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The flat cap was worn by aide range of ages in America. It was primarily a boys' and youth style, but we do see adults wearing them as well. Flat caps were worn by school boys of all ages. We do not see younger boys who have not yet begun school wearing them, at least not commonly. The various youngest boys in elementary (primary) school might wear other styles but by about grade three (about age 9 years) we normally see boys wrearing flat caps and they were worn by boys right through the teen years into high school. There does not seem to be a lot of differentiation concerning age levels among schoolboys as regards flat caps. Nor does there seem to have been any social connotations for boys. We see boys from a wide range of social levels wearing them. Social class connotations seem stronger in Europe. They were not the only headwear worn by boys and teenagers, but they were by far the most common. Flat caps were also worn by young adults. Here there were social-class differences. Well estblished adults would wear hats, but we seem working-class men wearing flat caps, at least the younger ones.
Flat caps were worn by school boys of all ages. We do not see younger boys who have not yet begun school wearing them, at least not commonly. The photographic record striongly suggest that many mothers thoufgt that the flat cap was not asge appropriate for the pre-school boys.
We see large numbers of boys wearing flat caps beginning about 6 years of age. We do not see many younger boys wearing them. Age 6 years of course was when most boys began school in 1st grade. The various youngest boys in elementary (primary) school might wear other styles. We still see boys at age 6 years wearing sailor suits and they might wear sailor caps. Thus at this age we still see boys wearing a variety of caps to school. Many boys, however, would have been received their first first cap at age 6 years. This seems especially true in the 1910s. This began to change in the 1930s, but mosdtly because the flkat cap and headwerar in general was becoming somewhat less common. Notice the younger boy at the left here does niot have a cap (figure 1). The caps often look a little big on 6-year olds. We are guessing many mothers purposefully purchased a large size. Caps unlike some other garments like pants and shoes were not subject to hard wear and thus might last for 2-3 years.
We notice 7-year olds still wearing a variety of headwear, mostly caps. Flat caps were the most common. A few 7-year olds wore sailor caps, especially in the 1910s. We also notice beanies, but the flat cap was more common by age 7 years. The flat cap was becoming increasingly common as the boys got older, in part because the options declined. Winter was an exception. This was in part accompanied by the increasing tendency of boys after the first year or two of elementary to wear more mature styles. Boys in first grade might wear a variety of outfits including short pants, but this was less so in the 2nd grade and even more so by the 3rd grade. Boys wearing knickers to school very commonly wore them with flat caps. Boys at age 7 when eraring suits, normally wore them with flst caps. The exception of course was sailor suits.
Flat caps were even more common for 9-year olds. By grade three (about age 9 years) we normally see boys wearing flat caps to school. And they were worn by boys right through the teen years into high school. There does not seem to be a lot of differentiation concerning age levels among schoolboys as regards flat caps. They were the headwear normally worn with suits and for casual wear and play. They were not the only headwear worn by boys and teenagers, but they were by far the most common. And we no longer see many boys at 9 years wearing the caps that the younger boys wore. The flat cap was standard wear for 9-years olds throughout the 1910s and 20s and still very common in the 30s. We commoinly see groups of boys this age with almost all of them wearing flat caps. They were worn with suits as well as for school and casual occassions.
The flat cap was almost universal for 12-year olds. The boys in the middle here looks to be about 12-years old.
The teenager at the right here looks to be about 18-years old (figure 1).
The flat cap was worn by aide range of ages in America. It was primarily a boys' and youth style, but we do see adults wearing them as well. Flat caps were also worn by young adults. Here there were social-class differences. Well estblished adults would wear hats, but we seem working-class men wearing flat caps, at least the younger ones.
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