Figure 1.--This image from the New Zealand National Archives shows four children photographed about 1911. The older boy wears a boater, probably his school uniform based on the striped band. (Reference No. 1/2-073134; G).

The boater hat has a substantial flat brim and flattened crown and has traditionally been made of straw. The hat was reportedly inspired by French sailors. It was adopted in England as children's wear in the mid-19th century, but was eventually worn by both men and women. Many English schools adopted the boater as part of the school uniform. It declined in popularity after World War I.

Informal Adult Styles

The boater was one of many informal styles that appeared in the late 19th and early 20th century. While worn earlier by children and women, men adopted it as an informal hat syle in the 1880s. While a top hat was worn for formal occassions, the boater was common at more informal events. Other informal hat styles (homburgs and fedoras) were also adopted at this time. They came into style towards the end of the 19th century, marking the emergence of a new social informality and a less rigid class structure. HBC is not sure precisely when boaters were first worn or when the term was intoduced. We have noted boaters as early as the 1880s. They may have been worn even earlier.

Structure

The boater, a British term, is a stiff, straight-brimmed, straw hat with a flat crown and a ribbon band. A boater is essentially nothing more than a regular pillbox with a straight brim. A boater always has a straight brim, never a draped one and a crown with a flat, or "square" tip. Straw boater hats appeared before the turn of the century. They appear to have evolved from flat topped sailor caps. The straw boater is suprisingly tough for such a light, cool hat. A boater which has passed through several summers will loose its initial garish gols and gain a deep biscut-colored suntan.

Chronology

HBC does not have a precise chronology of the boater yet. One source suggests it was inspired from the hats worn by French sailors. The English boater appears to have been introduced in the mid-1860s first for children. It was then worn by women. It was first worn by men from 1880 to 1930. British schools began adopting it as part of their uniforms in the 1880s. It seems to have appeared in the late 19th century. It was particularly popular at the tutn of the 20th century in the years before World War I (1914-18). It was still worn in the 1920s, but declined in popularity during the decade. It continued to be worn at some English private schools. We see American boys wearing boaters at the turn of the 20th century. It does not seem to have been a style in Ameruca.especially associated with school.

Countries

The boater was especially popular in England. We note them in England during the late 19th century. They were worn at many private schools. I'm unsure how common they were other than at school. We have alo noted in being worn in English colonies around the world. The photograph here from New Zealand is a good example (figure 1). We also note the boater in America. We see images of boys wearing them in the late 19th century, but we are not yet sure about the precise chronolohy. They do not seem to have been as associated with schoolwear in America as was the case in Britain. We see quite a few images of boys wearing them, usually when dressed up for some event. France was another country where the boater seems to have been popular. The boater was worn in many other countries, although our information is still quite linited. No where, however, was the boater more extensivey worn than England.

Boys Wear

The boater was introduced as a stylish child's hat in the 1860s. It was later adopted as part of the uniform at prestious English private schools. While the boater has not been worn by boys since the early 20th century as part of their normal dress, it continues to be worn as part of school uniforms--although more commonly by girls than boys.

Child's hat

I'm not sure who first devised the boater as a child's hat. One influence must have been the sailor hats worn by Oueen Victoria's sons in the 1840s. Boys at mid-century wore a wide variety of hats. The boater was one style which appeared at this time. It was initially a style of hat associated with boys from affluent families.

School uniform

The boater was adopted for school wear before the turn of the 20th century. Some British schools adopted boaters, or straw hats with circular brims, as part of the school uniform. This was primarily for secondary age boys. The style was a little impractical for the rough usage that clothes are subjected to by active boys. It is now rarely seen, but some schools, mostly English, still use them for special occasions. Some girls' schools also adopted the boater, for both elementary and secondary age girls. Several English girls' schools still use them as partbof the uniform, mostly for younger girls.

Figure 2.--Although initially adopted for school wear at boys' schools, the boater is now more commonly worn as part of a girls' school uniform. It is, however, not an exclisively girls' style and is still worn by boys at some schools.

Modern Transitions

The boater, unlike some hat styles, has sucessfully spanned the classes and genders. It has worn by an amazingly wide range of individuals, including butchers, riverside oarsmen, song and dance men like Maurice Chevalier and barber-shop quartets, to the boys' at Britian's public schools. It has also been adopted as headwear at girl's schools--one of the few stuyles of headwear worn by both girls and boys.

Stylish Image

On fashion consultant maintains that a boater defines "crisp". It is the perfect affect for a leisurely day paddling on the pond or an afternoon betting on thoroughbreds. Not showy, but confident. More "smart" than stylish. Simply dashing.

Manufacture

The traditional English boater is made from plaited straw.Panama hats are mostly woven by hand in the villages of Ecuador as part of a centuries old traditional cottage industry. The material used is the pliable strands of fibre drawn from the leaves of the Paja Toquilla palm. The quality of a Panama hat depends upon the fineness of the strands used to weave it. Straw hat experts provide anumber of tips: 1. Avoid pinching the front of the hat. 2. Avoid storing in a hot dry place. 3. Avoid the rain.

Navigate the Historic Boys' Clothing Web Site:
[Introduction][Activities][Biographies][Bibliographies][Chronologies][Countries][Style Index]
[Contributions][Frequently Asked Questions][Links][Glossaries][Images][Links][Registration]
[Boys' Clothing Home]

Created: July 24, 2000
Last updated: 5:07 PM 7/8/2007