Why Don’t We Wear Hats Anymore?

For centuries leaving the house without a hat would be like leaving the house without your phone or keys - you simply wouldn’t do it. But these days, headwear is an optional add on - a fashion choice, a weather protector, or found on the head of a wedding guest.

Alice and Ben look under the brim of history to find out what on earth happened to the ubiquity of the hat?

We’ll cover a parent’s desperate tactic to keep a son out of trouble, there are highwaymen, practical jokes, and a British supermodel.

Key Sources:

The Cultural, Social, and Ideological Role of the Hat in Early Modern England - Professor Bernard Capp

Dress for Deference and Dissent: Hats and the decline of Hat Honour - Professor Penelope J. Corfield

Hats - Fiona Clark