The Way You Wear Your Hat

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks – Week 29: Fashion

PROMPT: It’s fun to look at old photos and think, “How did they wear that?!” Corsets, bustles, wool suits, and ridiculously large hats seem so impractical (not to mention heavy!) Any fashion mavens in your family tree? What about an ancestor who had their own sense of style or someone associated with the fashion industry? 

A hat is arguably the most dramatic way to accessorize one’s ensemble. It can flatter one’s face, and it can hide one’s face.

In my genealogy research, I have found some great photos of ancestors in hats. For this assignment, I’ve chosen a few photos of some of my female ancestors in various hats.

I myself have twelve hats, and each one represents a different personality. Why just be yourself?

Margaret Atwood

I began wearing hats as a young lawyer because it helped me to establish my professional identity. Before that, whenever I was at a meeting, someone would ask me to get coffee.

Bella Abzug

“He wears his faith but as the fashion of his hat; it ever changes with the next block.

Shakespeare – Much Ado About Nothing Act I Scene I

“All I need is room enough to lay a hat and a few friends.”

Dorothy Parker