A hat is an accessory that most people own. Of course, they are worn for different reasons. For instance, your dad might wear one to a game to show his support for a particular team, and your sibling might wear one because it adds to his style. The history of the hat is difficult to trace but it is believed that even primitive man used to wear some kind of head clothing, as a protection from the harsh elements of nature. The Egyptians and Romans used hats to signify a person’s stature or rank, particularly in the army. By the 14th century, both men and women began to use some kind of a head cloth. However, the kind of hat one wore and the material it was made from said a lot about the person’s status in society. Peasant women often wore a thin hanky on their heads, wealthy men chose tall black hats and well to do women wore elaborate bonnets. Today, the humble hat has evolved into a fashion accessory with different shapes, patterns and styles.
Hats, caps and bandanas became a part of urban wear because it completed the cool image. Many music artists wore flat billed hats, but never the right way. The bill was always turned to the left, right or towards the back, to indicate a difference in style from other people. Not before long, dozens of youngsters were wearing their hats much the same way. Today urban wear hats have become much more fashionable and are part of a very diverse style range to suit any kind of dressing style. There are flat billed hats with graffiti designs on them, simple motifs, the image of a hip hop artist, a small painting, a saying or just one word, and even plain coloured hats. There are hats with glitter work on them, an intricate design or even patchwork- often making them small works of art in themselves. Die hard fans of streetwear are willing to buy such hats no matter how expensive they are, because of their stylish distinctiveness.
As streetwear spread throughout the world, it picked up various influences along the way. Military style and camouflage printed flat bills, sailor caps and simple caps without bills, began to feature in urban wear as well. Girls wear plain coloured or printed hats too, often teeming them up with bright coloured clothes. That not only makes the wearer look stylish but prevents the overall look from becoming too garish. Reigning hip hop queens like Rihanna and Fergie have often been spotted wearing hats made of net, wool or mesh to give their ensemble an interesting streetwear twist. Bandanas in plain colours, graphic prints or bright artwork, are also very popular among boys. Plaid which is the current in season trend is surfacing in head wear too. Even if you aren’t into wearing jewellery with your streetwear, the right hat is the best accessory you can have. After all, hats undoubtedly highlight one’s personal statement.
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