What’s in a Hat?
Hats were initially worn for protection from the elements and from injury from falling rocks, weapons or masonry. By the 1900s, both women and men started wearing hats based on their activity. During this time, women in a specific social standing would change their hats several times a day.
If you consider the etiquette of the time, it would be considered a disgraceful act to venture outside the home without a hat or even gloves. There is even evidence during the Edwardian age that it did not matter whether you were a child or an adult, only beggars did not wear a hat.
The triby was first introduced during the Victorian era when millinery supplies were considered big business. During this time, wearing a hat meant the opportunity to get ahead. The Triby gained popularity as the hat of choice in the 1920s when it supplanted stiffer styles.
As the years passed designers began creating different styles usually to be worn during special occasions. The most common being a wedding or black tie affair as this would be the appropriate time to wear a hat.
Functional hats are still used by uniformed workers for corporate identity or protection, as well as, by many individual in inclement weather.
It is unlikely the hat will ever die as an accessory as it offers too much potential for drawing attention to the face. Since fashion designers are aware of this many hats are created and worn as a statement piece.
Today technically a hatmaker makes hats for men whilst a milliner makes hats for women. Regardless the purpose for wearing a hat, it is one of my most favorite pieces of accessory to the whole ensemble.
Here are a few of my favorites.
