LET'S TALK ABOUT HATS!

Why do we wear hats? After thousands of years, they still serve the same purpose as they did since the dawn of time.

Baseball hats can shield our eyes from the sun. Sun hats protect our heads from an impending heat stroke. A warm woolen cap makes sure your skull and ears don't freeze off during the harsh winter months.

But also... Because the right hat is just really, really cool!

ONCE UPON A TIME...

There was Otzi. From the Bronze Age (around 3250 BC), Otzi unfortunately froze to death in a mountain in south Europe even if he wore the first known hat which consisted of a simple bearskin cap with a chin strap.

But the first image of a hat is dated 3200 BC from a wall painting in Thebes, Egypt. This was a simple cone-shaped straw hat. The name of the guy wearing this hat isn't mentioned anywhere so lets call him Bob the Egyptian.

FAMOUS HATS

Otzi and Bob may have been the first but they have been followed up throughout history by the most known figures of all time. 

Emperor Augustus Caesar never left home without his hat. Napoleon Bonaparte is always depicted with his famous bicorne hat on. Marie Antoinette wore spectacular hats before she lost her head. Magicians are recognized by their famous top hats.

There are also cultural hats that reveal the roots or lifestyle of the people who wear them. There is the salakot, a rattan or bamboo cone, which protects the Filipinos from the sun and rain. There is the beret that is attributed to the French, the artists, the revolutionaries. There is also the Mexican sombrero, the African fulani, the Moroccan fez, etc...

REVEALERS

And what about the fascinators, which are so aptly named? This formal headwear has its roots in the Baroque era and was made popular by the extravagant Marie-Antoinette. Attached to the head with a hairclip, headband or a comb, the fascinator still reigns over several major events. 

The 2011 royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton saw an abundance of fascinators in attendance and its the same at the Royal Ascot race. Very glamorous, the fascinator is also a high fashion item that we often see in big fashion shows.

In short, hats speak to us. By listening to them, we learn a lot about the people who wear them. It can be their nationality but also their personality or their social status.

All the hats and clothes featured in this report are from the fashion house LUXE Paris located on https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Bao/56/72/26 in Second Life.