Figure 1.--This Harrow boy wears his boater at the Lord Mayors Show in London. Boaters are primarily assocaited with exclusive private schools, called public schools. They are now worn mostly for special occassions. Notice the poppy wore on Memorial Day. Image courtesy of the MD collection.

The second type of headwear worn at British schools is the boater. The boater hat has a substantial flat brim and flattened crown and has traditionally been made of straw. The hat was reportedly inspired by French sailors. It was adopted in England as children's wear in the mid-19th century, but was eventually worn by both men and women. Many English schools adopted the boater as part of the school uniform. It declined in popularity after World War I. This hat was much less common than the traditional school cap, but it was worn at several public schools and still is at a few like Harrow. Now it is mostly worn for special occassions.

The Boater

The boater hat has a substantial flat brim and flattened crown and has traditionally been made of straw. The hat was reportedly inspired by French sailors. It was adopted in England as children's wear in the mid-19th century, but was eventually worn by both men and women.

Usage

The second type of headwear worn at British schools is the boater. Many English schools adopted the boater as part of the school uniform. It declined in popularity after World War I. This hat was much less common than the traditional school cap, but it was worn at several public schools and still is at a few like Harrow. Now it is mostly worn for special occassions. Many girls schools, incliding schools for younger girls, have adopted the boater in England so today it is more wodely worn by girls than boys.