Figure 1.--Many boys wore school caps in the early 20th century. These boys in 1918 wear the basic style, but there were small differences in the bill, crown, and color of the cap band.

HBC has just begun to collect information on German boys' headwear. We note a variety of different headwear styles over time. Headwear was very common in the 19th and early 20th century, but since the mid-20th century has become less common. There are a range of factors besides fashion involved in the choice of heawear, including age, gender, and social-class. As with the French and English, there are a few headwear style especially associated with German boys. The most common is the alpine style often worn with Bavarian folk costumes like lederhosen outfits. Some German readers have mentioned a "Schirmmütze". We do note that sailor hats and caps were especially popular in Germany, as were sailor suits. Many German boys began scgool wearing either sailor hats and caps or peaked army style caps. We have also noted rather English-looking boaters. Various styles of flat caps were also popular. During the NAZI era boys wore their Hitler Youth caps with their uniforms. We have very limited information on German headwear at this time. We also do not know the German names for all of the different caps and hats. We note that the German word for cap was "mütze" and the name for many caps was formed as in English my simply adding a noun to it like "schülermütze" for school cap.

Chronology

HBC has just begun to collect information on German boys' headwear. We note a variety of different headwear styles over time. Headwear was very common in the 19th century. We do not yet have much information on 19th century headwear. We note younger boys wearing sailor hats. This appeared to have been a particularly popular style. We have much more information on the 20th century. Headwear was still common in the early 20th century. We see younger boys wearing sailor hats. We also note awide variety of caps as well as berets. We notice boys wearing school caps, stocking caps and sailor caps. Some boys wore flat caps, but they were not a major style as in America. During the NAZI era sand into the 50s Schirmmütze became popular. School caps disappeared completely after World War II. There were also folk styles such as the Alpine cap. Since the mid-20th century, headwear has become less common in Germany. We still note stocking caps being worn during the Winter.

Factors

There are a range of factors besides fashion involved in the choice of headwear, including age, gender, and social-class. Berets seem to have been worn by younger boys, perhaps a middle-class rather than a working-clas style. Gurls nay have also worn them. Stocking caps were worn by both boys and girls. They were a seasonal style worn across social-class lines. School caps were only for boys. They were also more of a middle ckass style as working class boys did not normally go on to secondary school. Sailor styles were worn by both boy ahd girls, although the caps were mostly worn by boys, This was nother style most common with middle-class children. The same was true of boaters. The Schirmmütze and other militry styles were only for boys. Flat caps were not very common in Germany, but were only for boys. They may have had something of a working-class image.

Styles

As with the French and English, there are a few headwear style especially associated with German boys. The most common is the alpine style often worn with Bavarian folk costumes like lederhosen outfits. Some German readers have mentioned a "Schirmmütze". We do note that sailor hats and caps were especially popular in Germany, as were sailor suits. Many German boys began school wearing either sailor hats and caps or peaked army style caps. We have also noted rather English-looking boaters. Various styles of flat caps were also popular. During the NAZI era boys wore their Hitler Youth caps with their uniforms. We have very limited information on German headwear at this time. We also do not know the German names for all of the different caps and hats. We note that the German word for cap was 'mütze' and the name for many caps was formed as in English my simply adding a noun to it like Schülermütze for school cap.

Gender

We note a wide range of headwear worn by German boys and girls. Most were gender specific, but several of the primarily girls' styles could be worn by younger boys. As the children got older, the gender conventions became more pronounced. The primary type of headwear was hats in the 19th century for both both boys and girls. We note both flat- and rounded-crown hats. Broad-brimmed hats became very popular in the late-19th and early-20th centuyry. The primary exception here was the school caps that the boys wore. The girls in contrast had no destinctive school headwear. Ascsailor styles became more populat we see forst nboys wearing not just sailor hats, but sailor caps as ell. By the end of the century we even see some girls wearing sailor caps as well. This began to change at the turn-of-the 20th century. Boys began to wear caps and hats became much less common. Sailor caps became very popular. So did youth group caps and during the NAZI era, Hitler youth caps were mandatory, but varied. We also see berets. The Schirmmütze was a destintive German cap. After mid-century, headwear in general began to become less common. Girls continued to wear primarily hats, but we begin to see other styles like tams. Stocking caps becamne common winterwear for both boys and girls.

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Created: March 5, 2002
Last updated: 7:15 PM 8/22/2018