It was a very long time ago. People still lived in caves. They needed clothes to protect themselves from the cold or heat. Of course, back then, there weren’t all kinds of fabrics like there are today. They made clothes and hats for themselves from the skins or hides of the animals they hunted. Another material they used to make hats was plants. Over time, people discovered certain properties of animals and plants. They began to obtain wool from animals and fibers from plants. They started to produce fabrics from these materials. With the discovery of fabrics, they began to make clothes and hats.
The variety of clothing and hats increased over time, increased, increased… The hat, which emerged out of a need for protection, began to be used for different purposes over time. Today, the hat is an accessory that many people love to wear.
About 3000 years ago, ancient Greek travelers wore a wide-brimmed hat called a petasos, made of felt or leather. The petasos was very useful for these travelers who were constantly on the move. This was because the petasos could be hung on the back with a rope strap. This way, it was not easily lost.
In the Middle Ages, very large and showy hats were worn. The reason for this was that there was a luxurious lifestyle in the palaces of the Middle Ages. During this period, beautiful fabrics began to be imported from Eastern countries. Thus, both clothing and hats became more ostentatious. Pointed hats called “henin” were particularly fashionable.
Now let’s go to the period between the 14th and 16th centuries. During this period, hats became more elegant and simple. Women and men generally began to wear dark-colored, velvet hats. Wealthy people wore hats decorated with precious stones and feathers.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, soldiers wore three-cornered hats. These hats were later replaced by two-cornered hats. The famous French emperor Napoleon also wore two-cornered hats.
As for the hats worn by women in the 17th and 18th centuries… The hats of the period were smaller and simpler than their predecessors. Women usually wore dark, hood-shaped hats when going out. cc
One of the most memorable hats in history is the top hat. Introduced by men in the 19th century, this hat quickly became an integral part of city life.
Wealthy people always wore this hat when going to the theater, dining out, or attending parties.
Towards the end of the 19th century, a new type of hat emerged with slight modifications to the design of the fashionable top hat: the bowler hat, which had a shorter, rounder crown.
Also towards the end of the 19th century, the fedora hat model, which is still used today, took its place on men’s heads.
Bonus
If Hats Had Stories…
