00:00Ever build a hat and watch the brim flop right back down?
00:03Yeah, me too.
00:05So I went digging for the best deals on crinoline horsehair braid versus organza,
00:09which one actually holds its shape?
00:12I pulled five of the highest rated options, tested them, and the answer surprised me a little.
00:18Here's the rundown.
00:20First up is this soft polyester mesh ribbon with horsehair,
00:23and it comes in 3, 5, and 7 cm widths, so you can match it to whatever you're building.
00:29The nice thing is it's the gentlest of the bunch, it bends around a head instead of fighting you,
00:33which makes it great if you hate scratchy, rigid boning.
00:36It still holds a curve, just a softer one.
00:40Just under 10 bucks.
00:42Next is the wave crinoline horsehair flat braid, in 4.5 and 7 cm.
00:48That wavy edge is where the magic is.
00:51You fold it and it stays folded, no glue, no pinning, no second guess.
00:56This is the one I'd pick for a structured fascinator that keeps its silhouette all day
01:00and doesn't wilt under a ceiling fan.
01:029.34 for the piece.
01:05Now the value pick, plain crinoline horsehair mesh organza millinery trimming,
01:10100 yards of it for under 5 bucks.
01:12Because it comes on a roll, you cut exactly what you need and still have plenty left over
01:17for the next project.
01:19And here's the real answer to the big question, plain organza on its own is soft
01:23and drapes beautifully, but the crinoline and the horsehair are what's doing the actual
01:27shape-holding.
01:28Soft fabric, strong backbone.
01:31This one is the stiff 4 cm horsehair crinoline net braid, and stiff is exactly the word.
01:37Steam it, fold it, and it holds a sculpted curve like it was shaped on a milliner's block.
01:42It's the most traditional option here, and if you're doing bridal work or formal millinery,
01:47this is the one that behaves the most predictably while you work.
01:51Last up, and it's the cheapest of the 5, stiff polyester horsehair braid in 25 or 50 yard
01:56lengths for about 4 bucks.
01:58Nothing fancy, but tuck it inside a bodice or under a wide brim and it does exactly what
02:03it says.
02:04Grab the 50 yard if you think you'll make more than one hat, trust me, you will use it.
02:09So that's the 5, and every single one came in under 10 bucks.
02:14Links are in the description if you want to grab them.
02:17If this saved your hat project, hit like, and subscribe I've got more millinery tests coming.
