Bonnet (headgear)
Bonnet has been used as the name for a wide variety of headgear for both sexes—more often female—from the Middle Ages to the present. As with "hat" and "cap", it is impossible to generalize as to the styles for which the word has been used, but there is for both sexes a tendency to use the word for styles in soft material and lacking a brim, or at least one all the way round, rather than just at the front.[1] Yet the term has also been used, for example, for steel helmets. This was from Scotland (in 1505), where the term has long been especially popular.[2]
Headgear tied under the chin with a string was especially likely to be called a bonnet.
Bonnet derives from the same word in
Women
Until the late 19th century bonnet seems to have been the preferred term for most types of hats worn by women, while hat was more reserved for male headgear, and female styles that resembled them, typically either in much smaller versions perched on top of the head, or versions with very wide brims all the way round. In the mid-17th and 18th century house bonnets worn by women and girls were generally brimless headcoverings which were secured by tying under the chin, and which covered no part of the forehead. They were worn both indoors and outdoors, to keep the hair tidy, to keep dust or flour out of the hair while working, and in accordance with the Christian Bible passage
From Waterloo, increasingly structured and fashionable bonnets made by
Bonnet of vermillion-coloured satin, embossed with straw, ornamented slightly with straw-coloured ribbands (ribbons), and surmounted by a bouquet formed of a full blown damask rose and buds, with ears of ripe corn. This ornament is partially placed on one side: the edge of the bonnet finished by blond [lace] laid on strait.
This was specified as a carriage dress, with the understanding that when "taking the air" in an open carriage, the bonnet provided some privacy—such a bonnet was called an invisible in
The lack of a clear distinction between hats and bonnets can be seen in these extracts from Harper's Bazaar in 1874: (On "Paris Fashions", by Emmeline Raymond, 11 April) "There is no change in bonnets. So long as the hair is piled on top of the head, the little device which takes the place of a dress cap must remain as it is. The brims are generally flattened at the sides, swelling above the front, and turned up behind in order to make room for the hair, which would not find room whereon to lodge if the precaution were not taken, here and there, to punch out what is called a brim of what is called a bonnet. It is said, however, that straw hats of the Pamela shape are in preparation, that is, turned up behind, but shading the forehead. It would be so very sensible to wear a bonnet that would protect the face from the sun that I give this news with due caution. For my part, I can not believe it, as little of practical, functional purpose remains in bonnet design." A week before, ("New York Fashions", 4 April): "Strings are now seldom seen, and this does away with the last distinguishing feature between bonnets and round hats; the same head-covering now serves for each, as it is a bonnet when worn far back on the head, and a hat when tilted forward."[6]
Bonnets remained one of the most common types of headgear worn by women throughout most of the 19th century. Especially for a widow, a bonnet was de rigueur. Silk bonnets, elaborately pleated and ruched, were worn outdoors, or in public places like shops, galleries, churches, and during visits to acquaintances. Women would cover their heads with caps simply to keep their hair from getting dirty and perhaps out of modesty, as informed by Christian religious norms. In addition, women in wedlock would wear caps and bonnets during the day, to further demonstrate their status as married women.[7]
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A millinery shop in Paris, 1822
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This portrait from 1860 features a bonnet.
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A calico sunbonnet
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Many Anabaptist women wear head coverings, kapps and bonnets
Under the
Most middle-class women in the 19th century would have had at least two bonnets, one suitable for summer weather, often made from straw, and one made from heavier fabric for winter wear. This is where the tradition of an Easter bonnet originated, when women would switch from their winter bonnet to their summer bonnet. Wealthier women would have many bonnets, suitable for different occasions.
Women of some religious groups have continued to wear bonnets for worship or everyday clothing. This is especially the case among
In France, single women wore elaborate yellow and green bonnets to honor
Slave women shipped from Africa, who traditionally wore African head dress in their native countries, were given European styles of bonnets. Slaves working household tasks they were often given bonnets of a traditional European maid style, while slaves in the field wore hand-tied sunbonnets. These head bonnets were preferred by the masters for hygiene, while also offering protection from the sun.[10]
Men
The word bonnet for male headgear was generally replaced in English by
Bonnet is also the term for the puffy velvet fabric inside the
The Scotch bonnet pepper was named for its resemblance to a bonnet worn by men in Scotland in the past, as it had a pom pom at the top which indicates the difference form the men's bonnet and women's bonnet.
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The ScottishLord George Murray
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The traditional bonnet of the Kilwinning Archers of Scotland
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Varioustam o' shanters
Babies
The most common kind of bonnet worn today is a soft headcovering for babies. Its shape is similar to that of some kinds of bonnets that women used to wear: it covers the hair and ears, but not the forehead. While a bonnet may be a fashion choice by caregivers for a baby's headgear, it may also be used for sun protection, since an infant's skin is more vulnerable to sunburn than an adult's.[12]
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Crocheted baby bonnet with a ribbon tie
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Baby wearing a sunbonnet
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Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaevna of Russia in 1898 in a grand bonnet
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Eleanor Gausser, Quaker's Baby Bonnet, c. 1937
Modern times
Modern bonnets are often made of silk or satin to preserve one’s hairstyle while asleep or lying down. They maintain a similar shape to bonnets that were popular in the 1960s.[citation needed] But it is more likely that these styles of headdress originated from the use of shower caps due to their appearance and application in salons.
It can also be worn with French maid costumes.
Bonnets are also used in alternative fashion communities such as lolita fashion.[13]
See also
Notes
- ^ de Courtais, 102, 110
- ^ OED, "Bonnet"
- ^ de Courtais, 102
- ^ Bercot, David (2017). "Head Covering Through the Centuries". Scroll Publishing. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
- ISBN 978-0-253-20820-0.
- ^ Both quoted in "Is it a hat? or maybe it’s a bonnet ...?", Living History Farms blog, 7 September 2015[dead link]
- ^ Wass, Ann, and Michelle Fandrich. Clothing through American History: The Federal Era through Antebellum, 1786-1860. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data, 2010.
- ^ Bender, Harold S. and Sam Steiner. "Bonnet (1953) Archived December 12, 2007, at the Wayback Machine." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 2000. Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 2007-04-27.
- ^ "Coiffer sainte Catherine". La France pittoresque (in French). November 24, 2016.
- ^ . July 25, 2019 http://www.blackwoman.com. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
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(help) - ^ OED, "Bonnet" 4
- ^ "Baby Sunburn Prevention".
- ^ "Bonnets in the lolita fashion archive "Lolibrary"". Lolibrary.
References
- de Courtais, Georgine, Women's Hats, Headdresses and Hairstyles, 2013, Courier Corporation, ISBN 0486136698, 9780486136691, google books
External links
- Fashion Plates of Female Headgear from The Metropolitan Museum of Art Libraries
- Jonathan Walford, "Women's fashion headwear"
- Mixed Fashion Plates 1800-1900, with original descriptive captions