Welcome to the parlors of Rue de la Paix.   Here you will find some of the finest antique hats, antique millinery trims, vintage fashions and more.  Our shelves may not always be full, but with over 3000 unique hats and trims in our inventory, we promise to continue to bring you some of the very best antique and vintage hats for sale anywhere.
 
If the shelves still look bare as of 2013, it is only because I am involved in several long term research and writing projects, so please know that more hats will be up for sale soon.  Of course, please ask if you are seeking anything special, we just may have it in stock.
 
For information on our Vintage Hat Shows, Hat Fashion Shows and Millinery History Events, please click on the links on the left. 
 

 
 Please scroll down to learn what else you might discover here.  Enjoy!
 
 
 
Rue de la Paix's overwhelming passion is HATS!  We have been collecting, selling and researching antique hats and clothing for 35 years.  Dozens of antique trunks brimming with treasures have not been opened in over a decade, so who knows what we will find!  Soon the shelves will be stocked with antique hats, vintage hats, antique millinery, trims and Victorian ribbons, millinery flowers, and rare exotic feathers.  Also offered will be antique clothing, and a selection of rare books and ephemera relating to hats, fashion, etiquette and womens' history.  
 
Some of the hats and clothing from our collections have been used in major Hollywood films, television shows and theatrical productions.  Many have found new homes in museums, art galleries, and historical and private collections throughout the world.
Rue de la Paix is a member of The Costume Society of America, The Vintage Fashion Guild, and The Costumer's Guild West.    
 

Why did we choose the name Rue de la Paix?   The Rue de la Paix in Paris, France, is a name synonymous with the finest shopping in the world.  From the early days of Napoleon to the present day, the ateliers and showrooms of the Rue de la Paix and surrounding avenues have been home to the best of Haute Couture fashion designers, jewelers,textile designers, couture millinery, perfumeries, and designers of the finest in luxury items of all kinds.   French milliners of the Rue de la Paix such as the great Caroline Reboux, Madame Suzy, Virot, Camille Roger, and J. Suzanne Talbot have inspired me throughout my career, and so it seemed the most fitting name for this newest adventure.

 If you are here to shop, our goal is to bring you unique items, superior customer service and a memorable buying experience.   If you are here to browse, by all means do!  Soon the Photo Gallery and Millinery Parlor pages will be expanded, to inspire a greater appreciation of millinery history and hat fashions of the past.  
 
If you have questions concerning hat collecting, dating hats, or millinery history,  please ask and we will do our best to respond in a timely manner.  We are also available to assist organizations, historical societies, museums and the private collector. 
 

Whether your interest is Victorian hats, Victorian millinery, Edwardian hats, Flapper hats, Art Deco hats, 1930's and 1940's hats, or 1950's hats, we are here to assist you. 
 
 
To give you an idea of the hats in our collection, here are the names of just a few of the milliners and Haute Couture designers whose creations will be offered for sale in the coming months:  Please inquire if you would like to purchase any of these before they are offered for sale on the website.
 
19th and 20th century Paris: Hats by Caroline Reboux, Virot, J. Suzanne Talbot, Camille Roger, Maria Guy, Maison Lewis, Georgette, Agnes, Berthe, Pouyanne, Josse, and more....20th Century hats by Rose Valois, Jaques Fath, Givenchy, Elsa Schiaparelli, Christian Dior, Heim, Jean Patou, Coco Chanel, Jean Barthet, Legroux Soeurs, Paulette, Claude Saint-Cyr, Mme Suzy, Orcel, Varon, and more. 
 
Also hats by American and London designers such as:  Bes-Ben, Lilly Dache', Hattie Carnegie, Sally Victor, John-Frederics, Irene, Laddie Northridge, Caspar-Davis, Archie Eason, Otto Lucas, Norman Durand, G.Howard Hodge, Adolfo, Charles James, Tatiana, DeKoven, Don Marshall, Frank Olive, and other well known American hat makers and talented milliners from the 19th and 20th centuries.  
 
This Website is still growing, and you will discover many surprises over the coming year.  We promise to try our best to delight you with something new on every visit!
 
Please sign our GUESTBOOK, and perhaps tell us a bit about yourself and what you collect.
 
MERCI, and THANK YOU for visiting Rue de la Paix.
 
Madame Babette
 Proprietor