Are you a retro or futuristic hat lover?

Have you ever wondered who invented the first hat? We all know hats are an essential tool in certain societies and events, but how did it become so important? When did people start wearing hats as a fashion accessory?

On our first hat inspiration blog, we thought you would love a Hatucational piece of writing, we mean a hat educational post about the evolution of hats. How it has evolved with the time and what it could look like in the future. And why not?! After all, it’s the London Hat Week Exhibition 2020 theme this year. “To the Future and Back!” - where we will be showcasing 200+ retro and futuristic hats handmade by milliners with love from around the world.

So, let’s not keep you wondering with those “have you ever wondered” questions for long. Let’s take you back in the time in the Ancient Greece where the first ever proper hat with a brim was invented which was called “Petasos”. But before that, around 3200 BC, one of the first pictorial descriptions of a hat was seen in a tomb painting in Thebes, Egypt, which shows a man wearing a conical straw hat. Some even say, before that a man called Otzi in the bronze age was seen wearing a bearskin cap with a chin strap. But who knows what the real story is? So, let’s just believe what the historians say and jump to 1920s and 1930s era when hats actually started to become popular as a fashion accessory. 

The most popular and classic hat in the roaring twenties is the Cloche hats. Other ’20s hat styles include bucket hats, wrapped turbans, summer straw hat, and different other types of headwraps & headbands. We are sure you all have watched the Great Gatsby movie which have renewed interest in how to wear 1920s women’s hats again.

From the 20’s and 30’s Art Deco, we then flown straight to the 40’s and 50’s war time, where good materials were scarce so many milliners turned to unusual decoration materials and recycling upholstery fabrics. During that time, berets, pill box, small doll hats, fedora, bonnet and turbans were simple, easy no-frills hats to be worn for any occasion.

From the war time, we then happily danced to the 60’s pop art culture. When we think of 60’s, we can see very vibrant and vivacious colourful hats. Cloche hats, floppy hippie hats, Jackie Kennedy Pillbox hats, Audrey Hepburn bucket hats, Twiggy berets, vintage flower petal hats are 60’s trends. During this happy era, long scarves and handkerchiefs were very popular headwear too.

Now the question is, would you like to travel back in time with us to see remake of these beautiful vintage fashion hats or would you prefer something adventurous and fly to the future with us to see hundreds of bold, ultra-modern and high-tech hats? 

We know the decision is difficult, so we have both vintage and futuristic hats ready for you which will be displayed at X Terrace London Hat Week Exhibition 2020 at 2-3 Black Swan Studios, Bermondsey, London, SE1 3XW from 8th-11th October. 

Will you be there to time travel with us? Don’t forget to click here to pre-book your tickets! 

Love,

The Hat Circle Team