36. The Feathered Hat Dryer
In the roaring 1920s, feathered hats were the height of fashion, adding flair and drama to any outfit. But maintaining these delicate accessories was a nightmare—especially drying them without ruining the feathers’ shape or softness. The Feathered Hat Dryer was introduced as a high-tech solution: a bulky machine with multiple tubes aimed to blow warm air directly into the feathers.
Sounds reasonable, right? Except that the warm blasts often scattered feathers in every direction like a sudden flock took flight indoors. Women found themselves with feathers stuck in their hair, down their collars, and sometimes even inside their mouths! Rather than elegantly drying hats, the device caused chaos and feather explosions. This invention perfectly illustrates how sometimes, an “innovative” solution creates a bigger mess. But hey, at least it proved that even vintage inventors struggled with “hat hair” problems.
