Figure 1.--Here we see a scene on Bexley Road, Belvedere, Bexley, Kent about 1905. Notice that all the giurls except one are wearing tams. The other girl is wearing a kind of boater. They seem to be school kids going home. Motice the papers they are taking home. Also notice the boys in the background who are wearing headwear as well, in their case caps.

Headwear continued to be virtually mandatory in the early-20th century and then began to decline. We can see that here after school for both boys and girls (figure 1). By mid-century headwear had become optional. Some schools required headwear, but this generally declned as well. In the post-World War II era, the prevalence of headwewear steadily declined. We also see changing styles. Tams were very common in the early-20th century. We also see wide-brimmed hats for formal occassipns as well as boaters. In the 1910s the broad-brimmed hats tended to have down-turned brims. Some younger girls wore bonnets. Girls for decadeds only wore hats and tams, never caps. After World War I, broad-brimmed hats declined. In the 1920s we see cloche hats like the little girl on the previous pageb is wearing). We note rounded crown hats with narrow brims in the 1930s which persisted for decades for school or when dressing up. Girls like boys might have sun hats. In the post- World War II era headwear in general was much less common, except for winter wear. Some girls wore stocking caps. Girls stocking caps might have poms. And gradually even schools stopped requiring beadwear. Even a fashionable English women wore all kinds of fancy hats for tea parties, weddings, and social events, girls were less and less likely to have headwear. By the end of the century we see some girls wearing American baseball caps.

The 1900s

Headwear continued to be virtually mandatory in the early-20th century and then began to decline. We can see that here after school for both boys and girls that all of the children have headwear (figure 1). Tams were very common in the early-20th century. We see them very commonly being worn for everyday and schoolwear. Children commonly wore headwear to school. We also see wide-brimmed hats, some highly decorated for formal occassions. This was basically unchanged from the 1890s. We akso see boaters which some schools afopted as required headwear. The advent of the family snapshot helps us here, although cameras and and photography was not as common as in Americam. This was primarily a function of the prosperous American economy. Advances in photigraphy also meant quite a few srreet photographers were active which provide many useful images durpng the first half of the century. They often positioned theselves around parks and other attractions. They were highly mobile as cameras were now so small and light weight

The 1910s

Girls in the 1910s continued wearing broad-brimmed hats when dressing up, almost always with rounded crowns. We see both decorated and undecorated wide-brimmed hats. These hats in the 1910s tended to have down-turned brims, something we did not see to any extent earlier. Younger boys also wore these down-tuned wide-brimmed hats, although the boys' hats were not decorated. . These down-turned brims aee one of the primary way to differetiate between the 1900s and 1910s when assessing undated images. Some less fashionable mostly youngrr girls still wore bonnets which also might be decorated. Tams continued to be the most common headwear for girls. They were everyday wear and still very common for school. Both boys and girls still commonly headwear to school, mostly tams for the girls and caos for the boys. Most girls had tams for evertday wear, but broad-brimmed hats for dressing up. Girls for decades only wore hats, bonnets, and tams, never caps. World War I erupoted (1914), eventually engulfing almost all of Europe, including Britain which usually tried to stay out of Contunental wars. The War dominated the rest of of the decade. One impact was a general decline in elaborate fashion. After World War I, broad-brimmed hats began to disappear.

The 1920s

Broad-brimmed hats and bonnets ecept for babies for the most part did not survive World War I. Tams were still worn, but not as commonly. In the 1920s we see cloche hats like the little girl on the previous pagevos wearing make a brief appearance.

The 1930s

We note rounded crown hats with narrow brims in the 1930s which persisted for decades for school or when dressing up. Wide brimmeddress hats had generalky disappeared, but we ee thesevbarrowvnrims. Girls like boys might have sun hats.

The 1940s

Some schools required headwear, but this generally declned as well. This was particularly notavle by the 1940s. World War II may have neen a factor.

The 1950s

By mid-cntury headwear had become optional. In the post-World War II era, the prevalence of headwewear steadily declined. We also see changing styles. Headwear generally was much less common, except for winter wear. And we see less diversity. Some girls wore stocking caps. Girls stocking caps often had poms.

The 1960s

Gradually even schools stopped requiring beadwear. Even a fashionable English women wore all kinds of fancy hats for tea parties, weddings, and social events, girls were less and less likely to have headwear.

The 1980s

By the end of the century we see some girls wearing American baseball caps.

Created: 4:45 AM 5/18/2020
Last updated: 4:45 AM 5/18/2020