Figure 1.--This photo-back postcard shows an unidentified group and family car during the 1910s. Notice that all the boys are wearing flat caps. Notice all the different ways of wearing the caps. Also there appears to be a newly inducted solider in the group, suggesting that the snapshot was takenn in 1917 when the United Sttes declared war on Germany during World War I. .

Flat caps were even most common in the 1910s when virtually all boys wore flat caps. Headwear continued to be commonly worn including by children. Girls were sonething of an exception because hair bows were so popular in thev 1910s. Unlike the 1900s we no longer see boys wearing many different styles of caps. The flat cap was not the only cap worn, but it was definitely the dominant style by a huge margin. We see countless group photographs in which virtually all the boys wear flat caps rather than other styles. And this was the case throughout the decade. we are not sure why this was. Never before had one single style became so dominant. They dominated clothingb catalog and and advertisements, even when they were notb the iftem being sold. The 1911 Franklin Simon catalog is a good example. We believe this was because the boys themselves like the style. This does not look to us like a style that mothers who purchased most of the children's clothes would be especually drwn to choosing. We have no idea just why the flat cap was respecially preferred by boys over the several other caop styles worn atr the time. Flat caps were widely available and were the primary cap worn by school age boys. The popularity of flat caps is roughly comparble to that of knickers and the two are strongly associated. Almost all the images we have of American boys wearing knicker suits in the 1910s show them wearing flat caps with their suits. In some instances the flat cap material and color actually match the suit. Knickers became standard for American boys in the 1910s and so did flat caps. We note the Bennett boys in the 1910s. Notice that this looks like quite an affluent family and the caps match the overcoats. We also see most boys in more modest families wearing flat caps. They were not universal, but nearly so. We note the flat cap being commonly worn to school. They were worn in both casual circumstances as well as when dressing up in a suit.

Created: 2:04 AM 3/16/2012
Last updated: 2:04 AM 3/16/2012