** historical girls' clothing: headscarves










Girls' Headwear: Headscarves

girls bonnets
Figure 1.--

The headscarf is of ancint origins. It was cimmon because of its simplocity -- a pice of simple unworked cloth. And it served a utiltarin purpoe, ptotcting the head and hair from sun and rain ascwell as amatter of sanitation. We do not have detasiled infirmtion on all ancient sdicities, but head scasrves were worn in Mesopotamia. Of course in the sun-baked Middle East, sun was more of an issue than rain. Th first written vidnce comes from Assyria (13th cntury BC). The authorities required that women, daughters and widows cover their heads as a sign of piety. The same law prohibited the lower classes and prostitutes from wearing headscarves. Punishmnt could entail public humiliation or arrest. There seems to have developed the idea yhg a head covring was assovcited wih being a respectable person. [Deihl] The headscrve was a common grment in the Middle East. It was thus foped by the Abrahamic religions (Jewish, Christian relgions that orighinated in the Levant. Head scrves and veils became part of the standard dress. They becme associated with the religions, but not mentiond specofically in the Torah, Bible, or Koran. There are references to modesty, but nit to speciufic garmnets. Head scarves were worn in Arabia before Islam. [Shirazi] Islam became later than both Judism and Chrtistianity. We also see had scarves in India, but we re not sure when they first appeared. Had scarves were very common in Cztholic Southern and Eastern Europe. They were less commoin in Western Europe, especially Protestsnt countries. Head scarves were not commom in America. Women in Ameican and England wore bonnets, but we see them being worn by immigrant girls and women arriving from Europr in the 19h and early-20th century. By the 20th century head scrves began to decline even in Estern and Siuthern Europe, akthugh they persisted in the Islanuc world along wuith much more severe appriosaches such as full body coverings, By mid centyry in Euope and nericahey were either worn in Church (mostly by Catholics) or as fashion accesary. Jacki Kennedy was fmous fir her head scrves. There was also practical use, worn during inclemrt weather or when wind might spoil a hirdo.

Sources

Deihl, Nancy. New York University. Deihl is a fashion and textile historian.

Shirazi, Faegheh. The Veil Unveiled: The Hijab in Modern Culture.







HGC






Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Return to the Main girl's headweart page]
[Return to the Main girl's garment page]
[Return to the Main girl's page]
[Return to the Main headwear page]
[Introduction] [Activities] [Biographies] [Chronologies] [Clothing styles] [Countries] [Essays] [Theatricals]
[Bibliographies] [Contributions] [FAQs] [Glossaries] [Images] [Links] [Registration] [Tools]
[Boys' Clothing Home]




Created: 5:13 AM 10/30/2018
Last updated: 5:13 AM 10/30/2018