We notice boys in the 20th century wearing a wide range of caps and hats. Younger boys at the turn of the century still commonly wore wide-brimmed hats. These hats were also worn in the 1910s, but brims were often turned up or down. The boy here is wearing a wide-brimmed sailor hat with the brim turned down (figure 1). Note the chin strap. Boys after World War I (1914-18) were increasingly less likely to wear hats. Rather boys commomnly wore caps of various styles. The flat cap was the most common. Hats did not, however, disappear. While caps were often to school, boys might have hats for more formal occassions. Destintively juvelile hat stypes basically disappeared. Boys if they wore hats by the 1930s, wore adult styles. There were some fun hats like cowboy hats. We also notice some boys wearing adult hat styles. Some boys wore boaters as parts of school uniforms. Boys after World War II were increasingly less likely to wear hats when dressing up. We still see boys wearing hats in the 1950s, but not very commonly by the 1960s. Caps were worn casually but hats became very uncommon.

Figure 1.--These patriotic American boys wear wide-brimmed sailor hats with sailor suits in 1900 in 1900.

The 1900s

We notice boys in the 20th century wearing a wide range of caps and hats. Younger boys at the turn of the century still commonly wore wide-brimmed sailor-style hats. Many were worn with chin straps. We see older boys wearing boaters and derbys. We also note a variety of adult-looking styles.

Figure 2.--These American boys in the 1910s wear two styles of hats. One boy wears a cowboy hat. There were many diffrent styles. I am not sure how to describe the hat won by the other boy. This portrait was probably taken in Texas, but we are not positive.

The 1910s

Hat styles did change a great deal in the 1910s. An exception was the wide-brimmed hat for younger boys. Wide-brimmed hats were also worn in the 1910s, but brims were often turned up or down. School -age boys wore more adult-looking styles. A good example of the styles worn by American boys are the hats worn by the American boys at the Turkey Creek School in 1913. Notice the wide varietyy. Flat tops hats including boaters seen to thave been very common. American boys might wear cowboy hats, but they were not very common.

The 1920s

Boys after World War I (1914-18) were increasingly less likely to wear hats. Rather boys commomnly wore caps of various styles. The flat cap was the most common. Hats did not, however, disappear. While caps were often to school, boys might have hats for more formal occassions.

The 1930s

Destintively juvelile hat stypes basically disappeared. Boys if they wore hats by the 1930s, wore adult styles. There were some fun hats like cowboy hats. We also notice some boys wearing adult hat styles. Some boys wore boaters as parts of school uniforms.

The 1940s

The 1950s

Boys after World War II (1939-45) were increasingly less likely to wear hats when dressing up. We still see boys wearing hats in the 1950s.

The 1960s

Boys no longer commonly wore hats by the 1960s. Caps were worn casually but hats became very uncommon.

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Created: 10:49 PM 5/29/2007
Last updated: 10:49 PM 5/29/2007