The Fascinating History of Hats

A Brief History of Hats

• Hats have been worn for various reasons including protection from weather conditions, ceremonial reasons, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory.
• In the past, hats were an indicator of social status and in the military, hats may denote nationality, branch of service, rank or regiment.
• Hats have a protective function such as the hard hat in construction or the sun hat for shading the face and shoulders from the sun.
• Some hats are worn for ceremonial purposes, such as the mortarboard, which is worn during university graduation ceremonies.
• Hats are worn by members of certain professions like the toque worn by chefs or the mitre worn by Christian bishops.
• Adherents of certain religions regularly wear hats, such as the turban worn by Sikhs.
• The earliest known hat was worn by a Bronze Age man, nicknamed Ötzi, whose body was found frozen in a mountain between Austria and Italy, where he had been since around 3250 BC.
• Hats were commonly worn in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamians often wore conical hats or ones shaped somewhat like an inverted vase.
• In the Middle Ages, hats were a marker of social status and used to single out certain groups.
• The tradition of wearing hats to horse racing events began at the Royal Ascot in Britain, which maintains a strict dress code. All guests in the Royal Enclosure must wear hats.
• Extravagant hats were popular in the 1980s, and in the early 21st century, flamboyant hats made a comeback.
• Notable hat makers include James Lock & Co., Sharp & Davis, Elvis Pompilio, Fabienne Delvigne, Philip Treacy, Stetson, John Cavanagh, and Borsalino.