but I’m going to make a point of reading it asap. Irene Castle was clearly a complex and interesting person, worthy of the popular acclaim she received throughout her lifetime and beyond. I love that you’ve added so much information to what we presented in the post…thank you!

  5. audreyn says:

    just watched the movie and it really peaked my interest in the Castle’s want to learn more, and more

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