real purpose of hatbands

[Richard]

wondering if the real purpose of hatbands is actually to disguise sweat. I wore a beat up old straw hat home while running and sweaty and notice it was the area direcly under the hatband that was soaked with sweat. is that why that's there?

 

[budward]

I also wonder if its purpose is to cover up the stitching from the sweatband. On one of my hats, if the band rides up a bit, the stitching of the sweatband is plainly visible where the band would otherwise be.

 

[gandydancer]

Both

The first reason is to cover the stitching. For that all you need is a narrow ribbon.

The second is to cover the sweat stain. For that you need a wide heavy band. A thick pleated band like used on a lot of straw hats for instance.

A pug goes further and is intended to act kind of like cooling fins. The multible pleats that kind of roll down give a lot of surface area for evaporation of sweat.

But, of course an even more primary reason for a hatband is to just make the hat look good.

 

[fedoralover]

ribbons and feather plumes as decorations on hats goes back hundreds of years. When people were still carrying swords around they put the plumes on the left side of their hats so they would be out of the way of your right hand which was most commonly used to hold one's sword. The custom of always putting the ribbon on the left side of the hat is a hold over from that custom.

"Believe it or Not"

fedoralover

 

[gandydancer]

ribbons and feather plumes as decorations on hats goes back hundreds of years. When people were still carrying swords around they put the plumes on the left side of their hats so they would be out of the way of your right hand which was most commonly used to hold one's sword. The custom of always putting the ribbon on the left side of the hat is a hold over from that custom.

"Believe it or Not"

fedoralover

Ah, another one of those reasonable reasons that does not stand up to reason. In European cultures at least left side stuff is traditionally male, right side stuff traditionally female. From feathers in the headband to zippers there seems to be no true reason for it other then that is the way its always been done.

Yes I know how many things are attributed to wearing swords. However, in most cultures, prior to ***s, if you were not a noble wearing a sword was a death penalty offense. Of course every one was a King or Queen in the previous life (GRIN).