Hats were brought to Russia from Europe when Peter the Great introduced the fashion for Western style of clothing for the country’s nobility. Russia had its own headdresses - ‘kokoshniks’, ‘povoyniks’, shawls, etc. Peasants, of course, continued to wear traditional costumes, while hats became the headdress for townsfolk.
Hats were needed not only for protection from the elements, but also to demonstrate one’s status. Even today, hats are still part of the uniforms of different professions and one glance at the hat is enough to know that this is a flight attendant or, for example, a jockey.
1. The end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries is called 'La Belle Époque'.
Ladies were extraordinarily elegant during this period.
Very elegant hats with wide brims and unusual decorations were in fashion.
2. The hats included bouquets, outlandish creations with feathers - and even stuffed animals!
All this was fastened and secured with huge pins. These were sharp rods up to 20-25 cm in length.
Already in 1912, in Moscow and St. Petersburg, ladies wearing such hats were forbidden to use public transportation to avoid injury.
3. The 1917 Bolshevik Revolution changed not only the political and economic regime in Russia, but also fashion. Everything had to be new in the new country.
Progressive women chose short haircuts and bell hats (or ‘cloche’, which translates from French as ‘bell’). It was simply impossible to wear them with long hair, because they were tightly fitted to the face.
And some girls signaled their personal status with the help of ribbons on the hat. A knot signified she is married, a bright bow - ready for dating.
4. After World War II, elegant hats with flowers and ribbons reappeared on women.
But, unlike 'La Belle Époque', they became quite compact.
5. Along with them, women also wore the classic men's fedoras with narrow brims in dark colors.
6. In the 1960s, hats became brimless. The pillbox hats became insanely popular all over the world and the Soviet Union was no exception.
The first All-Union competition of flight attendants. Speaker winner of the competition Ekaterina Kuznetsova, 1972.
Lev Polikashin/SputnikThey could be securely fastened to any hairstyle. True, they didn't protect from the cold much.
7. The real hat boom in the USSR began in the 1970s.
The headdress has long ceased to be mandatory on the street and Soviet fashion designers began again to offer ladies elegant hats with wide brims.
8. Nowadays, hats are worn at social events, if required by etiquette or the ambitions of the woman herself.
Most often, these are horse racing or fashion shows. And the more extravagant the hat, the better!
9. However, there is a place where hats are worn without an occasion. And that, of course, is a sunny beach!
Dear readers,
Our website and social media accounts are under threat of being restricted or banned, due to the current circumstances. So, to keep up with our latest content, simply do the following:
If using any of Russia Beyond's content, partly or in full, always provide an active hyperlink to the original material.
Subscribe
to our newsletter!
Get the week's best stories straight to your inbox
