Figure 1.-- This cabinet card portrait shows two sisters wearing bonnets. They look to be about 6-9 years old. The portrait is undated, but we would guess was taken in the 1889s. Notice the tennis racquet. The studio was Stokes in Salford.

Bonnet is a headwear term that has been used for many different headwear garmebts, including garments for both both genders, although generally it has been most commonly ued for female headwear--both girls and adult women. The term originated in medieval France where it referred to a type of fabric. It has been used for such a wide range of headwear that it is difficult to make any general statement, but usually meant a soft material cap without a brim, especially an all-round brim. But the term is so ambiguous is that the term for steel helmets was a bommet. And it was especially popular in Scotland. Scottish Glengarrys and Balmorals were commonly called bonnets. Over time the term in England came to mean sotwear headwear tied under the chin with a string or material strap. Commonly the forehead was not covered while the back was covered. There was a social-class element in England. The English bonnet for some time meant informal headwear worn by the well-to-do women at home in domestic situations. Suddenly we see the bonnet becoming fashionalble headwear (18th century). And this continued for some time (late-19th century). The term bonnet was the dominant term used for female hats. Actual bonnets were worn in the 19th century. Queen Victoria was known to wear elegant bonners, but gradually it became a child's style. We see school-age girls wearing bonnets in the late-19th century. This seems to have been more common than in America. Eventually the age trends declined and the bonnet became seen as baby headwear, often described as 'baby bonnets'.

Created: 2:06 AM 4/14/2019
Last updated: 2:06 AM 4/14/2019