The history of the origin of the pompom on the hat
The name comes from the word pompe, which translates from French as "splendor." These accessories began to be used back in the 18th century. Then the cavalrymen of many European armies had special hats - shakos. To indicate the rank and belonging to one or another regiment, the soldiers attached special tags to them, including pompons of a certain shape and color. They were also worn by French sailors, but their goal was different: soft balls of thread protected their heads from hitting the low ceilings of the ship’s premises.
The vestments of the clergy of the Roman Catholic Church included hats of a quadrangular shape, called berrettas. Such jewelry was sewn to them, by the color of which it was possible to determine the rank of owner. The tradition turned out to be tenacious: such birettas can still be seen in Catholic churches.
Pompons were known far beyond Europe. South American Aborigines decorated their clothes with them. The color of these accessories spoke of the marital status of the carrier. Scottish traditional men's national clothing includes a soft beret (called Balmoral) with a ball of bright red thread sewn on top. These hats were especially popular during the Great Depression, which occurred in the 30s of the twentieth century. At that time, tailors had to save on materials as much as possible. To replace jewelry with stones and intricate tassels came pompons, which were made from the remains of yarn, which was much cheaper.
Why make a pompom on a hat?
In the middle of the twentieth century. pomponchiki, painted in the colors of their favorite teams, have gained popularity among English football fans. They also met on the caps of skiers. At that time, they had long lost their original meaning as military insignia, remaining only on traditional naval peaks. A little later, bright red jewelry became one of the integral elements of the style of the famous fashion designer Jean-Paul Gaultier, who spent a large part of the proceeds from the sale of his collections on charity.
Now it is just a decoration that does not carry any meaning. The color of such a decoration on the cap also does not play any role. Manufacturers of hats make this decoration usually at the seam.
Why are pompom caps fashionable?
Hats with such an ornament look very beautiful, so such hats are fashionable. In addition, the pompom can be either small or large.
There are caps with a lot of pompons, which are also popular. In most cases, these hats are bought for children and adolescents. Most adults believe that such hats are for children, and it is not so often that you can see an adult in a hat with such an ornament.
