Women's Hats in the Twentieth Century

                                 The Coming and Going of Hats in the Twentieth Century 

                

Hambly, Bob. “Women’s Hats/1920s” Colour Studios 

As Micheal Kors once said, “I’ve always thought accessories as the exclamation point of a woman’s outfit” (qtd. in Leaper). I love fashion accessories, and when it comes to hats, I cannot stay away. I don’t usually wear over the top hats, but I love to rock a beanie or a beret any time in winter. My grandmother kept all her clothing and my great-grandmother’s clothing from the 1920s though the 1960s. The other day, I was at her house rummaging through the clothes when I came across dozens of hat boxes from decades ago. As I was looking through the hats, I realized hats have changed significantly. However, hats were a mandatory item to wear and today no one wears hats unless they want to. I wanted to discover what really happened to hats and why they are not a traditional need anymore. 

This History of Hats Before the War 

Hats can be worn in different ways for practical uses or “a hat may be part of a tradition or dress code for formal occasions” (Erlanger 27).  During the twentieth century, the trends of hats changed significantly as society was changing its opinion on what was considered the hot trend and what was out of style (A Head for Fashion). Before the war, hats were seen as a mandatory and iconic accessory. The type of hats worn revealed a lot about a person’s social status and character because hats were a prime symbol of class (A Head for Fashion). No women would dare leave the house without their hair covered, but as time progressed, the trends of hats began to change. 

                                         

 SueEllensFlair. “Vintage Hat Women's Navy Straw Boater with Pale Blue Floral Millinery Trim Everitt Buelow 1950's.” Etsy. 

Hats During the War 

During World War II, the traditional hat was no longer a mandatory item because war materials were prioritized in manufacturing. For instance, women began to wear turbans, or head scarfs, instead of hats due to shampoo shortages. This led to women wearing turbans out of any material to wrap their head in or wear hats that were made out of paper (A Head for Fashion). When the war ended, there was a need for hats and hat sales spiked. Every woman wanted glamorous and luxurious hats. In the 1950s, the line of Christian Dior hats made hats an essential accessory again  as the line gave back the silhouette hat to society (A Head for Fashion). Depending on income, women would buy different hats for the same outfit and have the ability to afford big and expensive hats. 

Hats Disappeared 

In the 1950s and 1960s, the Pillbox hat became a more popular style of hats as celebrities such as Jackie Kennedy wore the hat as a staple to her outfit. Fashion designer, Roy Halston Frowick, designed the Pillbox hat specifically for Jackie Kennedy to wear on her husband’s inauguration day, and soon after the hat was a hot seller (Ponsford). However, the hat spike in the early 1950s would be the last spike of hat sales, because during the 1960s, the new trend was sculpted updos (A Head for Fashion). Hats were no longer needed when going out and could be worn as a choice rather than a demand. As of today, many people do not really wear hats as a focal statement to their outfit. Mostly men wear baseball hats to hide their unwashed or uncut hair. Women wear hats such as beanies and bucket hats just for fun, and to add a quirky side to their outfit. The need for hats changed significantly and probably will never come back as a necessity for women to wear. Even though hats are still being manufactured for women all over the world, as the decades changed, so did the trends and rules for fashion on hats.

                                    

      “The Jackie Look.” Jackie Kennedy’s Style.

“A Head for Fashion (Hats).” Films On Demand, Films Media Group, 2001, 

digital.films.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=11854&xtid=47980. Accessed 5 Apr. 2021.

Erlanger, Micaela. How to Accessorize A Perfect Finish to Every Outfit. Clarkson Potter 

Publishers, 2018. 

Leaper, Caroline. “Michael Kors Quotes: Fashion Designer Michael Kors' Best Sayings And 

Quotes Ever.” Marie Claire, 28 Aug. 2015, www.marieclaire.co.uk/news/fashion-news/michael-kors-quotes-fashion-designer-michael-kors-best-sayings-and-quotes-ever-57818.

Ponsford, Mathew. “Remember When Jackie Kennedy Wore Her Famous Pillbox Hat?” 8 

October, 2020 https://www.cnn.com/style/article/jackie-kennedy-inauguration-pillbox-hat-remember-when/index.html