Headgear
Headgear is the name given to any element of clothing which is worn on one's head. Common forms of headgear include hats, caps, bonnets, hoods, headscarves and helmets. Headgear can have great symbolic significance: in a monarchy, for example, royalty often have special crowns. Hair accessories and replacements, such as wigs, may also be included in the category of headgear.
Headgear can serve a variety of purposes:
- protection (against impact, cold, rain and other precipitation, heat, glare, sun burn, dust, infection, chemicals, noise, insects, etc)
- to keep hair contained or tidy
- decoration or fashion
- religious purposes
- modesty; social convention
- hiding baldness
- distinction; a badge of office
Types of headgear
Hats
Main article: Hat.
Hats often have a brim all the way around the rim, and may be either placed on the head, or secured with hat-pins (which are pushed through the hat and the hair). Depending on the type of hat, they may be worn only by men, women or by either sex.
Caps
Main article: Cap.
Caps are generally soft, and often have no brim, or just a peak (like on a baseball cap). For many centuries women wore a variety of head-coverings which were called caps. In the 18th and 19th centuries for example a cap was a kind of head covering made of a flimsy fabric such as muslin; they were worn indoors or under bonnets by married women, or older unmarried women who were "on the shelf" (e.g. mob-cap).
Bonnets
Main article: Bonnet.
Bonnets, as worn by women, were generally brimless hats worn outdoors which were secured by tying under the chin, and which covered no part of the forehead. Some styles of bonnets had a large peak which effectively prevented women from looking right or left without turning their heads. Bonnets worn by men and boys are generally distinguished from hats by being soft and having no brim - this usage is now rare (they would normally be called caps today).
Helmets
Main article: Helmet.
Helmets are designed to protect the head, and sometimes the neck, from injury. They are usually rigid, and offer protection from blows. Helmets are commonly worn in battle, on construction sites and in many contact sports.
Hoods
Main article: Hood.
Hoods today are generally soft headcoverings which form part of a larger garment like an overcoat, shirt or [[cloak]. Historically, hoods were either similar to modern hoods, often forming part of a cloak or cape, or a seperate form of headgear. Soft hoods were worn by men under hats. Women's hoods varied from close-fitting, soft headgear to stiffened, structured hoods (e.g. gable hood) or very large coverings made of material over a frame which fashionable women wore over towering wigs or hairstyles to protect them from the elements (e.g. calash).
Masks
Main article: Mask.
A mask is worn over part or all of the face, frequently to disguise the wearer, but sometimes to protect them. Masks are often worn as disguises at fancy dress parties, a masqued balls or at Hallowe'en, or they may be worn by criminals to prevent people recognising them as they commit a crime. Masks which physically protect the wearer vary from bars across the face in the case of ice hockey goalkeepers, to devices which purify or control the wearer's air supply, as in gas masks.
Wigs
Main article: Wig.
Wigs are synthetic hair which may be worn to disguise baldness or as part of a costume. In most Commonwealth nations, special wigs are also worn by barristers, judges, and certain parliamentary officials as a symbol of the office.
Veils
Main article: Veil.
Today a veil is normally a piece of fabric which covers all or part of the face. For centuries up until the Tudor period (1485), women wore veils which covered the hair, and sometimes the neck and chin, but not the face.
See also: List of hats and headgear
Protective hats
The most common use of a hat is as protection for the head and eyes. A baseball cap is used by sports players to keep the sun out of their eyes, and by some chefs to keep the hair out of their food. Traditionally, silk chef's hats are used for this purpose. A rain hat has a wide rim to keep the rain out of the wearer's face. Some traditional types of hat such as the Mexican sombrero also serve this purpose. There are also the full range of helmets. There are also hats that are worn for protection from the cold. These include many varities of fur hats, and also the Canadian tuque.
Fashionable hats
Vaudeville character actor Charles E. Grapewin with a top hat on, in promotion of a skit.
Hats are also an article of fashion; the formal man's black silk top hat was formerly an indispensable portion of the suit, and women's hats have, over the years, attained a fantastic number of shapes ranging from immense confections to no more than a few bits of cloth and decorations piled on top of the head. Recently, the hat as an article of formal wear has fallen out of fashion, though some kinds of hats other than baseball caps may be included in young people's subcultural fashions.
Religious headgear
A number of hats are used for religious purposes. Observant Jewish men wear yarmulkes, small cloth skull-caps, because they believe the head should be covered in the presence of God. Some Jewish men wear yarmulkes at all times, others in the synagogue.
Similar to the yarmulke is the zucchetto worn by Roman Catholic clergy. Other forms of apostolic head-gear include the mitre, biretta, tasselled cardinal's hat, and the papal tiara.
Male Sikhs are required to wear turbans. See also the fez (clothing).
The term red hat when used within the Roman Catholic Church refers to the appointment of a Cardinal, a senior Prince of the Church who is a member of the electoral college that chooses the Pope. A person on being appointed to the cardinalate is said to have received the red hat or cardinal's biretta.
Jewelry
A number of jewels, including the crown, coronet, and tiara, have evolved from the hat.
Hat etiquette
Men who wear hats typically take them off in church (but not a synagogue) and other buildings, as a salute, when a national anthem is played, while eating, and at other such occasions. The hat can be "tipped" (briefly removed) as a greeting. Women usually do not take off their hats in these situations, but take their hats off in their own homes.