Figure 1.--School portraits are an excellent source of information on conemporary fashion trends. The exception is headwear because the children usually did not wear their headwear for the school portraits, even before World war II when most portraits were taken outdoors. This rather large class looks to be 3rd graders, meaning 8-year olds, we think in the 1930s. The girls grabed their headwear (mostly berets and tams), but the boys did not. There scjool looks to be a fairly substantial city chool. Put your cursor on the image to see the rest of the class.

We notice girls wearing a wide range of headwear. Caps, often with military styling were more for boys. We mostly see hats inthe 19th century. The styles varied over time, but many styles were variation on sailor wide-brimmed hats. We notice the most simple up to the rediculously elabotate. Hats could be large and elaborate in the late-19th and very early-20th centuty. Here there was a complication with hair stles as girls like to showcase their hair. There were also caps, but hats were more common. Some hats such as rounded-crown hats were similar to boys' hats, but the styles and decoration were mostly different. One style of caps worn by both boys and girls were stocking caps. Often girls worn fancier stocking caps or caps of a different color, but often they wore the same styles as the boys. Berets and tams were a popular style for girls, especially after hats declinined in popularity in the 20th centurty. We notice girls of all ages wearing berets in the first half of the 20th century. They were often called tams at the time. Only very young boys wore berts in America. A related style, the tam o'shanter or tam was also very popular with American girls, especially during the 1910s and 20s. This is a little confusing as girls at the time often called berets tams.

Caps

Caps were more for boys than girls. Many caps were based on military styles. The cap was seen as primarily a boys item. Boys wore both hats and caps in the 19th century, but girls wore mostly hats and tams/berets. Caps were much less common for girls wear. A rare cap worn by girls was sailor caps. Sailor hats were more common for girls but we see some girls wearing sailor caps in both the late-19th and early-20th century. The prevalence of hats with girl continued in the 20th century, although after mid-century girls no longer commonly wore headwear in general, including hats. We see some girls wearing baseball caps in the late-20th century. One style of caps worn by both boys and girls in both the 19th and 20th century were stocking caps. Often girls worn fancier stocking caps or caps of a different color, but they were the same basic cap. ctually stocking caps are not true caps, but we include them here because they are so commonly called caps.

Hats

We mostly see girls wearing hats in the 19th century. There were many different hat styles. The styles varied over time, but many styles were variation on sailor styles, especially wide-brimmed hats. We notice the most simple up to the rediculously elabotate. Hats could be large and elaborate in the late-19th and very early-20th centuty. Here there was a complication. Women and girls liked fancy hats, but they also like to showcase their hair. But hats covered up their hair. So they had to make a fashion choice. There were also caps, but hats were more common with girks. Some hats such as rounded-crown hats were similar to boys' hats, but the styles and decoration were mostly different. We note many heavily decorated straw hats. A good example is an unidentified family in the 1870s. We also see boaters. They were commonly considered a man's style, but we notice girls and women wearing them, especially at the turn of the century. We see hasts declinging for girls in the 20th century, but they were still worn into the 1950s. After that they were much less common.

Berets and Tams

Berets and tams were apopilar style for girls, especially after hats declinined in popularity in the 20th centurty. We notice girls of all ages wearing berets in the first half of the 20th century. They were often called tams at the time. Only very young boys wore berets in America. A related style, the tam o'shanter or tam was also very popular with American girls, especially during the 1910s and 20s. This is a little confusing as girls at the time often called berets tams. The image hre shows how common they were in the eaely-20th century. They were more practical than has, but considered a little less formal. Girls cimmony had both tams and hats and would wear the hats for more formal occassions.

Created: 6:12 PM 4/22/2014
Last updated: 5:50 PM 2/9/2020