Whenever you put on your favorite ballcap or beanie, you probably don’t realize how much hat styles and fashion have changed over the years. Instead of wearing hats as a status symbol, as was popular in the past, most people wear hats for fashion nowadays. So how did we go from top hats to ballcaps? That’s a long and interesting history! Find out how hats have evolved over the years to become so prominent in our everyday wardrobes.

Early Uses of the Hat

Ancient hats looked a lot different from the stylized hats we know from the eighteenth-century and modern times. One of the first depictions of a hat comes from a painting in the Tomb of Thebes in Egypt, in which a man wears a cone-shaped straw hat. Headdresses were also some of the most popular varieties of early hats. There were two main reasons someone would wear a hat back then: either for function or as a status symbol. While that’s not as critical today, as many people wear them for style, these ideas still remain.

For Functionality

While it’s hard to pinpoint the first instances of the hat throughout history, archeologists and historians have suggested that humans have used hats for functionality and protection from the elements since ancient times. Early humans may have even used animal hides and plant materials to construct hats to keep the sun out of their eyes or the wind and rain off their faces. One of the first depictions of the hat in 3200 BC Egypt suggests that hats were a solution to the beating desert sun and heat. In fact, people worldwide use hats for the same purposes to this day.

Status Symbols

Hats have been used as status symbols for centuries, starting with headdresses from ancient civilizations worldwide. Especially during the nineteenth century, hats implied wealth as mainly nobles wore them. The size and detail of your hat added to this status symbol. On the other hand, some hats, such as flat caps, became associated with the working and lower classes. While those of all classes wore hats for purpose and status, the type of hat differed.

Events

People have linked hats to many events and places throughout history. For example, you can see hats as pieces of military uniforms for many historical wars. To this day, we still associate wearing hats with certain events. Take the Kentucky Derby, for example. Beginning in the late 1800s, the Kentucky Derby became one of America’s largest hat-wearing events and continues to influence fashion. Even today, you might get weird looks for going to the Kentucky Derby without sporting a hat—that’s how influential hat fashion has become.

Men’s Hat History

We don’t associate gender with many of today’s hat styles, though this wasn’t always the case. Men’s and women’s hats had distinct styles and purposes throughout the years. Many of the early hat styles for men indicated their status, such as the top hat. Shorter, more functional hats, like bowler or derby hats, served function over status for working-class men. Many of our modern hat trends take inspiration from these older hat styles.

There are also many popular men’s hat styles in art and literature, such as the deerstalker hat, which the fictional character Sherlock Holmes immortalized. You can still see some inspiration from these early hats in today’s men’s hat styles.

Women’s Hat History

Much like early men’s hats, many women’s hats symbolized their social status. Large, decorative hats were popular in the eighteenth century, especially in Britain with its noble families. Some women’s hats were so large that they became cumbersome, and the wearer would often lose her balance while wearing her hat. In the nineteenth century, the bonnet became popular with women of all classes for its style and functionality. Bonnets were stylish, framing a woman’s face while also offering sun protection. Women even used the long brim of the bonnet to hide their faces from unwanted attention from male suitors. Some of the first unisex hats included boaters, stocking caps, and later, the baseball cap.

The American Ball Cap

The American ball cap is one of such hats that changed headwear forever. Many of our modern-day hat styles are thanks to the invention of the baseball cap. Original baseball caps looked different from what you may picture when you think of a ball cap. Nineteenth- and twentieth-century baseball hats featured a floppy cap with a bonnet-like shape. Baseball players wore these hats in their team colors to identify their team. These hats also had brims, which would keep their faces shaded from the sun while on the field. Over time, manufacturers added more structure to these hats, creating the six-sectioned baseball hats we know today.

Modern Hats

In modern times, we mostly associate hats with fashion and style. However, in some parts of the world, hats and head coverings are still used to represent status. We often see extravagant hat styles worn by members of the royal family or at events like the Kentucky Derby to this day. However, most hat-wearers select their headwear for fashion and functionality. With the modern prevalence of baseball caps, everyone, from sports players to vacationers, wears these hats to keep the sun off their faces. Hats also go in and out of style in modern times, just like they did in the past. A current example of a hat trend is the bucket hat, which people of all ages currently sport. Who knows what hat trend is waiting to pop up on future runways?

Hats are one of the most interesting pieces of fashion because there are so many varieties, and they have changed so much throughout history. Hopefully, this deep dive into how hats have evolved over the years provided some insight into how different the hats of the past were. And their evolution is far from over. If you’re interested in exploring the world of hat design and starting a business, we have all your bulk blank hat needs covered here at KBETHOS.