When you were a child and you were forced to wear a hat you normally refused. A hat, this was something for grown-ups, far too serious, and you were bound to lose it anyway. But once you grow up your view changes dramatically, and a lot of people choose a certain type of hat as their “trademark”. For instance Michael Jackson used to wear a black hat that made fun of the gentleman ideal it usually goes with. Hats may be in perfect harmony with the rest of the outfit or else they may lead a life of their own, so to speak. A lot of artists wear them, and you would assume it is because their faces look a bit drawn or tired, but in many cases it is something they wear for recognition purposes.
Hats for women are a topic all of its own. The famous wheels worn at races such as the Ascot race are pieces of art, adorned with flowers, fruit and all kinds of things that you would not expect on a hat. They are kind of trade marks, too. A “lady” will usually wear a hat, but this is no longer a requirement. A hat is usually worn because one feels like it, on special occasions, for fun or to make fun of a situation. Woollen specimen, of course, have a special purpose, namely to keep the head resp. the ears warm. They are usually nice and floppy and much less on the stiff side than their felt counterparts. In any case, wearing a hat may change a person considerably, and this is often the intention behind all this. Wearing a hat you look more grown up, you may hide certain weak spots of your face, and you may simply turn into another person, a snob, a gambler, a role that you only switch on on occasion. A hat may come in all sizes, colours and materials, and it is has become part of our culture. But luckily it is no longer a must to wear a hat on Sunday!

Picture: © Andrey Kiselev – Fotolia.com