Since the 19th-century Victorian era, adult women the tradition of wearing headgear gradually turns to hand weaving. Not only save money, but also enjoy the joy of knitting. And making knitting gradually become a socially recognized pastime. A variety of headdresses emerged in an endless stream, and the name of the headdresses was more diverse and reflected the feminine femininity.
At that time, women’ hat styles were very different due to the combined influence of the country, region, tradition, climate, religion, marriage, social class, and fashion trends. In the second half of the 19th century, Britain appeared a lot of hat products, a wide range of styles, such as bonnets are for outdoor wear, there is an ordinary style or a delicacy and luxurious style. The caps (also called soft hats) are mostly worn indoors, and they are usually hand-woven and embroidered with laces, ribbons, and lotus shapes to add brilliance to the caps. People choose to wear matching hats according to the fashion trends and hairstyles of the time. For example, in 1860, fashionable women changed their bonnets to caps that could be worn on their elaborate hairstyles. Wear veil at the same time to protect their hairstyle or the privacy.
The veil, as the oldest kind of head ornament, has a hundred years of history. It is usually made of opaque wool material and occasionally a very thin material. The veil of a wedding dress is often given different meanings depending on religion and culture. An exquisite lace wedding veil with a knit texture was specially provided by Shetland’s textile industry and knitting industry. It was only available to the upper classes or the aristocrats. At the same time, home knitwear manufacturers can produce veils that are simpler, cheaper, and less use of the material. In fact, the veil is more like a hijab. Its basic shape is a rectangle, large enough to cover the head and neck. It is woven with an undulating needle at one end, and the one that is exposed on the outside is lace modeling. Most veils use this open-lace edging.
The most popular Victorian turban ornament is the scarf that covers the face. It was a latecomer on the popular stage of Victorian costume and it was not until 1872 that it became popular. It can be used outdoors to cover the sun, it can also be used for shawls indoors. Nearly a century after Queen Victoria’s death, knitted lace, shawls and scarves are still very popular. Although content and meaning have been widely divergent, the lace scarves that flourished in the 19th century are still unforgettable.