History of The Hat

Strictly, a head covering that has a crown and brim. Loosely, the term is used for many kinds of headgear. Since earliest times, men have created a great range of headgear, from fitted caps and hats to draped or wrapped veils, turbans, and bands. Almost every kind of material has been used-fur, fabric, metal, straw, horns, jewels, feathers, flowers, lace, glass, and synthetic materials.

Purposes

Headgear, like other elements of dress, is influenced by the purposes it serves and by the geography, history, and culture of the region where it is worn. It may afford protection from the elements, as does the fur shapka in the frigid Russian winter and the broad-brimmed straw coolie hat in the scorching Indonesian sun. It may preserve modesty, as does the Muslim woman's veil. It may also enhance the appearance, as does the wide, face-framing picture hat popular in the 1930's.

One of the most important purposes of headgear is to indicate status, especially in pre-industrial societies, where one could recognize a person's rank, occupation, economic standing, race, and even his/her religion, politics, and marital condition by the hat he/she wore. Thus rulers throughout the world wore crowns, warriors wore helmets, and priests wore miters or tiaras. Similarly a chef's hat and a nurse's cap are symbols of their vocations. In India the color and style of winding a turban reveal a person's village, profession, and religion, and the Gandhi cap is the symbol of the congress party. In the Middle Ages, Jews were required to wear conical yellow hats or yellow turbans. A Korean gentleman's tall horsehair hat indicated that he was married.