Vintage Hats

Social forces most influence the value of hats. Hats and their value have fluctuated over the years. In the early part of the 20th century women never went out of the house without a hat. In the 1940's women began working outside the home due to WWII . Since women were taking over men's jobs during the war wearing hats became difficult. The popularity of hats declined over the next several decades as it became more and more common for women to continue working outside the home. This is not to say that the popularity of hats immediately declined as we are all aware of women once again embracing the role of homemaker in the 1950's when they were occupied raising the post-war babies. It is however, important to note that WWII played a large role in the change of women's fashions due to functionality and scarcity of resources. There was a brief upward swing in hat interest in the 1980's when Princess Diana brought them back into fashion. Hats are currently popular with particular social groups such as the Red Hat Society and with tea rooms.