(Updated Post: March 2024)
The Easter Parade is an event consisting of a festive strolling procession on Easter Sunday with participates usually wearing their best Easter finery that normally consisted of the best of modern clothes and hats of that time.
Easter Parade-Toronto’s Oldest Tradition that is really all about the Hats!
History of the Easter Parade in Toronto
Toronto’s Easter Parade is one of its oldest Traditions, starting in the early 1900’s along the waterfront at Sunnyside Park.
Fashion was very important and in an article written on April 26th, 1914 in the Toronto World Newspaper an amusing headline appeared…. Are women of Toronto behind New Yorkers in style? The accompanying caption (for the pic below) reads: “The fashion show on Fifth Avenue, Easter Sunday – in the foreground a mandarin jacket of ruffled taffeta, straight-brimmed hat, trimmed with wing rows – a brocaded crepe coat is shown in centre.”
New York Easter Parade-1914
Image courtesy of Toronto Archives
Yes the women in this New York picture looking amazingly fashionable but were the Toronto women that far behind in fashion? Not really!
Easter weekend in Toronto can be cold, which may account for why the Easter parades in our city were perhaps a bit more humble than New York’s 5th Avenue event (not 100% sure though). The photograph below from 1924 shows Toronto flappers in their Easter finery parading along the Sunnyside boardwalk in their warm jackets (Toronto Archives). I think they look pretty amazing even WITH their jackets on.
In 1922 an amusement park opened up at Sunnyside park and the Easter Parade became a more structured event, complete with sponsors and prizes.
But by the early 1950’s the amusement park had shut down and with it went the Sunnyside Easter Parade. However the parade was not gone for ever and it was reborn on Bloor Street till about the middle of the 1960’s where it then moved East to the Beaches and has remained there ever since. Very cool!
Now before we move onto the next section, lets see some more vintage 1920s images from the Easter Parade on April 17th, 1927 (I love my photos!).
Source: Toronto Archives
I’m here all day long for this STUNNING 1920s image of 2 ladies in their own version of a men’s 1920s Tuxedo. Men’s fashion for women is so on trend for any year!
Source: Toronto Archives
Eeek! I don’t think this couple could get any better looking in this 1920s Photo.
Source: Toronto Archives
Never mind the hats! Can we talk about these 2 women’s 1920s jackets? So Beautiful!
Source: Toronto Archives
Toronto was clearly very stylish in the 1920s. Yooza!
Source: Toronto Archives
There is the history of the Toronto Easter Parade but now onto the most important part of the parade…the hats!
So what does one wear on their head to the “Easter Parade”?
Vintage Shopping: I have created an Etsy Collection of Vintage Hats that would be perfect for Easter or any occasion. It is updated monthly.
(NOTE: These hats WERE available at time of posting / or update. Please use these as inspirations if sold out and make sure to visit Etsy as they are updated daily with loads of new vintage hats & other vintage items).
Disclosure: Some of the links on my blog from Etsy are Affiliate Links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
The Vintage Hats
Straw hats are so lovely for Spring and Summer, I have a couple different kinds and I love them. Here is a 1950s platter / straw hat with pretty flowers. The label reads: “Karen Isabel Original”
Source: Etsy
Vintage 1940s Open Crown Hat.
Source: Etsy
Houndstooth Plaid Wool Beret // 1940s Style Tilt Hat.
Source: Etsy
1920s Cloche Hat lace fabric vintage style hat.
Source: Etsy
Vintage 1930s black felt structured calot hat w/large pearl.
Source: Etsy
This hat screams SPRING! Vintage large round cartwheel hat from 1940 – 1950 era with an open top. So cute!
Source: Etsy
1950s light yellow rose garden hat, so pretty and Spring like.
Source: Etsy
My 1950’s Vintage Hat, courtesy of Gadabout Vintage here in Toronto.
Happy Strolling!
FURTHER READING:
- Vintage Easter 1920s-1960s (Archived blog posts)
Liz 🙂
