Wearing a hat- Beautiful Woman

Wearing a hat, beautiful woman.

Women wearing hats, I love that! In these times, it is nearly impossible to wear a hat during a normal day. People are staring at you like you are a crazy person. If you are aristocratic, it is normal, and everyone thinks you must wear a hat.

I think they would miss the hat if Royalties wouldn’t wear one.

We live in the Netherlands, and for us,  Queen Maxima, wearing a hat with a beautiful outfit is absolutely normal. People are used to it. But for a person like you and me, they seem to be not very tolerant. Or maybe it is they need to get used to.;)

When I lived in Ireland, I saw more often women wearing beautiful hats. It seems like it is more the English culture holding fast to their traditions. I mean, if you are going to a funeral, or a wedding, or a sports event like a Polo match, you see women wearing hats. And I think it looks so elegant and beautiful.

You see many women wearing hats in the Netherlands in the church, but these are certain churches. Not all churches are doing so. Some churches do believe that a woman must wear a hat to cover her head. I love to see women wearing a hat. It looks beautiful and elegant to me.

Hats in the last Centuries

In the last centuries, Ladies were always wearing hats. You couldn’t imagine leaving the house without a complete outfit. The hat belonged to a woman from higher society. And even a woman in the working class or a servant wore a sort of hat, called mob caps. They have been quite normal in the Colonial times of the United States and also in Europe.  Women were wearing them even in the house.

Nowadays, you find this in the Netherlands, belonging to the traditional dresses that some women still wear in some villages like Staphorst and Urk. It is a pity, but you don’t see them very often anymore. Many young people are not interested in their culture. There will be fewer older people holding close to the tradition. Actually, you see the development in every country, some dialects are disappearing, and I think that is a sad change.

I know in Germany, women are still wearing such traditional hats and clothes for tourism, in an area called Schwarzwald or Bayern( Bavaria). You see them at certain events when people come together to celebrate in Bavarian villages. Throughout Germany, you can still experience these events if you are interested in them. You really should do this, especially; I believe they will disappear as well in the future.

Throughout the centuries, women and men have worn hats. The style has changed from century to century. In the early 20th  of century, it was a normal dress-up. A woman leaving the house has worn a hat. For example, in the old movie “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.”, you see how Audrey Hepburn was dressed.

Jackie Kennedy made her style famous. Lots of women copied her dress code.

In the ’60s/ ’70s, the hat disappeared slowly. Women didn’t want to dress like a Lady anymore. With James Dean and his Jeans, a new generation with a rebellious mindset has been growing up. Many young women have changed the dress for pants, especially Jeans. Young people have thirsted for freedom, not this conservative lifestyle. They have knocked against the dusty rules.  And the door was open!

In the 1970s, the fashion hat disappeared. Because of the holes in the ozone layer, health experts tried to give the hat a return to protect the skin. And some women wear a kind of straw hat in summertime.

Fashion Designers have been trying to bring the hat back by designing beautiful fashion, including wearing a hat. However, many women in the Western World are not interested in wearing a hat anymore. But it is changing again, and I welcome the development.

Why do women still wear hats in some churches?

If you have a look into some churches, you still see women wearing hats or caps. In some cultures, women wear headscarves in church. It depends where they are coming from. In Africa and South America, women wear their traditional hats or caps or headscarves in the Catholic church.

It has to do with God’s Word, the Bible.

The Bible says that women have to cover their heads. Based on Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, Calvinist, and Methodist teaching, some women wear the head-covering in public worship.

In 1. Corinthians 11;5 is written that every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, for that is even all one as if she were shaven. A woman has to have long hair for modesty.

Biblical scholars referred to a literal veil or covering with a cloth. This is the reason Christian women still wear a hat in church. In the Western world, it is practiced by a minority. Still, in other countries like Romania, Russia, Ukraine, Ethiopia, India, Pakistan, and South Korea, it is normal for women to cover their heads going to church. (Wikipedia)

But this has nothing to do with art or creativity.

Ladies wearing a hat- a sign of rank?

These days you don’t see most women wearing hats, only in winter, when it is freezing, women wear a hat or woolen beret. It is not common anymore. If you see the Royal families, then you see that the Ladies are still wearing hats. It complements their outfits, and I like it very much. You hardly see them in public without a hat. We are used to this picture. It looks aristocratic and elegant.

In England, you see women wearing hats while visiting traditional events, like a Polo match. It is normal that women dress up beautifully and wear hats. This has a long tradition in Britain. It is all about looking classy and elegant while enjoying the game. Of course, in other English countries, they are also beautiful dressed while visiting a Polo Game, but women are not wearing hats like they do in England, where the game’s origin is. Luckily, many British people are still traditional.

Wearing Hats as Art – Be Creative

This post is all about Art and Creativity. Wearing a hat is not a must anymore, but if you are like me and love to express yourself, you might love wearing a hat with your clothes. I believe a hat always looks good. There are many different forms, colors, and materials, so it doesn’t matter if you are dressed classy and elegant or sportive.

I find many hats in second-hand shops where they have different styles for little money. The only thing is that they might not have your head size. But if you go more often, you will find something that suits you. Play a little with your style. When I wear jeans and look sportive, I wouldn’t wear a big hat. I would wear a Fedora with a leather jacket and jeans. It looks stunning.

But if you would like to wear a dress or skirt, a coat on it, you could wear an occasion hat, something bigger and elegant. Put some gloves on and carry a beautiful handbag. You will certainly be a magnet for people. If you love playing around with clothes to express yourself, you will find many possibilities to show your creativity. Still, buying second-hand hats will not pollute the planet but help to live sustainably.

Final Thought

Wearing a hat can be really fashioned. For me, it is an expression of Art! Maybe you would love to include a beautiful hat in your personal style. What kind of fashion you love is up to you. In secondhand shops, you could find some different hats and try them before you buy something expensive. So you could find out what really suits you and what you love to wear. I think it is important to play with different styles. Making a piece of Art of yourself is very satisfying. It will give you more confidence. And it makes you free.

What do you think? I would love to hear your opinion. Do you love wearing hats?

All the best,

Sylvia

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