China Cap History

 
Besides appearance, figure, behavior and temperament, headwear as one part of garment accessory, is also a needful note in beautiful melody of people’s exterior beauty.

In ancient days, handkerchief is earlier than cap. People wrap heads or making hairs with handkerchief of fabric silk or linen. The head cloth which usually used by minority nationality in South East is left legacy from ancient one. During the Northern Zhou Dynasty (557-581), the Wu Empire makes the kerchief in shape of 4 angels to make it worn easier by the army, which is call PuTou at that time, that’s the earliest cap in the China. Later, 4-angel cap extends two long horn from left and right side, that’s what we called black gauze cap. The horn from left and right crosses on the back side of brain, and becomes the armet for military attache.

Cap phylogeny is not only in China, but also in the Western country. Cap is the symbol of power and position in ancient days. In early days of Rome, cap is the indication of free and legality citizen, slaves could only cover a cloth above head as an Havelock. In middle ages, the grade concept is clearly certificated by cap more: bankrupter wears yellow cap, the King wears gold crown, galley slave wears paper hats, the citizen wears dark hats, etc.

Nowadays caps seldom vary for class, but it still has occupational symbol, such as lawyer hat, nurse hat, army cap, police cap, doctor hat. There are some special made cap like chef hat, it comes from a chef Comlam in France. He wears a long white h

at to catch eyes and attract customers, later it becomes the chef hat. The taller the hat is, the higher class the chef is.