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| Sunday, 8 January 2006 |
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Junior Observer |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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History of hatsAlthough hats may not be a popular accessory in Sri Lanka, they are part of one's clothing in some countries, and have been worn since time immemorial. Different hats and headdresses, depending on the climate of an area and local customs, have been worn for ages by both men and women.
The earliest hats were believed to have been designed to protect the wearers from extreme climatic conditions. They were also worn by the royalty and nobility. A crown (diadem) of olive leaves used to be presented by early Greeks to their winning athletes. This custom was later adopted by the Romans, whose emperors wore gold crowns. The diadem came to be adopted as a symbol of royal power from the days of the emperor Constantine. The tradition was followed by emperors like Charlemagne, Charles V and Napoleon Bonaparte, who wore the Iron Crown of Lombardy, made around 500 AD. Some used hats as a disguise for protection from enemies. Hannibal, who ruled Carthage over 200 years ago, feared assassination so much, that he had several hats and wigs made, and wore them so that potential killers wouldn't recognise him. Fifteenth century soldiers such as the Cavaliers of England and the Musketeers of France wore wide-brimmed hats, mostly made of soft beaver pelt. In fact, many explorations were made to North America by people who wanted to establish the fur trade for these hats. It also led to the exploration and colonisation of Canada. One drawback in these hats was their droopy brims being impractical for sword fighting and horse riding. Thus, they soon gave way to the tricorne, which was cocked up on three sides. The style was adopted by the French nobility who adapted it to a bicorne (cocked up on two sides). A famous bicorne wearer was Napoleon Bonaparte. Another popular hat worn in medieval Europe was the biretta (a square cap), which was the choice of the clergy and academics. However, as the academics later drew apart from the clergy, they adopted a modified biretta, which was a more stiff, square 'mortarboard' with tassels. The small round Derby hat known as the 'bowler' was invented by London hatter, William Bowlers. It was made famous by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Agatha Christie's fictional Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. The American top hat, invented in the thirties, was mostly associated with President Abraham Lincoln. Felt gaucho hats were worn by American cowboys as protection from the heat, while wide-brimmed straw hats known as Sombreros were worn by Mexicans for similar purposes. An interesting headdress closer to home is the turban of India. The name originated from the Persian word 'Dulband ' which means a scarf. They were decorated with feathers and precious stones according to the status of people. Women's hats weren't second to these either. Some of the strangest of hats existed in England during the reign of George III in the 18th century. These were first kneaded with flour, worked over a cushion of wool and decorated with artificial flowers and ribbons. They were very heavy and extremely uncomfortable for the wearers. The hats worn during the mid-18th century were designed to mark the invention of the cabriolet (two-wheeled, single horse drawn carriage), with big wheels on the sides. The calash , invented by the Duchess of Bedford in 1765, was a huge round hat stiffened by whalebone. The cloche , a bell-shaped hat which clung close to the face, was worn by women in the twenties. The term 'milliners' (makers of women's hats) was first used in 1529. It then referred to ribbons and straw, products for which the town of Milan was famous. People who imported these items to make fine women's hats were called 'Millaners' and the new word was coined from this. Source: The Hindu |
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