Figure 1.--This undated photograph was probably taken in the late 1900s. It shows how common flat caps were for teenagers. Note the different styles. We would guessthat the teenagers here were working boys, perhaps at the company picnic. |
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Few headwear styles were as dominant in a given period as the flat cap. Flat caps were also worn in Europe, but were never as popular as in America. American boys at the turn of the 20th century favored flat caps until about the late 1930's. We see them at first being worn by older boys and teenagers, but by the 1910s, all school-age boys were wearing them. They were commonly worn by American boys in the 1920s-30s before baseball caps took over. Boys at the time did not generally wear baseball caps as they were not commonly available in stores and Little League where boys played ball as part of organized, uniformed teams had not yet developed. Most boys wore these tweedy hats or beanies, except during the winter when warmer styles were needed. We notice a variety of variations with both the peak (bill) and the crown. They were made in different colors and material. Some matched suits, but most did not. There were a range of different styles. Some were less flat than others, looking rather like English peaked caps. Flat caps were referred to with many different names, such as golf and newspaper boy caps.
Few headwear styles were as dominant in a given period as the flat cap. Flat caps were also worn in Europe, but were never as popular as in America. They seem to have been a cap that was popular with boys and acceoptable to parents. These caps in Europe seem to have had a working-class association. This does not seem to have been the case in America.
American boys at the turn of the 20th century favored flat caps until about the late 1930's. We see them at first being worn by older boys and teen afers, but by the 1910s, all school-age boys were wearing them. They were commonly worn by American boys in the 1920s-30s before baseball caps took over. Boys at the time did not generally wear baseball caps as they were not commonly available in stores and Little League where boys played ball as part of organized, uniformed teams had not yet developed.
Flat caps were worn by all school-age boys. 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 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 nor seem to have been any social connotations for boys. We see boys from a wide range of social levels wearing them. 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.
Most boys wore these tweedy hats or beanies, except during the winter when warmer styles were needed.
We notice a variety of variations with both the peak (bill) and the crown. They were made in different colors and material. Some matched suits, but most did not. There were a range of different styles. Some were less flat than others, looking rather like English peaked caps.
The flat cap was a flexible garment as boys could wear them with both formal and casual outfits. We see boys commonly wearing flat caps with both suits qs well as more casual outfits likes shirts and blouses and pants--often knee pants or knickers. This mean we see boys dressing up for chirch and school with flat caps abd suits. We also see boys wearing them for casual outdoor activities like baseball. They were worn with other outfits such as the tunic suits that younger boys wore, but this was less common than suits or shirts and pants. This is probably because the flat cap was more common with older boys than younger pre-school boys.
Flat caps were referred to with many different names, such as golf and newspaper boy caps.
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