Figure 1.--These three English boys were photographed on June 13, 1898. Their clothing consist of peajked caps, a rough woolen jacket, vests, and knee pants or rolled trousers. They all are barefoot, a sign of poverty at the time. Source: British National Archives COPY 1/436, Part 2.

The peaked cap is a rounded crown cap, rather like a skull cap, but with a small peak (or bill) at the front. It is a style strongly associated with Britain. British styles are notable for the small size of the peak. Unlike a baseball cap, the small size of the peak meant that it was not designed to shade the eyes. (This was also the case of 19h century baseball caps.) Rather it seems more designed to provide a handel needed for boys when they needed to tip their caps. We see the cap appearing in the mid-19th century, we believe at private schools in England. It is a style strongly associated with schools. And the school associated was so strong that the style becme known as a school cap. We think it may have first been worn as a games cap. The peaked cap grew in popularity during the late 19th century. By the late-19th century it was the primary ap style worn by English boys both in and out of school. This continued in the early 20th century. The flat cap that was so popular in America, was never as widely worn by boys in England where it was seen as nore of a workingman's cap than a boys' cap. It was worn by boys going to both private and state schools. We note numerous photographs before the 1950s, however, with boys wearing peaked caps as a kind of casual cap even when not at school as part of school uniform. These caps have no school crest in front. In many cases the boys involved may not have had large wardrobes and these could be the only caps they owned. When Baden Powell added Cubbing to the Scout movement (1916), he chose the standard peaked cap, but in a destinctive green color and yellow piping. The peaked cap remained popular in the 1920s and 30s. The cap rapidly declned in ppularily after World War II (1939-45), especially in the 1950s. Today the peaked cap is primarily seen as a school style as well as the style of the traditional Cub cap. Today the peaked cap has virtually disappered in England. Cubs no longer wear them, They are, however, still worn at a few private preparatory schools.

Characteristics

The peaked cap is a rounded crown cap, rather like a skull cap, but with a small peak (or bill) at the front. The peak or bill ws the primary variable associated with thecinstruction of these caps. It is a style strongly associated with Britain. British styles are notable for the small size of the peak. Unlike a baseball cap, the small size of the peak meant that it was not designed to shade the eyes. (This was also the case of 19th century baseball caps.) Rather it seems more designed to provide a handel needed for boys when they needed to tip their caps. The caps for state primaries were normally very basic, commonly in colors like blue or brown. The caps at private schools coud be quite different. They were done in many different colors, including bright colors boys did not normally wear. There were other decorative touches like circles and segments as well as braid.

Chronology

The peaked cap appeared in the mid-19th century, we believe first at private schools in England. Private schools for many years had a major impact on boys' styles. The Eton collar, for example, was inintially a schoolstyle. Wjile at firsta games cap, it soon became a standard school style. And soon noys at tate schools began wearing these caps. Thecaps appeared at about the same time Britain was beginning to build a state school system. Unlike the boys at private schools, boys at state schools usually did not have large wardrobes. As a result,many boys wore these caps for all occassions, school, casual, play, church, and other dress up occassions. By the late late19th century these caps were becoming unbiquitos for schoolage children. The peaked cap remained popular in the 1920s and 30s, the standard headwear for British boys. The peaked cap was still standard at the time of World War II and into the 1950s. It began to decline in ppularily during the 1950s, especially the late-50s. Today the peaked cap is primarily seen as a school style as well as the style of the traditional Cub cap. Today the peaked cap has virtually disappered in England. Cubs no longer wear them, They are, however, still worn at a few private preparatory schools.

School Uniform

These peaked caps are strongly associated with schools. And the school associated was so strong that the style becme known as a school cap. We think it may have first been worn as a games cap. The peaked cap grew in popularity during the late-19th century. While appearing first at private schools (1850s), they were adopted by boys in the new state or board schools that began to ppar throughout Englnd (1870s). By the late-19th century it was the primary a cap style worn by English boys both in and out of school. This continued in the early 20th century. Peaked caps were worn by boys going to both private and state schools.

Difference with America

The flat cap that was so popular in America, was never as widely worn by boys in England where it was seen as nore of a workingman's cap than a boys' cap.

General Headwear

We note numerous photographs of English boys wearing peaked caps as general rather than exclusively school headwear. This was in part because many childre, especially low-income children, only had school caps. State primaries did not have uniforms. Some were adopted in the 1960s, but until that time only private schools had uniforms. The one uniform item worn was the cap. So it was the headwear item that most boys had. In many cases the boys involved may not have had large wardrobes and these could be the only caps they owned. So these peaked caps were worn not only for school, but also for play, church, and other dress up occassions. The caps worn at state primaries had no school crest in front. It is one way of telling if the boys attended a state or private school. We also notice boys from private schools wearing their caps as casual headwear. Families which could afford to pay school fees of course could afford other headwear, but school caps became so sandardthat they were worn for casual and even dresswear as well. A factor could be comsidered here is that Britosh families tended to commonly dress up for outings that we would condider tody to be casual undertakings. So we see boys wearing school uniforms and suits along with their caps to all kinds of activities. We even see these outfits and caps at the bech.

Cub Caps

When Baden Powell added Cubbing to the Scout movement (1916), he chose the standard peaked cap, but in a destinctive green color and yellow piping. A green peaked cap with yellow piping was chosen for the Cubs, with cloth Wolf's head badge in front. The style was similar to the school caps commonly wore by English schoolboys. The caps, always green , were flatter then, with narrow yellow cordage. This same cap was adopted by Cubs all over the world. It was adopted by American Cubs, but in different colors. The Cub cap continued virtually unchanged for most of the 20th century. The only important change was that the badge of the front of the cap was changed to the international Scout symbol, the Fleur-d-lis. The cap was commonly worn by English Cubs through the 1970s, but began to be less commonly used in the 1980s.

Created: 12:53 PM 1/8/2009
Last updated: 8:54 AM 10/7/2016