Poke bonnets like these above right and circa 1816/17 had a soft crown and could be called a capote. Firmer crowned bonnets trimmed with ribbons, feathers, frills and sometimes flowers shown left soon got larger. The variety and range of trimmings can be fascinating and is always a source of joy when studying Regency era fashion plates.
At the height of the Regency era and beyond 1815 the bonnet size increased until the crown was very big and culminated in the Leghorn style shown right. The name comes from the leghorn straw used. Fabrics such as taffeta silk were ruched and pleated to make flowerpot style hats with wide deep brims.
Right - Romantic Leghorn Hat
For reproducing hats today use plastic hat blocks called Hat Shapers and for lots of information on hats, visit Carol Marston's www.hatshapers.com