Baseball, bucket or beanie — the hats that were once grand statement pieces have now been reduced to the first line of defense on bad hair day. While over time our fashion has continuously made the move towards comfort, we hardly see headwear on red carpets and other formal events. Not only have we been limited when we wear these pieces, but the variety of “socially acceptable” hats and headwear has shrunk immensely.
Although many men’s hats have origins in serving more of utilitarian purpose than stylistic, this practical aspect isn’t the only reason why we don’t see hats anymore. As we progressed into the late ’30s and early ’40s, the role of a fashion icon shifted from royal families to movie stars. These movie stars had glamorously curly hair with the outfits to match, but rarely do we see hats as an accompanying accessory.
As children and teenagers grew up in this age, they also saw their boring old parents wearing the same boring old hats — and no matter the time period, it was “in” to rebel against your parents. Let’s take a look at what once was an “old hat” to examine what made headwear such a staple and if we should bring some of these looks back.
“Fowl” Millinery
A milliner is a person who makes and sells women’s hats. In the early 1900s, these manufactures helped popularize the “picture hat,” which was an elaborate hat with an enormous brim that was meant to “frame the face.” It was the milliner’s job to add any decorations — such as feathers, flowers, veiling and anything else they deemed part of their artistic vision for each hat.
However, feathers and even entire dead birds quickly became the most sought after hat decor, giving way to detrimental effects on bird populations. These feathered friends were being hunted so prolifically that during a nine-month period in London, patrons had consumed feathers from nearly 130,000 egrets, according to the Smithsonian Magazine.
Eventually, laws were passed both in the U.S. and UK to end the mass bird killings, and with it came the decline of the picture hat. Although this hat cannot be talked about without mentioning birds, it was also a grand statement piece that embodied a lot of personal flare. While we should continue to protect our wildlife, I would love to start seeing glamorous celebrity stylings with hats like these.
1920s Classics
Two huge headwear fads of the infamous roaring 20s were the “cloche hat” and “headache bands.” Both popularized by the flapper look of the era, these accessories were made to go with a chic bobbed look — which at the time was any haircut above the shoulders. The cloche hat was the item for any fashionable girl to have back then, kind of like what the Kendra Scott Elisa necklace is today.
Headache bands are a little more unique than the cloche, usually made of velvet, beads, feathers, rhinestones or whatever other flashy materials matched the rest of the ensemble. There’s something about these that feels very ethereal rather than just a regular headband. With headbands and bandanas back on the rise, these could be the next thing.
With the reemergence of popularity in bobs, these two accessories could find their way into the mainstream again. If flappers were the original party girl, then maybe we should try modern adaptations of their styles.
Never Hung Up The Hat
There are still some historically influential styles that have secured their status in today’s society: the Stetson and the straw boater. Both of these have declined in prevalence, settling into niche communities where their style is also a practical benefit.
The Stetson was originally created to keep the sun off of one’s face in the American west, and still remains a popular choice for more rural lifestyles. The straw boater was once popularized by young collegiate men who would vacation abroad in places like Italy and return with it as a souvenir. According to Hats in the Belfry, the straw boater is still worn today in Italy for special occasions.
There are so many unique and historically significant hats to expand your fashion horizons with that it seems sad to only rely on a select few. While some might be a bit over the top for everyday wear, seeing celebrities take on these more challenging accessories would be a nice change.
What headpieces do you wish we wore more of nowadays? Let us know on X @VALLEYmag!
Related
http://www.valleymagazinepsu.com/reintroducing-the-headband/
http://www.valleymagazinepsu.com/hair-accessories-to-put-a-spring-in-your-step/
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