Its because of cars, technological advancement and a culture shift
Whenever I was watching movies, it always stuck me that wearing hats not only made men look royal and aesthetically pleasing on screen, Not only men, but women also looked exceptional in the flowered hats. It made me wonder how and why men suddenly stopped wearing them and what led to this drastic fall.
Hats were a big hit in the 1800s, and for most of the century, hats ruled the world. There was a time when men didn’t leave their homes without wearing hats and would tip off their hats to show their respect and greet others.
Hats were used to —
- To protect from extreme cold and keep heads warm and dry
- To make up for the bad hair
- A sign of respect or chivalry
- Fashion accessory
- To show who is boss, literally
There isn’t one reason alone, but there were other factors that contributed to the decline.
We Wanted More Cars (Killer #1)
The trend of hats continued and peaked in 1912.By 1920s,merely 1% of population owned a car. Cars posed a bigger threat to hats, rendering them useless. The roofs of the cars were not designed to fit such long heads, and men had to rest their hats while driving.
Car sales had skyrocketed in the coming decades, and by 1970, 55% of the population had a car.
Only 1% of the population had a car in 1920s, this number rose to 55% by 1970s, giving a death blow to Hats
Upgraded To A Better Lifestyle (Killer #2)
Even though the adoption of cars was on the raise, we didn’t have better roads to travel faster and longer. In 1950s, Eisenhower built a vast highway network connecting America. This became an Interstate paradise, making it easier for people to drive.
The interior of the car was not sophisticated enough for longer travels. With crammed spaces, drivers felt stuffed in a closed space and longer commutes became uncomfortable.
Rebellious Influence (Killer #3)
It was 1950s, where the world freshly came out of the war, breathing fresh air of freedom. More and more younger generations are on streets with a shift in thinking and different values. For some, wearing of hat reminded them of their time at war. For others, they want to distance themselves from the older generation by not carrying forward the traditions. Adding to this, famous icons at that time also took a rebellious approach and distanced themselves from many traditions at the time. This also influenced many younger generations to ditch the hats tradition.
So what about today?
People still wear hats today, as part of sports, covering up for bad hair (this is timeless), and religious reasons.
