Though considered less-traditional than the Balmoral or Glengarry, sometimes a tweed flat cap can set the outfit right in the proper occasions.
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The Scottish Highland bonnet has underwent many different changes over the years, and quite drastically to many degrees. From its humble origins as a Tudor-era everyday hat for all, to a symbol of Highlander defiance, it has grown and evolved into the iconic Balmorals and Glengarries we see today, but where did it start? While we could go even further back to its full evolution, it seems the hat in its first "true" iteration appeared in the 16th Century. These hats, often referred to in contemporary literature as 'Bonnets', were originally constructed of velvet or wool in woven form, and were worn by both men and women for everyday wear. The hats enjoyed immense popularity across Europe and were seen on almost all social classes, and in places from Scotland to Germany, France, and beyond. Scotland likely bore a long history of housing a knitting industry since at least the latter parts of the 15th Century, and the knitted iteration of these hats, at least within Scotland's borders, was likely in response to attempting to find a more economical manner in which to emulate the fashion of the upper classes, but in a more utilitarian and cost-effective way. The biggest difference between these Bonnets and those the Highlanders of Scotland would be known for is that the Tudor style of hat bore a sort of split brim, and a perfect example of this can be seen on an example dated from 1501 - 1550 that is housed at the Germanisches Nationalmuseum, inventoried with the number T 3762. While original examples were made of woven cloth, it is during the 16th Century that they also began to be knitted, as the German example above shows, as well as numerous other 16th Century examples, with patterns on how to do such still existing from the period. While the fashion seemed to have been worn in Scotland at this time, it is widely believed to have been mostly a Lowland fashion, not having yet migrated to the Highlands, however, once it did, likely sometime during the 17th Century, as this is when art from the time begins to show such a fashion, it seems they lost their brim and were constructed of a single piece, more akin to the style we know them as now, with perhaps the most well-known of these early depictions being a German woodcut from 1641, and while the original artist believed them to be Irish, many scholars now think these men were actually from the Highlands of Scotland instead, and because of similarities in language and fashion - at least to the foreigners they encountered - were incorrectly assigned a place of origin. At this point it would be beneficial to discuss the famous blue color of these bonnets. While there have been countless theories on why blue was the most famous color for these hats, the two most commonly-seen are that blue dye was the most readily available to lower classes, and thus seen as more commonly-used than other shades, and the second is that it was intentionally used by the Covenanters in order to set themselves apart from the red cockade-clad Royalists - a fashion which then spread to the whole of Scotland as a way of showing their rebellious nature against English rule - however, some have speculated this latter theory may be a larger indication of later anti-English sentiment and propaganda that has spread from the post-Jacobite Highland Revival era, rather than having actual grounded historical origins in Scottish historical affairs proper, and has played off the heavily romanticized view of Scots fighting against their "evil English oppressors". The reality of why blue was so common is likely far more mundane. It is also likely that other colors were available, and that blue simply gained the most popularity in art and literature, but does not directly reflect the reality of the fashion at the time. Much in the same way the majority of Medieval art focuses on upper class individuals, leading many to think that that is how the entirety of Medieval society behaved and dressed, so too could this be the case with the mythical blue bonnets, where it is very likely that bonnets in greys, greens, browns, and even natural white, oatmeal, and tans were also commonly worn. A great example of the iconic blue bonnet appearing in contemporary art is the case of the actor John Lacy in Highland clothing in a painting, circa 1670 (seen below). Colors aside, the overall construction of these bonnets seems to have stagnated in the intervening years, and plateauing into a common style; knitted and fulled with either a fitted band or drawstring, and worn flat on top of the head (not slouched over like a modern beret). Perhaps the pinnacle of the knitted bonnet's reign was during the Jacobite rebellions, in which the Highland "rebels", clad with their blue bonnets adorned with white cockades gained the most fame. After this, however, we seem to see little of the fashion until the rise of the Glengarry and Balmoral in the 18th and 19th centuries. While it is clear the old-style bonnets evolved into these later iterations, it seems this happened rather quickly, with their appearance in artwork slowing drastically after the last Highland rebellion of 1745, though they likely continued to be worn until the 19th Century, during which the rise of more industrialized garment manufacture likely damaged the cottage industry on which the creation of these bonnets relied. Today, the bonnets have widely been replaced in daily wear by the Balmoral (which will have its own article at a later date), and is more or less seen at the current time as an outdated or even "reenactment" form of headwear. However, that being said, there are still some who enjoy wearing them, be it their more utilitarian form, or that some simply enjoy their look, take a look around next time you're at a Highland clans gathering, you might just find someone there sporting the historical iteration of a modern form of headwear!
Photo Sources
One of the newest additions to the collection: Vintage cast sterling silver Clan Donald Glengarry badge, made by Thomas K. Ebbutt of Scotland.
Seen here on a Robert Mackie knitted wool Balmoral in fawn with a fawn and Lovat green diced band. |
AboutThis page will showcase my own personal collection of Scottish Highland clothing, as well as topics on how it is worn, the history of certain items, and general information on the topic. Archives
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