Origin of Hat Bands

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 113, 6 February 1937, Page 20

Origin of Hat Bands

The ancient Egyptians had the custom of wearing a bund round the head to keep the hair in place when travelling, very similar to the bandeau worn by sports girls to-day. This custom created a fashion for wearing a band round the head, and to-day we retain the fashion in two ways—one the practical bandeau, and the other a traditional fashion of placing the band on the outside of the hat instead of round the head. Ail men's hats and many worn by the fair sex are adorned witli this band or ribbons. Tlie streamers one often sees round the crown of children’s hats are a remnant of an old Greek custom. To protect the head from the sun the Greeks wore a Hat, broad-brimmed bat which had long streamers. When the sun was strong, the streamers were tied under the chin to hold the hat in place. When there was no sun and the hat was burdensome on the head, the streamers were loosened and the hat allowed to hang down the back, in the manner of our suu-bouuet.