Hairhats

DRESSED FOR THE WAR:
Hair & Headwear

Hair:

Center part, smoothed back on sides, loose ends confined in various styles

     Age Differences:
       Younger women tended to wear their hair lower on nape of neck
          Older women tended to wear their hair off the neck in buns, etc., but still low in the back

     Hair Ornaments, Nets, etc.:
       Nets worn mainly by younger women, if at all
               Generally similar color to hair color or a very fine ‘invisible’ net
               Hair confined separately within net
               Generally worn with hats, not bonnets
               Decorative nets of ribbon, etc. an option for evening wear

Head Wear:

Fashion Bonnets:

Appropriate for all ages of women, especially for church or other formal daytime occasions

Covers the top, back and sides of head with sides curving down to meet under the chin and a 'curtain’ covering the nape of the neck

Hair usually fit into rounded bulge in back of bonnet, not hanging below

Worn far back on the head

Fashion trims inside the brim for fashion, but also helped keep bonnet on the head

Made of straw, horsehair or buckram covered in silk or other fine fabric (NOT modern pressed felt!)

Milliner's wire used to shape brim

Ribbon ties were generally very wide & tied directly under the chin

     Slat Bonnets:
         Far more commonly worn than formerly believed
         Deep brim stiffened with slats of pasteboard or other stiff material, completely shading the face
         Long curtain extending straight down from brim in front, sometimes extending as far as middle of             upper arm
         Simple prints or checks appropriate with working dress
      Fine material, such as silk or sheer cottons, appropriate with hoop dress

    Hats:
         More appropriate for young women and very informal occasions. Never for church, etc.
      Fits down over entire crown of head, parallel to ground, not tilted or ‘perched’ ala ‘Juliet’ caps, etc.
         Low rounded crown or, for very late war, slightly higher flat crowns an option
         Brims generally only 3”-4” wide with a marked downward curve from front to back
         Made of straw or buckram covered with silk or other fine fabric (Not modern pressed felt!)
         Milliners wire in brims & generally lined

Caps:
Not appropriate for outdoor wear! Not made of doilies or random bits of synthetic lace!

Breakfast or morning caps:

Worn at home with wrapper before dressing for the day

Generally fine white fabric w/ colored ribbons as accents

Tended to cover most of the hair in back

Day caps:
   Generally out of fashion by the war years. Being bareheaded *indoors* had become quite typical
       except for in the morning before ones hair was dressed for the day and all day for elderly women
   Dress caps of sheer fabric with decorative bands worn at the back of the head occasionally worn
        indoors in the afternoon by middle aged matrons

Dinner caps:
   For formal evening socials
       In various colors and styles of lace and ribbons
       Very abbreviated and usually quite decorative
       Generally, the more formal the occasion, the more abbreviated the cap

Ball Head Pieces:
Even more abbreviated; flowers, bits of ribbon or lace at the sides or back of the head

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Updated 9 March 2002 (b)