Topping It Off - Late 18th Century Hats by Cynthia Howerter

Everyone wore hats during colonial times. No matter the style or the wearer, hats served a purpose. Please join me as we take a look at some hats I saw on a recent strolls through Williamsburg.

When I stopped at the tinsmith's shop, I noticed the proprietor was wearing a tradesman's knit cap. It's not fancy, but it serves to keep his head warm in his drafty shop during the cold months and stop perspiration from getting into his eyes during Virginia's hot summers.

This enterprising young tradesman was selling freshly baked ginger cakes on Duke of Gloucester Street on a very hot day.

His cap is made from a coarse linen fabric. Not only does this hat ensure the gentleman's head won't be sunburned, the reddish-colored band prevents perspiration from running down his face and neck.

The most popular hat for middling and gentry men was the tri-corn or cocked hat which was folded on three sides. Because it was the custom for a man to carry his hat under his arm, a folded hat made that easier. Men's hats could be cocked, that is, folded, on one, two, or three sides. The preferred material for tri-corn hats was beaver felt.

This gentleman's straw hat is cocked on one side. Rather dashing, don't you think? The hat, I mean.

The town blacksmith left the heat of his shop to take a brief break. He's wearing a brimmed hat that hasn't been cocked.

This lovely young lady is wearing a wide-brimmed straw hat decorated with green ribbon. Not only is it pretty, it protects her face from sunburn and keeps the sun out of her eyes. She's also wearing a white mob cap with a ruffled edge. Mob caps were an important part of a woman's daily attire. Indeed, women and girls were not considered fully dressed without a mob cap covering their hair.

Straw hats were usually secured with a ribbon tied at the nape of the neck rather than under the chin.

Because frequent bathing was thought to be unhealthy during the eighteenth century, colonial women did not wash their hair often. Mob caps served to hide the condition of a woman's hair. This accomplished woman is wearing a short-brimmed straw hat on top of a mob cap that hangs low behind her neck.

If you're in need of a hat, I recommend stopping at the Mary Dickinson Shop in Colonial Williamsburg. With so many beautiful hats to choose from, it's hard to make a decision ... perhaps you and I should each buy two. Or three.

Award winning author Cynthia Howerter loves using her training in education, research, writing, and speaking to teach and inspire others about a time in America that was anything but boring. A member of the Daughters of the American revolution (DAR), Cynthia believes history should be alive and personal.



Visit Cynthia's website: Cynthia Howerter - all things historical

Photographs by ©2015 Cynthia Howerter

Mob Caps

Abigail Adams - wife of John Adams

The mob cap was a simple head covering commonly worn during America's Colonial period. It came into fashion in the early 18th Century and survived well into the 19th Century. It varied in size and style quite a bit from country to country and year to year. Early versions of the mob cap included side flaps that came down and tied under the chin. This was considered flattering for the more mature lady whose chin had fallen prey to gravity.

Mob cap with sides - not tied

Head coverings were necessary in Colonial days. Bathing was infrequent and a mob cap kept the woman's hair clean. And hidden. (Because they didn't bathe frequently.) Modesty also played a part. A woman without her hair covered was considered undressed. Mob caps were essentially for indoor wear. When the lady ventured outdoors, she'd cover the mob cap with a hat or hood. 

Martha Washington - wife of George Washington

Hat worn over mop cap

The construction of the mob cap was simple, a circle of fabric drawn around the head with a ribbon or band. (Although we see them made with elastic in reenactment clothing, it's good to remember that elastic had not been invented yet when these caps were popular.) Some were elaborately pleated, but most were gathered. The amount of fabric left before the band to form the ruffle varied from almost none to enough to shade the face. Depending on where one lived, the fabric might be linen, cotton, or even gauze, but all were starched.

Germany

England

Netherlands

Even after the mob cap had fallen out of fashion with society's elite, it continued as everyday wear for the working class and servants for many more years. In fact, it still survives today in most operating rooms around the country.

French Serving Maid Knitting

~ Pegg Thomas