why did old stoke-on-trent men wear caps?

Question

i come from stoke-on-trent and i wondered why all men in old pictures of the potteries wear caps

Answer 1

where about in stoke are you, ime in newcastle under lyme, dont know but funnily enough my dad wears a cap.

Answer 2

If you look at any photograph of a football crowd up until the late 1950's you will see an 'ocean' of flat caps. the Flat cap was very much working-class mens' headgear of the time and they wore them with pride. The cap did however have two other practical functions: they helped to keep the hair clean (before the 1960's, men rarely washed their hair more than once a week and the general industrial atmosphere and coal fire economy meant there were far more pollutants in the atmosphere; also the lack of adequate heating in working class homes meant having to wear caps in the home, even in bed to keep warm. I remember both my grandfathers wearing a cap at home and my father wore one when he walked the 4 miles to see the Spurs play at White Hart Lane.
The men of the Potteries were just conforming to a national phenomenon.

Best of luck sqUeAk

Answer 3

He is right about it being a 'Lost City'. It was once a thriving city with a steelworks, coal mines, Michelin had a factory there, Wedgwood's, Minton, Doulton and Twyfords were all thriving pottery factories. All sadly closed as we buy cheaper abroad and put our own people out of work. The once proud, tough and very friendly people are depressed, obese and many are living on benefits on the poverty line. I was born in Stoke-on-Trent and spent the first 29 years of my life there, I still visit family but no way would I go back and live there. The whole place is just Depressed physically and mentally, they have had a very very rough deal there. Helmand it is not.

Answer 4

This cap wearing was a custom adopted by most working men during the 1900's and it continued until the latter part of the decade. Older men, often continue the practice.

The cap was a sign that the boy had reached an age where he was now free of school and a part of the work force, as such it was a badge worn with some pride as an indication of maturity.

Answer 5

"all men in old pictures of the potteries wear caps"

Logically. Most people working in dusty and dirty environments wear caps to keep the dust and dirt out of their hair. Farmers and manual workers used to wear flat caps all the time. Office workers and salesmen used to wear homburg hats, popularised by Edward VII. Upper management wore bowler hats, which were originally a safety hat for hunters on horseback.Top hats were for official functions and diplomats.

Answer 6

Agree w Benwee.
The cap for working class, the hat for middle class - either way, it was obligatory. I believe middle and upper class guys could wear caps in their spare time, but those caps were cut different. Don't know if it's true.
Some guy wrote a story about a guy who lost his hat and he HAD TO get another one.
Not having a hat or cap was like flies undone. Those days long gone.

Answer 7

men all over the country used to wear caps, they kept the head warm,

Answer 8

everyone wore caps in those days. It kept your head warm and hair a bit cleaner. The caps were popular because you could roll them up and put them in your pocket.

Answer 9

They wore flat caps for the same reason that I wear one, to keep their old bald heads from getting sunburnt.

Answer 10

most men in UK wore flat caps or some form of headwear.
Wouldn't like to say when the practise faded away,but pre-war,I suppose it was like wearing a tie,most men also wore them