Headgear: Encyclopedia - Headgear

Headgear

Headgear, headwear or headdress is the name given to any element of clothing which is worn on one's head.

Headgear serve a variety of purposes:

• protection (against impact, cold, heat, rain and other precipitation, glare, sunburn, dust, contaminants, etc.)
• to keep hair contained or tidy
• decoration or fashion
• religious purposes
• modesty; social convention
• disguising baldness
• distinction; a badge of office

Headgear - Overview of headgear types

Headgear - Hats

Hats often have a brim all the way around the rim, and may be either placed on the head, or secured with hat-pins (which are pushed through the hat and the hair). Depending on the type of hat, they may be properly worn by men, by women or by both sexes.

Headgear - Caps

Caps are generally soft and often have no brim or just a peak (like on a baseball cap). For many centuries women wore a variety of head-coverings which were called caps. For example, in the 18th and 19th centuries a cap was a kind of head covering made of a flimsy fabric such as muslin; it was worn indoors or under a bonnet by married women, or older unmarried women who were "on the shelf" (e.g. mob-cap).

Headgear - Bonnets

Bonnets, as worn by women and girls, were hats worn outdoors which were secured by tying under the chin, and often which had some kind of peak or visor. Some styles of bonnets had a large peak which effectively prevented women from looking right or left without turning their heads. Bonnets worn by men and boys are generally distinguished from hats by being soft and having no brim—this usage is now rare (they would normally be called caps today).

Headgear - Helmets

Helmets are designed to protect the head, and sometimes the neck, from injury. They are usually rigid, and offer protection from blows. Helmets are commonly worn in battle, on construction sites and in many contact sports.

Headgear - Turbans and headscarves

Turbans and headscarves are primarily worn for two reasons: for religious or cultural beliefs and for protection from the elements, especially the sun. Sikhs are required to wear a turban as a religious necessity while Arabs and Kurds in the Middle-East wear it for protection and cultural reasons. Muslim women wear headscarves as part of head-to-toe covering for modesty and to maintain hijab.

Headscarves and veils used for Muslim religious dress include:

• hijab or khimar
• burqa
• chador
• niqab
• dupatta
• Sartorial hijab

Headgear - Hoods

Modern hoods are generally soft headcoverings which are an integral part of a larger garment, like an overcoat, shirt or cloak. Historically, hoods were either similar to modern hoods, or a separate form of headgear. Soft hoods were worn under hats by men. Women's hoods varied from close-fitting, soft headgear to stiffened, structured hoods (e.g. gable hood) or very large coverings made of material over a frame which fashionable women wore over towering wigs or hairstyles to protect them from the elements (e.g. calash).

Headgear - Masks

A mask is worn over part or all of the face, frequently to disguise the wearer, but sometimes to protect the face. Masks are often worn for pleasure to disguise the wearer at fancy dress parties, masqued balls and during Halloween, or they may be worn by criminals to prevent recognition or as camouflage while they commit a crime. Masks which physically protect the wearer vary in design, from guard bars across the face in the case of ice hockey goalkeepers, to facial enclosures which purify or control the wearer's air supply, as in gas masks.

Headgear - Wigs

Wigs are hairpieces made from natural or synthetic hair which may be worn to disguise baldness or thin hair, or as part of a costume. A toupee may be worn by a man to cover partial baldness. In most Commonwealth nations, special wigs are also worn by barristers, judges, and certain parliamentary officials as a symbol of the office.

Headgear - Fillets

A fillet or circlet is a round band worn around the head and over the hair. Elaborate and costly versions of these eventually evolved into crowns, but fillets could be made from woven bands of fabric, leather, beads or metal. Fillets are unisex, and are especially prevalent in archaic to renaissance dress.

Headgear - Crowns

Some headgear, such as the crown, coronet, and tiara, have evolved into jewelry. These headgear are worn as a symbol of nobility or royal status.

Headgear - Veils

Today a veil is normally a piece of sheer fabric which covers all or part of the face. For centuries up until the Tudor period (1485), European women wore veils which covered the hair, and sometimes the neck and chin, but not the face. Today many women wear veils when getting married.

The term veil is sometimes used to describe part of Muslim religious dress that accompanies a headscarf.

