Boys' Historical Uniform Garments: Caps and Hats

Figure 1.--This American Boy Scout was photographed in 1917 wearing the classic campaign or Smokey Bear Scout hat. Notice the merit badges on his sleeve.

Virtually every type of hat has been worn by uniformed groups. Pillbox caps were worn by early Boys' Brigade units. The Scouts of course adopted the famed Smokey Bear hats. The Itlalian Fascist Baillal adopted campaign caps with tassles, a style which American Scouts adopted, without the tassles, after World War II. French Scouts wore berets, a style which was eventually adopted by English Scouts and even some American Scouts. The American Scouts introduced baseball caps in the 1980s. Other headwear garments are worn such as turbans in India and Pakistan. A wide variety of of caps and hats have been worn by uniformed groups. Most have been military in origin. Youth groups uniforms are presumably designed for practicality. This means that they are suitavle for the activities conducted by the groups. This has often been the case, but here headwear is commonly an exception. There are clear chronological trends. This included the declining popularity of neadwear. Another factor was changing styles in militarry headwear. Some headwear items have become identified with certain styldes of headwear, such as the campaign hat chosen by Baden-Powell for British Scouts which became a symbol for Scouting world wide. Youth groups have adopted a wide variety of headwear styles over times. Even in Scouting many different types have been tried. Boys and girls have generally worn different headwear. This is the case even in many coed groups. An excetion here is the beret a headwear style popular for both boys and girls.

Types

We have noted quite a range of different headwear types being worn by youth groups around the world. Virtually every type of hat has been worn by uniformed groups. Pillbox caps were worn by early Boys' Brigade units. The Scouts of course adopted the famed Smokey Bear hats. The Itlalian Fascist Baillal adopted campaign caps with tassles, a style which American Scouts adopted, without the tassles, after World War II. French Scouts wore berets, a style which was eventually adopted by English Scouts and even some American Scouts. The American Scouts introduced baseball caps in the 1980s. Other headwear garments are worn such as turbans in India and Pakistan. A wide variety of of caps and hats have been worn by uniformed groups. Most have been military in origin. Prominant exceptions are the Cub cap and the American baseball cap. Some of these styles are specifically adopted by certain countries or groups of countries--such as the baseball cap ot turban. Other styles oriniginated in certain countries, but became very widely adopted.

Practicality

Youth groups uniforms are presumably designed for practicality. This means that they are suitavle for the activities conducted by the groups. This has often been the case, but here headwear is commonly an exception.

Chronology

There are clear chronological trends. This included the declining popularity of hneadwear. Another factor was changing styles in militarry headwear. All the early headwear for uniformed youth groups were military styles. An early departurefor this was the Cub cap hich was basically a school style. Over time Scouts moved away from the early lemon-squeezer style to more national styles.

Organizations

Some headwear items have become identified with certain styldes of headwear, such as the campaign hat chosen by Baden-Powell for British Scouts which became a symbol for Scouting world wide. Youth groups have adopted a wide variety of headwear styles over times. Even in Scouting many different types have been tried. Some are national styles. Often military styles are influential, not only with Scout uniforms, but other groups like the HitlervYouth. Today the original campaign cap is rarely worn. We have begun to develop headwear pages for the various youth groups. At this time on the Scout headwear page is ready.

Figure 2.--Some French Scouts began wearing berets in the 1910s, but they did not become common for Scouts until after World War II. Americans viewed berets as a girls' or little boys' cap. Specialized military units in many countries wore the beret during World War II, changing its image. After the War many Scout groups began wearing it and it continues to be widely worn today. Here Hong Kong Scouts are shown wearing berets.

Gender

Boys and girls have generally worn different headwear. This is the case even in amny coed groups. An excetion here is the beret a headwear style popular for both boys and girls.