Bes-Ben
The Bes-Ben label was created by Benjamin B. Green-Field (1898-1988), "Chicago's Mad Hatter," and his older sister Bessie. They opened their first hat boutique in Chicago in 1919 and soon expanded to four more locations. In the early years, their hats were relatively traditional, though always stylish.
Benjamin took over the business when Bessie remarried in 1939, and shortly afterward his whimsical flair became more apparent. Due to rationing in the 1940s, he had to get creative with materials, and over the next few decades he became known for decorating hats with all sorts of amusing and absurd items, including kitchen utensils, doll furniture, and miniature plants and animals. Lucille Ball, Marlene Dietrich, and Elizabeth Taylor were among the celebrities who wore his hats, and to this day the hats have remained a popular collectible item.
Besides being a milliner with a sense of humor, Benjamin was also a shrewd businessman, which afforded him a lifestyle with frequent overseas travel and a flamboyant wardrobe. However, his designs also reached women who couldn't pay hundreds of dollars for a hat. His summer clearance sales in the 1950s and 1960s involved him clearing out his store before the new season by throwing hats into the crowd and charging only $5 per hat – an excellent deal for those lucky enough to catch one! Additionally, some of his designs were copied by other milliners and sold more cheaply. (See below for examples of Bes-Ben originals and copies.)
Benjamin closed his business in 1978 due to a decline in the popularity of hats overall. In 1987, shortly before his death, he created the Benjamin B. Green-Field Foundation to improve the quality of life for children and the elderly in his hometown of Chicago.
Bes-Ben Originals
The hats below were designed by Benjamin Green-Field for Bes-Ben and are arranged chronologically. The first row, from the 1940s, showcases more traditional hat designs from Bes-Ben's initial period, while the second row, from the 1950s, and third row, from the 1960s, highlight the more whimsical and creative designs Bes-Ben became known for later.
Bes-Ben Copies
These copies of Bes-Ben hats were made in the 1940s by Dorothy Rutz, a milliner from Glencoe, Illinois.