Headgear - Hair covers

Hairnets are used to prevent loose hair from contaminating food or work areas. A snood is a net or fabric bag pinned or tied on at the back of a woman's head for holding the hair. Scarves and kerchiefs are used to protect styled hair or keep it tidy. Shower caps and swim caps prevent hair from becoming wet or entangled during activity.

Headgear - Orthodontic

Used to help braces

Headgear - Purpose of headgear

Headgear - Protection or defense

The most common use of headgear is as protection for the head and eyes.

A baseball cap is used by sports players to keep the sun out of their eyes, and by some chefs to keep the hair out of their food. Traditionally, silk chef's hats are used for this purpose. A rain hat has a wide rim to keep the rain out of the wearer's face. Some traditional types of hat such as the Mexican sombrero also serve this purpose.

There are also the full range of helmets. There are also hats that are worn for protection from the cold. These include many varieties of fur hats, and also the Canadian tuque.

Tin foil hats are worn by some as defense against mind control rays, although the existence of any such threat has yet to be substantiated.

Headgear - Fashion

Headgear is also an article of fashion. The formal man's black silk top hat was formerly an indispensable portion of the suit, and women's hats have, over the years, attained a fantastic number of shapes ranging from immense confections to no more than a few bits of cloth and decorations piled on top of the head. Recently, the hat as an article of formal wear has fallen out of fashion, though some kinds of hats other than baseball caps may be included in young people's subcultural fashions.

Headgear - Religious significance

Some headgear is worn for religious practice. Observant Jewish men wear yarmulkes, small cloth skull-caps, because they believe the head should be covered in the presence of God. Some Jewish men wear yarmulkes at all times, others in the synagogue. Similar to the yarmulke is the zucchetto worn by Roman Catholic clergy. Other forms of apostolic head-gear include the mitre, biretta, tasselled cardinal's hat, and the papal tiara. Orthodox Christian clergy and monastics often wear a skufia, a kamilavkion, or a klobuk. Male Sikhs are required to wear turbans. See also the fez (clothing). The term red hat when used within the Roman Catholic Church refers to the appointment of a Cardinal, a senior Prince of the Church who is a member of the electoral college that chooses the Pope. A person on being appointed to the cardinalate is said to have received the red hat or cardinal's biretta.

Headgear - Symbol of status or office

Headgear such as crowns, and tiaras are worn in recognition of noble status especially among royalty. Wigs are worn traditionally by judges and barristers of Commonwealth nations. Feathered headpieces are worn by various Native American tribes as a sign of tribal rank.

Headgear - Headgear etiquette

In the Western culture derived from Christian tradition, removing a piece of headwear is a sign of respect, making oneself more humble or vulnerable, much like bowing or kneeling. This is as if to say, "I acknowledge that you are more powerful than I am, I make myself vulnerable to show I pose no threat to you and respect your power."

In the Jewish tradition, the idea is also to show respect for the superior authority of God. Wearing a kippah or yarmulke means the wearer is acknowledging the vast gulf of power, wisdom, and authority that separates God from mankind. It is the opposite of hubris (to think oneself better than God) to wear a yarmulke. There is a common phrase that explains this, saying that "there's always something above you" if you're wearing a yarmulke, helping you remember you're human and God is infinite. A Talmudic quote speaks of a righteous man would "not walk (six feet) with an uncovered head, the (spirit of God) is always above him".

In Islamic etiquette, wearing headgear is perfectly permissible while saying prayers at a mosque [1].

In the military, there are specific rules about when and where to wear a hat (also known as a 'cover'). Hats are generally worn outdoors only, at sea as well as on land; however, personnel carrying firearms typically also wear their hats indoors. Removing one's hat is also a form of salute.

As a guideline, a man should remove his hat to show respect for someone deceased, when a national anthem is played, while eating, in a courtroom, and during other solemn occasions. A woman may continue wearing her hat.

The hat can be "tipped" (briefly removed, or tilted forward) as a greeting. Women usually do not take off their hats in these situations, but take their hats off in their own homes.

See also

• List of hats and headgear
• Chapeaugraphy an act in which a ring of felt is shaped to resemble many hat types

Categories: Headgear | Fashion

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Headgear", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki