Egyptians used linen head coverings like the khat or nemes that you see worn by pharaohs and high priests alike.

Farmers and laborers in Ancient Egypt wore simple woven straw hats, which were like early versions of today’s wide-brimmed sun hats and were perfect for working the fields under that unforgiving Nile Valley sun.

The Middle Ages

By the medieval era, your hat wasn’t just about keeping your face protected from the sun. It was more like your social résumé. The taller and more elaborate your hat was, the higher your status was too.

In 15th-century France and Burgundy, for instance, the noblewomen wore hennins. Some were so tall that they had to duck through doorways.

Knights and nobles usually wore elaborate chaperons and coifs, while peasants stuck with practical felt or straw caps.  

16th-18th Centuries

In the 1600s, you’ve got feathers, velvet, and enough brim to shade half your face. Cavalier hats were the must-have item for gentlemen with flair. 

The tricorne hat arrived on the scene by the 1700s. This was a three-cornered hat that were often worn by military officers and early American statesmen. The folded brims helped channel rainwater away from the face.

19th Century

In the 1800s, hats were practically required. The top hat dominated upper-class fashion—often made of beaver felt. 

Working folks wore bowlers, invented in 1849 by London hatmakers Thomas and William Bowler to protect gamekeepers. Newsboys and factory workers wore flat caps.

Hat-making became a booming business. 

20th Century

In the early 1900s, hats had basically become a part of our daily dress! Women wore cloche hats in the 1920s that were bell-shaped and designed to go with bobbed hair. Men, meanwhile, usually wore fedoras, homburgs, Irish flat caps, and straw boaters. 

As cars became common, tall hats simply became impractical. Post-WWII fashion got more casual and hats faded from daily wear. By the 1960s, going hatless was no longer scandalous since only certain professions and ceremonies still really required headwear.