Fig 64.Fig 65.Fig 66.Fig 67.Fig 68.Fig 69.
Fig 64.Fig 65.Fig 66.Fig 67.Fig 68.Fig 69.
Fig 64.Fig 65.
Fig 66.Fig 67.Fig 68.
Fig 69.
Hats have not only been used for the practical purpose of covering the head, but from remote time have played their part in many important actions in life. Among the Romans the hat was the symbol of liberty, and slaves were presented with one on receiving their freedom. The Quaker hat dates from the origin of the sect in the middle of the seventeenth century, Fig. 80. After the assassination of Cæsar coins were issued by Brutus and Cassius, on which was represented a cap between two daggers. Even at a later period the hat or cap was identified with liberty as in the republic of the Netherlands. After the emancipation from Spain a hat became their national emblem, while we all know the part Gessler’s hat played in gaining for the Swiss their freedom. The common practice of doffing the hat when meeting a friend is thought to be a modification of the ancient custom of unclothing some part of the body when in the presence of one to whom respect was due.
Many persons profess that from the dress alone they can give you a true estimate of the character of the man.
While this is, perhaps, expressing it rather strongly, it is certainly true that the material and style of one’s dress does, to a large degree, denote the wearer’s character; and especially is this so of hats and the manner in which they are worn.