Figure 1.--Here we see an unidentified American boy, we think in the 900s wearing a wide-brimmed sailor hat. He looks to be about 4 years old.

Children's Hats had significant ages conventions. Today children especially boys do not wear hats. Hats in the 19th century were very common for children of all ages, even pre-school boys. Wide-brimmed sailor hats were especially popular for younger boys. And we continue to boys wearing hats, although not such young boysinto the mid-20th century. Caps were also worn in in the 19th and early-20 century and by the mid-20 century were replacing hts. Not only hats styles varied over time. The age convntions for the various hats varied. Younger boys might where broad-brimmed sailor hats, ironically the largest of the varied hat styles. Here there were social-class conventions. Older boys wore rounded-crown hats with narrmow brims. This was the most common of all the different hats worn by boys. We see some boys wearing bowler hats in the late-19th and early-20th century. We also see boaters, worn by boys and men. After World War II we see some boys wearing adult-styled hats like fedoras. We see boys as young as 11-years or so wearing these hats.

Created: 9:02 PM 6/23/2017
Last updated: 9:02 PM 6/23/2017