wearing a bonnet, by her sister,
Cassandra. collection, M.87.93 Until the late 19th century
bonnet seems to have been the preferred term for most types of hats worn by women, while
hat was more reserved for male headgear, and female styles that resembled them, typically either in much smaller versions perched on top of the head, or versions with very wide brims all the way round. In the mid-17th and 18th century
house bonnets worn by women and girls were generally brimless headcoverings which were secured by tying under the chin, and which covered no part of the forehead. They were worn both indoors and outdoors, to keep the hair tidy, to keep dust or flour out of the hair while working, and in accordance with the Christian Bible passage
1 Corinthians 11. With society hairstyles becoming increasingly elaborate after 1770, the
calash was worn outdoors to protect hair from wind and weather: a hood of silk stiffened with whalebone or arched cane battens, collapsible like a fan or the
calash top of a carriage, they were fitted with ribbons to allow them to be held secure in a gale. From about 1815, increasingly structured and fashionable bonnets made by
milliners grew larger and less functional among the upper classes. A plate in
La Belle Assemblée 1817 showed a This was specified as a
carriage dress, with the understanding that when "taking the air" in an open carriage, the bonnet provided some privacy—such a bonnet was called an
invisible in
Paris—and prevent wind-chapping, with its connotations of countrified "rude" health.
Straw was available again after 1815: the best
straw bonnets came from
Leghorn. As a bonnet developed a peak, it would extend from the entire front of the bonnet, from the chin over the forehead and down the other side of the face. Some styles of bonnets between ca 1817 and 1845 had a large peak which effectively prevented women from looking right or left without turning their heads: a
coal-scuttle or
poke bonnet. Others had a wide peak which was angled out to frame the face. In the 1840s it might be crimped at the top to frame the face in a heart shape. As the bonnet became more complicated, under it might be worn a lace
cornette to hold the hair in place. The lack of a clear distinction between hats and bonnets can be seen in these extracts from ''
Harper's Bazaar'' in 1874: (On "Paris Fashions", by Emmeline Raymond, 11 April) "There is no change in bonnets. So long as the hair is piled on top of the head, the little device which takes the place of a dress cap must remain as it is. The brims are generally flattened at the sides, swelling above the front, and turned up behind in order to make room for the hair, which would not find room whereon to lodge if the precaution were not taken, here and there, to punch out what is called a brim of what is called a bonnet. It is said, however, that straw hats of the Pamela shape are in preparation, that is, turned up behind, but shading the forehead. It would be so very sensible to wear a bonnet that would protect the face from the sun that I give this news with due caution. For my part, I can not believe it, as little of practical, functional purpose remains in bonnet design." A week before, ("New York Fashions", 4 April): "Strings are now seldom seen, and this does away with the last distinguishing feature between bonnets and round hats; the same head-covering now serves for each, as it is a bonnet when worn far back on the head, and a hat when tilted forward." Bonnets remained one of the most common types of headgear worn by women throughout most of the 19th century. Especially for a widow, a bonnet was
de rigueur. Silk bonnets, elaborately pleated and ruched, were worn outdoors, or in public places like shops, galleries, churches, and during visits to acquaintances. Women would cover their heads with caps simply to keep their hair from getting dirty and perhaps out of modesty, as informed by Christian religious norms. In addition, women in wedlock would wear caps and bonnets during the day, to further demonstrate their status as married women. File:1822-Millinery-shop-Paris-Chalon.jpg|A millinery shop in Paris, 1822 File:American School, Mrs. Willet Seaman, Jr..jpg|This portrait from 1860 features a bonnet. File:Dressed for Class (14194089405).jpg|A calico sunbonnet File:Mother and child McKee's Half Falls Rest Area.jpg|Many
Anabaptist women wear head coverings, kapps and bonnets Under the
French Second Empire, parasols took the place of headgear for protection from sun, and bonnets became smaller and smaller, until they could only be held on the head with hatpins. As hats came back into style, bonnets were increasingly worn by women who wanted to appear modest in public, with the result that bonnets accumulated connotations of dowager wear and were dropped from fashion, except out on the prairies or country wear. '', by
Jean-François Millet, 1857: a cloth bonnet substitutes for a head kerchief Most middle-class women in the 19th century would have had at least two bonnets, one suitable for summer weather, often made from straw, and one made from heavier fabric for winter wear. This is where the tradition of an
Easter bonnet originated, when women would switch from their winter bonnet to their summer bonnet. Wealthier women would have many bonnets, suitable for different occasions. Women of some religious groups have continued to wear bonnets for worship or everyday clothing. This is especially the case among
Anabaptist Christianity (
Old Order Mennonites,
Schwarzenau Brethren,
River Brethren,
Amish) and other
plain people, such as
plain-dressing Conservative Friends (Quakers). Bonnets were adopted by
the Salvation Army based on 1 Corinthians 11, as part of uniform for women. Initially,
Salvation Army bonnets were introduced as symbolic and representative protection for women and were reinforced with black tar to turn them into physical helmets to protect against the projectiles thrown by pagans. Later versions were smaller when there was no longer any need for protection. The bonnet has now been replaced with a
bowler hat. In France, single women wore elaborate yellow and green bonnets to honor
St. Catherine's Day on November 25. The French expression
coiffer Sainte-Catherine ('don St. Catherine's bonnet'), an idiom that describes an unmarried woman of 25 years or older, derives from this custom. Slave women shipped from Africa, who traditionally wore African head dress in their native countries, were given European styles of bonnets. Slaves working household tasks they were often given bonnets of a traditional European maid style, while slaves in the field wore hand-tied sunbonnets. These head bonnets were preferred by the masters for hygiene, while also offering protection from the sun. ==Men==