If you are one of those people who never take off your hat, you may be interested to hear where it evolved from. A hat is defined very basically as any type of accessory that can be placed over the head. In todays society there are hundreds of styles and colors of hats but let us go back in time and take a look back at where the hat came from and the ways it has been used through the centuries.
Mens Hats Through the Ages
One of the earliest uses for hats was for protection from the sun. All through the ages there have been those who worked long hours in the fields. The hat was an ingenious invention to protect the head from blistering sunburn. Many of these hats were made from straw, an extremely inexpensive option that was widely available. Even the products used to make hats have evolved dramatically over the years. Centuries ago, you would have probably only found hats that were made from leather or straw, or perhaps cloth. Today we have hats made from all different types of plastics, man made synthetics, and other artificial materials.
Protection was the primary use of hats, but that quickly progressed through the years. In ancient Rome, slaves who had been set free wore a Phrygian cap as a statement of their freedom. Religious authorities, just as they do today, used a hat to show their status in the church. There are other positions in our society now that are instantly recognized simply by their hat, such as a fireman or a chef.
Ladies Hats Through the Ages
Ladies hats have particularly grown and transformed through the ages. During the medieval period, ladies wore coverings over their hair to show purity and modesty. While these were considered hats, it is certainly not the idea of a ladies hat that we have today. I am sure the medieval ladies would be shocked to see how hats changed in later years.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, the hair covering progressed into the bonnet. As many women headed west across America it was considered very uncouth not to wear their bonnet. They tried to maintain their lily white skin even while traveling through the extreme desert heat.
By the end of the 19th century young ladies associated bonnets with the older generation and demanded new hats to reflect their individual personality. So the boater hat was developed for the sporty modern women, and the bold ostentations women chose the Edwardian hat. After World War I, when the bob haircut became the highly fashionable look for young women, manufacturers came up with a newly styled had that had the appearance of a helmet. These were very popular for a couple of decades, before the wearing of hats simply disappeared altogether.
Hats are now used for many different reasons. We still use them to protect ourselves from the sun, to stand out in a crowd, or to look like a lady. It will be interesting to see where fashion may take us in the coming years. We could see the hat make a big comeback!
