Purple?

[M35]

This overseas hat came with a WWI uniform and I have no doubt it is WWI vintage but I don't remember ever seeing one with a purple lining? The wool is very heavy and coarse, and the lining is thick material as well. There are no marks inside that I can see. Was this maybe foreign made or just using whatever cloth they had on hand? Thoughts and comments appreciated!

Cheers,
Terry

[M35]

Inside pictures.

[pfrost]

I believe that the types of dyes used to color certain fabrics would have been more of a black/dark blue color. Over time, the dyes break down and you end up with a purple color like that. That would be my guess. Originally it was a black lining but over time degraded to that purple color.

[M35]

Thanks for the thoughts pfrost. I have to say though, I took the photos in natural light on a sunny day and that has bleached out the pictures a bit. It seems pretty uniformly purple and not faded in person.

Any other thoughts from anyone? It came with a WWI uniform and I am thinking about listing the set for sale on the estand but I don't want to mis-describe anything.

Thanks!
Terry

[zachb]

I don't think its fading, its a chemical reaction. I think this phenomenon is common to some vintage black or navy blue fabrics.