Figure 1.--This undated photograph looks to be an after church portrait. We can make out Trinity Methodist Church on the plaque. The portrait is undated, but the clothes suggest the late-1920s or early 30s. In this case we are lmost positive it was the 1920s. Notice the girls' cloche (helmet) hats and the boys' flat caps. All we know for sure is that they were from Louisville, Kentucky.

There have been destinctive gender trends in headwear over time. Peopleof all genders and ages very commonly wore headwear in the 19th century. Girls in the 19th century mostly wore bonnets and hats. Our information on the early-19th century is limited. Thanks to the invention of photography, by the mid-19th century we have for the first time a great deal of informatin on headwear. Sailor-styled hats became popular at mid-century. Caps often with military styling were more for boys. We occassionaly see girls wearing Scottish caps, but this was not very common. Tams and berets began to become popular in the late 19th century, but were not a major style until the early-20th century. Headwear became less common in the 20th century, especially the second half of the 20th century. We notice girls wearing a wide range of hats. The styles varies over time, but many styles were variation on sailor wide-brimmed hats. We notice girls of all ages wearing berets in the first half of the 20th century. Only very young boys wore berets. Perhaps coincident with bobbed hir we sudendly see helmet-like cloche cap. They were hats with smll or non-exisent brims. Group pitures show women and girls wearing these hats and the bous wearing flat caps. Headwear became less common in the 20th century, especially the second half of the 20th century. Only in the late-20th century do we see some girls wearing caps to any extent mostly baseball caos. We see Brownies (junior girl Scouts) wearing beanies in the mid-mid-20th centuty. oth boys and girls wore stocking caps with a range of gender differences. Some girls wore baseball caps in the late-20th century.

The 19th Century

There have been destinctive gender trends in headwear over time. Peopleof all genders and ages very commonly wore headwear in the 19th century. Girls in the 19th century mostly wore bonnets and hats. Our information on the early-19th century is limited. Paintings are our primary source, but there are problems in using them. Not only are there really small numbers of paintings, but because of the cost they are primarily limited to the upper strata of socirty that could affiord them. Thanks to the invention of photography, by the mid-19th century we have for the first time a great deal of information on headwear and for a broader strata of society. The photographic record is somewhat limited by the fact that most people removed theur headwear for a photo shoot. And mothers did the same for the children. Even so we gave more images of headwear than when were still relying on painted portraits. We still see girls commonly wearing bonnets at mid-century. Sailor-styled hats became popular after mid-century. Straw hats could be elaborately decorated. A good example is an unidentified family in the 1870s. Caps often with military styling were more for boys. We occassionaly see girls wearing Scottish caps, but this was not very common. Tams and berets began to become popular in the late 19th century, but were not a major style until the early-20th century.

The 20th Century

We still see girls wearing elaborate headwear in the early-20th century. Hats continued to common and we see girls with the same highly decorated hats as their mothers. Grls were much less likely to wear caps than boys. Winter called for different headwear. A good example is all the elborate hats we see girls wearing inter headwar in an Iowa primary school in 1909. Headwear began to become plainer and less common, however, in the 20th century, especially after World War I in the 1920s. We still see more headwear in the 20s than is common today, especially when dressing up like the girls here dressed for church (figure 1), but they headwear is much less elaborate than we see at the beginning of the century. Here the process of less elaborate headwear was only beginning. A complication here was religion. It was still proper for women to cover their hair in Church. We notice girls wearing a wide range of hats. The styles varied over time, but many styles were variation on sailor wide-brimmed hats. We also notice girls of all ages wearing berets in the first half of the 20th century, often called tams at the time. Only very young boys wore berets. Perhaps coincident with bobbed hair we sudendly see the helmet-like cloche cap. They were hats with small or non-exisent brims. Group pitures in the 1920s show women and girls wearing these hats and the boys wearing flat caps. Headwear became much less common as the 20th century wore on, especially by the second half of the 20th century. Only in the late-20th century do we see some girls wearing caps to any extent mostly baseball caos. We see Brownies (junior girl Scouts) wearing beanies in the mid-mid-20th centuty. Both boys and girls wore stocking caps with a range of gender differences. Some American girls began wearing baseball caps in the late-20th century.

Created: 6:12 PM 4/22/2014
Last updated: 6:53 PM 10/11/2016