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Hat

language culture Maturity 11-13 Next article →

A hat is a covering for the head.

Pierre Auguste Renoir - Woman in a Flowered Hat - Google Art Project
Pierre Auguste Renoir - Woman in a Flowered Hat - Google Art Project

People wear them for many different reasons. Some hats protect us from the weather. A sun hat shades your face and shoulders.

Monywa-Hpo Win Daung-62-Affenfutterhaendlerin-gje
Monywa-Hpo Win Daung-62-Affenfutterhaendlerin-gje

A cowboy hat protects against both sun and rain. An ushanka is a fur hat with earflaps to keep you warm. A hard hat protects construction workers from falling objects.

Schutzhelm
Schutzhelm

Other hats are for special ceremonies or jobs. A student might wear a mortarboard at a graduation.

Willendorf-Venus-1468
Willendorf-Venus-1468

A chef wears a tall hat called a toque.

Many hats have specific parts. Most hats have a crown, which is the top section.

Texas Tech Red Raiders baseball cap
Texas Tech Red Raiders baseball cap

They also have a brim, which is the rim that sticks out below the crown. Some hats have a hatband wrapped around the crown.

Gruppbild sv arbetsförmän vid Läten Hospitalbygge - Nordiska Museet - NMA.0056803
Gruppbild sv arbetsförmän vid Läten Hospitalbygge - Nordiska Museet - NMA.0056803

Hats can even have mechanical features. These might include visors, spikes, or even beer holders.

Noogler
Noogler

Some hats are soft, like a baseball cap or a beret.

Others are hard, like a bowler hat.

Bowler Hat sw (fcm)
Bowler Hat sw (fcm)

Hats have been part of human life for a very long time. A figurine called the Venus of Willendorf might show a woman in a woven hat.

Willendorf-Venus-1468
Willendorf-Venus-1468

One of the earliest confirmed hats belonged to a man named Ötzi.

Willendorf-Venus-1468
Willendorf-Venus-1468

He lived around 3250 BC and wore a bearskin cap with a chin strap. In ancient Egypt, people often wore headdresses to stay cool.

Monywa-Hpo Win Daung-62-Affenfutterhaendlerin-gje
Monywa-Hpo Win Daung-62-Affenfutterhaendlerin-gje

A man in a tomb painting from Thebes wore a conical straw hat around 3200 BC. The Tollund Man also wore a sheepskin cap around 400 BC.

Greenmustardorangbluechullo
Greenmustardorangbluechullo

Throughout history, hats have shown a person's rank or group. In the Middle Ages, hats were markers of social status.

Inquilinos
Inquilinos

Some hats were even used to identify specific religious groups. In the 18th century, the city of Milan was famous for making high-quality hats.

RhofHutladen1
RhofHutladen1

People who make these hats are called milliners. Milliners often use lace and ribbons to finish an outfit.

Pierre Auguste Renoir - Woman in a Flowered Hat - Google Art Project
Pierre Auguste Renoir - Woman in a Flowered Hat - Google Art Project

Today, some hats are even called "wearable sculpture."

Cover of Australasian Post With Miss Chinatown in 1966
Cover of Australasian Post With Miss Chinatown in 1966

Famous designers like Philip Treacy make hats for royal weddings.

Vilmabanky
Vilmabanky

Hats connect to many parts of our daily lives. Some traditions involve removing hats, like men entering a church.

DarkGreenAscotCapOnHead
DarkGreenAscotCapOnHead

In some places, people still wear headcoverings during prayer.

You might see different styles at famous events. For example, guests at the Royal Ascot in Britain must wear hats.

DarkGreenAscotCapOnHead
DarkGreenAscotCapOnHead

You can find many styles today, from a simple beanie to a large sombrero.

Sombrero-cordobes
Sombrero-cordobes

Whether for safety, fashion, or religion, hats are a part of many cultures.

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🖼️ Images & Media (52)
File:Chapeaux en peau de castor.jpg
Chapeaux en peau de castor.jpg
File:Pierre Auguste Renoir - Woman in a Flowered Hat - Google Art Project.jpg
Pierre Auguste Renoir - Woman in a...
File:Willendorf-Venus-1468.jpg
Willendorf-Venus-1468.jpg
File:Inquilinos.gif
Inquilinos.gif
File:charles-vernet-top-hat.jpg
charles-vernet-top-hat.jpg
File:Gruppbild sv arbetsförmän vid Läten Hospitalbygge - Nordiska Museet - NMA.0056803.jpg
Gruppbild sv arbetsförmän vid Läten...
File:Cover of Australasian Post With Miss Chinatown in 1966.jpg
Cover of Australasian Post With Miss...
File:RhofHutladen1.jpg
RhofHutladen1.jpg
File:DarkGreenAscotCapOnHead.jpg
DarkGreenAscotCapOnHead.jpg
File:Balmoral bonnet black.jpg
Balmoral bonnet black.jpg
File:Texas Tech Red Raiders baseball cap.jpg
Texas Tech Red Raiders baseball cap.jpg
File:Noogler.png
Noogler.png

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