Retro Glamour

I bought these two vintage Crochet hat patterns from Vintage Cat. It was difficult not to purchase both, I'd seen them before on eBay where they've been snatched up in no time by hungry bidders. It's easy to see why. The Ginger Rogers look-a-like on the 1930s pattern looks beguiling in her topper. And the woman on the 1940s version looks incredibly glamourous in her broad-brimmed show-stopper. Wouldn't you know that hat is made from straw? I thought it was cotton yarn until I read the instructions. Straw is a bit challenging to crochet with. I was trying to make a bag with it last year and the straw rebelled like a child hellbent on going to Kiddie Land - curling every which way. I could not to get it to lay flat. I wasn't sorry when I accidentally lost the purse-in-progress on the way to the train. I'd try crocheting with straw because I think it might be easier to work with for a hat. And "Ginger" in her hat (which is called "Manhattan")? It's crocheted in "Tweed Gimp." Now, I actually have some vintage gimp, but it's pale pink, not Tweed. I'm not too keen to see it on my head though, where it might look like I'm on my way to a wedding. On second thought, I might like it more with the proper antique flowers and grosgrain ribbon. Here are some contemporary sources of gimp.
As for the straw, I've seen some at Knitting Workshop. How many of you have knitted or crocheted with straw or gimp?