HATS AND WIGS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23155, 29 September 1938, Page 10

HATS AND WIGS

- SURVIVALS IN DEESS DIGNITY OF JUDGES SOME MISTAKEN IDEAS [from our own correspondent] LONDON, Sept 8 At tho meeting of the British Association at Cambridge Lord Raglan, in his paper on "Survivals in Dress," said lie could not explain why it was that the fashion for wigs persisted among Jtidges and lawyers. Though the wig in England stood for the dignity of tho law and for nothing else, it was not introduced for this purpose, but by dandies to inveigle the eyes of their ladies. The idea of the wig worn by Judges 'could not be to keep up their dignity, because numerous other people, from the King and Archbishop of Canterbury downward, had to keep up their dignity, but did not do it bv wearing wigs. The only hats that dated back beforo medieval times wore the little red soup-plato hats worn by cardinals and the white hats worn by clowns. "There is a belief," he said, "that the hat was invented for tho protection of the head. That is absurd. " If we look over the world we find that most of / tho people who might be expected to need some protection for .their heads do not wear hats. "Furthermore the head coverings of women differ very much from the head coverings of men. Whatever difference there may bq between what is inside men's heads and what is inside women's heads, the outside is very similar. There is no reason, if hats had to be invented to protect heads, that hats for women should not bo the same as hats for men." The top hat was falling into disuse, and was now largely worn . only by bishops, Eton boys, undertakers and messengers. , Discussing peasant costumes Lord Raglan said: " There is an idea that everything beautiful is invented by peasants, and that everything cheap and ugly comes from the town. That is absurd, and the reverse is correct. "No peasant has ever invented anything. Everything that is cultured and beautiful has always come from the towns."