Figure 1.--This unidentified cabinet card looks to us it may be English. Both the floral mount and low-cut shoes suggest it is English. The boy wears a classic broad-brimmed hat with a sailor suit. The plaid long stockings are unusual. It looks to us as if was taken about 1905.

Broad-brimmed hats, often referred to as wide-brimmed hats, were a very popular hat style for children during the late-19th and early-20th century. We see countless images. We are not sure yet about the precise chronology. But we think it was he 1880s that we see the really broad-brimmed hats. We see large numbers of children wearing these hats in the photographic record. There was a social-class aspect to this. This was not a working-class style. It was a middle- and upper-class style. Both boys and girls wore them, although the age range was different. Boys tended to wear them mostly at pre-school ages or early-primary years. Girls tended to wear them to older ages. Boys' hats were plain. Some of the girls wore broad-brimmed hats they were heavily decorated. This was especially the case for adult women. who went in for hast decoration. Girls wore both plain and decorated hats. We cannot imagine a more impractical style for children, especially boys. Wide-brimmed hats are commonly associated with sailor and Fauntleroy styles where we have archived many examples, but they were worn with other outfits as well. We see some boys wearing them with tunic suits. In America many of the tunic suit outfits were called Buster Brown suits. They are probably most associated with sailor outfits, in part because sailor suits were such a popular style. but unlike the sailor suit this was not an actual sailor style. These hats were mostly straw hats, especially the really wide-brimmed versions. We have several country pages on these hats including America, England, France, German, Italy, and other countries. It is also interesting how boys wear these hats. Note the boy here. His hat is cocked up. This is usually done in studios so you can see the child's face. When these hats were popular, there were not all that many snapshots. So the photographic record includes large number of studio portraits. So we don't get to see how boys were wearing them when they were out and about.

Terminology

Chronology

We see countless images. We are not sure yet about the precise chronology. But we think it was he 1880s that we see the really broad-brimmed hats. We see large numbers of children wearing these hats in the photographic record.

Social Class

There was a social-class aspect to these hats. This was not a working-class style. It was a middle- and upper-class style.

Gender

Both boys and girls wore them, although the age range was different. Some of the girls wore broad-brimmed hats they were heavily decorated. This was especially the case for adult women. who went in for hast decoration. Girls wore both plain and decorated hats.

Ages

Boys tended to wear them mostly at pre-school ages or early-primary years. Girls tended to wear them to older ages. Boys' hats were plain. We cannot imagine a more impractical style for children, especially young boys. The broad-brimmed hat has to be the most impractical headwear ever devised for boys who tend to be very active. .

Accompanying Clothing

Wide-brimmed hats are commonly associated with sailor and Fauntleroy styles where we have archived many examples, but they were worn with other outfits as well. We see some boys wearing them with tunic suits. In America many of the tunic suit outfits were called Buster Brown suits. They are probably most associated with sailor outfits, in part because sailor suits were such a popular style. but unlike the sailor suit this was not an actual sailor style.

Accoutrements

there are two primary Accoutrements, chin straps and streamers. We can not always tell if thee children had these accoutrements. We think that most wide-brimmed hats had elastuic chin straps, although they were not always being used. Streamers are another problem. The portraits are almost always taken from the front. And as streamers are nornmally at the back, and thus we often don't get to see them. Notice that with the boy here, we cannot tell here if the boy has a chin strap and streamers.

Material

These hats were mostly straw hats, especially the really wide-brimmed versions.

Country Trends

We have several country pages on these hats including America, England, France, German, Italy, and other countries.

Positioning

It is also interesting how boys wear these hats. Note the boy here. His hat is cocked up (figure 1). This is usually done in studios so you can see the child's face and some of his hair. Actuallyb in studiom portrairs the hats are often tilted up more than the boy's hat here. When these hats were popular, there were not all that many snapshots. So the photographic record includes large number of studio portraits. So we don't get to see how boys were wearing them when they were out and about. We do have some outdoor snap shots, and we see fewer of the hats cocked up like studio portraits. We have found some of these outdoor snapshots in America and Britain. For some easion we have found mre processions of children all dressed up in Brttain.

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Created: 7:09 PM 8/23/2021
Last updated: 7:45 AM 10/7/2023