大象传媒

Everyone used to wear a hat in the 60s and 70s, but less so today. We find out why, from flat caps to bowler hats, firm headgear isn't the fashion accessory it once was.

Professor Emeritus of Cultural History at the University of Worcester, Maggie Andrews, tells Elliott Webb how, in a time without reliable running water, hats were necessary to keep hair tidy and free of the dirt in the world. In Tudor times, there was a protectionist law mandating hat wearing, to prop up the wool industry!

But come the age of youth culture, and a more relaxed state of clothing, hats were seen as a more formal or special occasion item, and so left behind. Hats began to become obsolete as a way of keeping your head warm, whilst driving in heated cars, and also flashier hairstyles, such as that of the new romantics, meant headgear became a hindrance.

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