-
The hat of the 18th century
from the dawn of the century, milliners took the idea of the hat as mere sun shade and turned it into an ever-evolving fashion accessory. Most commonly worn by military and naval officers. -
The hat of the 18th century-women
For women in the 18th century, the hat was an icon of wealth. The begere, or ‘Shepherdess Hat’, was wide-brimmed and made of straw. -
The hat of the 19th century-women
The large brim framed the woman’s face but protected her profile from unwanted onlookers and lecherous men. -
The hat of the 19th century-men
In the 19th century In England, the ‘Dandies’ left their mark on society not only in their buoyant elegance but also in their popularization of the black silk top hat. Later in the Victorian period, the top hat’s height was diminished to appear more tailored and conservative. Today, you can still spot the top hat at weddings–particularly those that involve the royal family. -
The hat of the 20th century-women
In the 20th century In the history of hats’ Edwardian period, it became fashionable for a lady’s silhouette to resemble an S-shape. To achieve this effect, women wore an exceptionally wide-brimmed hat atop a mass of upswept hair. Occasionally, the brims were so wide that the hats stretched beyond the woman’s shoulders and caused the hat-donning woman to lose her balance. -
The hat of the 20th century-men
Born into this era, the trilby and fedora hats are considered the most timeless of all men’s hats and remained in popular fashion long into the 1960s. Their compact design meant they could be worn easily in motor cars, and their use in early Hollywood movies made them incredibly popular among Americans in particular. -
The hat of the 20th century-men and women
The cultural revolution of the 1960s liberalized many things ranging from civil rights to proper hair length, and it should come as no surprise that the definition of what constitutes a hat was widened as well. Psychedelic flat caps, peaked baseball caps, even the odd mod hat, were all worn by men and women alike. And at the end of the 20th century, the gender of hats became almost entirely interchangeable.
