A mob cap is a round hat for women with pleats or gathers, designed to cover hair from dust and dirt. It was worn by women in the Georgian period, American colonial women, and Victorian servants. Today, it is used in sterile environments and for costumes.
A mob cap, or mob cap, is a round, beanie-style hat for women that is fitted to the head with a series of pleats or gathers. A cove or bubble on the back was designed for women to tuck their hair into. The cap was usually made of linen or cotton and could be trimmed with a ribbon or ruffles around the brim. Some styles fan out on either side of the face and can also be tied under the chin. It was often worn by ladies in the Georgian period of British history, by American colonial women, and by servants in Victorian times. The cap covered the hair and was usually only worn indoors; if worn outside, a secondary hood or hat was worn to cover it.
During the Georgian period, mob caps were normally only worn by married women. The cap was worn both inside and out; Women seen without a mob cap were thought to be in a state of undress. However, if women wore the cap outside, another hat or beanie would be draped over the top, as the mob cap was considered undergarment. The purpose of the cap was to protect the hair from daily dust and dirt, since women of the time did not bathe daily. At that time, it was easier and cheaper to wash a mob cap than to bathe and wash your hair.
Once the trend reached colonial America, both women and unmarried girls of any status level wore the cap. Depictions of early American icons such as Martha Washington and Betsy Ross are often shown wearing mob caps. In Victorian times, the cap was relegated to working-class women, usually servants or nurses.
Today, a modern variation of the mob cap can be found in the medical industry, testing laboratories, or anywhere else with a sterile environment that requires covering your hair. The modern version is usually a simple, circular piece of cheap material, often nylon, with elastic around the edges to keep the lid secure. They are usually designed for one-time use, similar to a shower cap.
There are a variety of costume uses for mob caps. They can be purchased ready-made, but easy mob hat patterns can also be found in most pattern catalogs that contain seasonal costume patterns. Costumes that commonly require or benefit from mob-caps include maids; Women of the Renaissance Fair, although this is historically inaccurate; and women of the colonial and Victorian era.
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