Have you ever worn a hat, headband, or even a wig? Maybe you didn’t intend to on that specific bad hair day but you have joined the headwear craze that has taken over centuries and some of history. There is a certain aesthetic that goes along with wearing a hat. Depending upon if it’s as an accessory, as a coverup for bad hair, or in generally any way; headwear shows personality in many ways.
Hats have been around since the beginning of humans, literally. They were created around 3200 BCE according to Britannica. Since then they have been worn for survival, a sign of wealth, military position. Since their creation, hats have been affiliated with many purposes and careers that have, in a very subliminal way, changed the world.
Couture headwear is what got the ball rolling on wealth and significance. Around the same time they were created, crowns were used in ancient civilizations like Egypt and were made out of their most precious resources, they were worn by rulers and the wealthy. These hats were the first high fashion in headwear. Years later in the early 1700s, hats and wigs were all about how big and expensive you can get them, for example pre-revolutionary France was all about aristocracy and importance. At the time, wearing a mini boat on your head was the most fashionable thing. Nowadays, hats are used for many reasons. Religious purposes, showing support for a sports team, a political statement, or to simply hide a bad hair day, hats are seen everyday.
While it’s true that hats are used in many ways, it seems that most often, they’re used as a fashionable accessory.
“Most of the time I’d rather wear it for style more than practicality,” Carson Bell (9) said.
Many people offered that it was also to cover their hair, it being a big insecurity for many people.
“I personally don’t like my hair, so I wear hats to cover it,” Peyton Quinn (9) said. “And whenever it’s really sunny because I’m so pale and a redhead, I need hats to save my skin.”
Today, it seems like one-third of the entire world’s population is wearing hats. They’ve always been in style and probably always will be. Headwear has never been very controversial in general, they’re always associated with something positive or culturally significant. Hats have been a sign of support, wealth, comfortability,and helpfulness. Almost everyone in the world has at least one piece of headwear in their closet, but most don’t recognize the significance of them in modern day.
It’s crazy to think that not even 10 years ago, people weren’t allowed to wear hats at school or even in some businesses, it was seen as a sign of disrespect. In fact, some schools still don’t allow hats to be worn in the classroom.
People think the hat ban prevents distractions and teaches the students discipline. Others think the ban is completely unnecessary and takes away from the students ability to express themselves.
“It’s a way people express culture in themselves equally. It can let people express where they’re from or what they do for a living,” Silias Sweeney (9) said.
