Fraternity-Testvériség, 1963 (40. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

1963-03-01 / 3. szám

8

FRATERNITY

HATS THAT BRIM WITH HISTORY

For many centuries hat styles were prescribed by law and worn as a status symbol. Men were forced to adhere to headwear rules or face stiff fine and imprisonment. Today, hats still may reveal a man’s occupation, but you can’t tell a man’s wealth or background by looking at his topper. Modern men wear hats for various reasons . . . some for safety’s sake, such as a construction worker; others because it’s an essential in a well-dressed man’s wardrobe. However, this hasn’t always been so.

In ancient Egypt, only members of royalty were permitted to wear elaborate hats. Commoners had to use rags to protect their heads from the hot sun.

A bare head was the sign of a Roman slave. But as soon as he was granted his freedom, the first thing he did was to buy a hat. It became his badge of freedom.

Religious headwear has long been dictated by the church. From the simple white wool fillet, to the jeweled miter of the Bishop and the high hat of the Cardinal, styles and color have strictly designated the rank of the Roman Catholic clergy.

By the sixteenth century, hats were considered fashionable. Queen Elizabeth I of England passed a law compelling every middle class subject over seven years of age to wear a cap on Sundays and holidays, “upon pain of fine.” Nobility in high income brackets, however, were exempt from the decree. Anyone ranking below knight was pro-