Tying her bonnet under her chin,
She tied her raven ringlets in;
But not alone in the silken snare
Did she catch her lovely floating hair,
For, tying her bonnet under her chin,
She tied a young man’s heart within.

The Love-knot by Nora Perry (1832–1896)

Hats or Bonnets worn by women in Victorian societies were to show modesty or beauty. In those times as new main streets rolled out across America one of the first businesses to open along side the general store was a millinery shop — bringing “civilization” to women in smaller towns.

Local boys and girls, age 60 or older today, can recall sitting impatiently in the Anne Lapp’s Millinery shop while mother indulged herself, during a trip to town, to try on hats. If any household money was left or a change of season was approaching, she might even buy one.

In the early ’60s hats were used only for special occasions, because of fuller hairstyles with backcombing. Matching handbags or shoes often completed the ensemble and were a sign of affluence.

Today, hats are worn to be alluring, fun or flirty and mostly for special occasions. The Red Hat Society phenomenon has brought decorative hat wearing back in style even if it is only for their monthly outings.

At the Kentucky Derby, yes, there is a horse race, but it’s a close finish as to which receives more attention: The horses or the hats.

The renewed popularity of high teas, traditional English weddings and the Easter Bonnet parade in New York City also require a “hattiude” when deciding what to wear.

Thousands of years ago, the traditional end of Lenten celebrations included bathing and wearing clean cloths or new clothes on Easter Sunday to symbolize a new birth or free of sin after Christ died on the cross. Over the years the tradition went to women’s heads resulting in an underlying competition at Easter church services over who had the most beautiful bonnet. In New York City, Fifth Avenue is closed on Easter Sunday for the traditional Easter parade which is largely pedestrian.

Hat societies are also forming across the United States. In 1995, a group of Chicago milliners banded together to form The Millinery Arts Alliance of Chicago. Their goal was two-part: To continue the vanishing art of couture millinery and to provide hat lovers events at which to display their finery. This includes teas, runway fashion shows, trunk shows and fundraisers like the La Fête des Catherinettes, the first American celebration of the traditional French festival of hat-makers and their patron saint, Catherine of Alexandria. Their presence is also felt at the Parkways Luncheon in June where Chicago’s finest turn out topper-adorned for the garden party of the season.

Famous women known for their hat wearing abilities include Gloria Swanson, Queen Elizabeth and Jackie Kennedy.

So to cap off this story, one piece of advice ... if the hat fits, wear it.