A hat with a veil was invariably a symbol of mystery, mystery and gave female image unique charm.
Nowadays, a hat with a veil can serve a great addition for a cocktail dress. It can change its shape and appearance: be in the form of a top hat, a pill, a boater or an ordinary hat, but whatever its shape, one thing remains unchanged: a hat with a veil will always attract admiring glances to its owner.
A hat with a veil has the most important advantage - versatility. With its help, any outfit can turn from ordinary to sophisticated in the blink of an eye.
A little history
In the 19th century, a woman who did not want to show her face could skillfully hide it behind a hat with a veil: intrigue, conspiracies romance novels- all this was kept behind women's hats with a veil
Wide-brimmed hats and veils covering the entire face or up to the chin were in fashion. The 20th century became the century of democracy, and covering one's face became inappropriate. But hats with a veil have not lost their relevance, thanks in part to the great designers of that time - Paul Poiret and Coco Chanel.
Among the hat enthusiasts influencing fashion are Jacqueline Kennedy, with her “pill”, Princess Diana, Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe and many other artists and famous models.
It should be noted that the veil became smaller and was already more symbolic and decorative than a kind of mask. A hat with a mesh always bore the imprint of aristocracy and elegant style, so the outfit was appropriate - strict English style or an evening dress.
Where to wear it?
Of course, such an accessory is not intended for everyday use, but as an evening or wedding addition to an outfit, a hat with a veil can be an ideal option.
At a retro-themed party, a hat with a veil that goes perfectly with the outfit can be a great finishing touch to a harmonious look. Some especially brave girls manage to complement even jeans and a disco top with a small top hat with a light transparent mesh or a tiny pillbox hat.
Even the simplest and most modest wedding dress will look great in combination with such a hat. In addition, for brides who want to make their outfit unusual, a hat is an ideal option - because it looks much more interesting than a traditional veil or tiara.
And instead of being just an addition, a hat can set the tone for an outfit, becoming a kind of starting point from which you can build on when choosing other accessories.
The theater has long been considered the podium of the best ladies' toilets. The time of kings and nobles is, of course, far behind us, but why not remember it if you are planning to go to Swan Lake or a Shakespeare production? A black, blue, purple, white or beige, cream or peach colored hat with a veil will look great with a classic elegant suit or sheath dress. Will add its own zest to the image and small black dress- as a practical way out of any situation.
How to wear?
There are a great many variations on how you can wear a hat with a veil: it is worn on its side, either closer to the back of the head, or closer to the forehead, in a word, whichever suits you best and whichever you like.
To wear a hat, you must at least walk with a straight back and in a good mood. Hats, caps and bowlers can be worn with tousled hair, simple clothes like jeans, and bright shoes.
The hat should match the outfit. If you have chosen as wedding dress short dress in retro style, match it with a top hat and make a high hairstyle. TO long dress A wide-brimmed hat with a train is ideal. If you are not sure that you can perfectly match the hat to your outfit, opt for a pillbox hat, which can be combined with almost any outfit.
Bibi is the general name for miniature women's hats (veils) that complement evening or cocktail dresses. One of the main features of such a hat is its extremely small size, due to which such a headdress looks more like a hair decoration.
They are secured to the hair with hairpins slightly to one side. Such veils can decorate both a complex evening hairstyle and simply loose hair.
If you are short, you should avoid large, wide-brimmed hats because you will look like a mushroom. You'll add height to your plume hat.
Choose a hat based on your face type:
-Round face and fuller figure shapes can be visually reduced by wearing a wider hat (but not wearing earrings at the same time).
-For those who have long face models that cover the forehead are desirable. Don't choose tall hats.
- Triangular face: small hats are suitable, but not tight-fitting ones.
-Square face: Hats with straight brims are not suitable.
And the main rule: you can only wear a hat on your head held high.
A hat is truly a thing for all times, it can become that accent in an outfit that will outshine everything else, and it will no longer be so important what you are wearing - a dress forgotten for a couple of years in the back of the closet, or a blouse from the latest collection.
The mystery of the fair sex has always been considered a “highlight”. In addition to this, an indispensable virtue was humility, which is not so common these days, but is valued no less. Both to create an aura of mystery and to demonstrate humility, women have worn a veil for many centuries in a row. Thin fabric, mesh, intangible tulle - all this appeared first in a single version, covering the entire head, and then an updated version was born - a hat with a veil. This accessory has existed for centuries, and in our time its attractiveness has not been lost at all.
The veil is attached to different headdresses. A cylinder, a boater, a tablet - this is not the whole list of models that take on airy matter, called the French word “veil”. Wrapping a woman in fabric, hiding her body and face, is a tradition of the East, which was adopted by fashionistas of the West. In the ancient world, the veil covered the bride from head to toe: in Ancient Greece it was yellow or gold, and in Rome it was red. At the very beginning, of course, it had one purpose, and only later did a hat with a romantic mesh or translucent airy material become fashion accessory. With meaning, of course.
Air history
The veil appeared in Europe around the 4th century. Then her white became a symbol of purity and innocence, and black - a sign of sorrow. In the Middle Ages, it was present on high caps, then gradually adapting to all kinds of models, of which there were a great many in this historical era. Already in the 16th century, such hats began to gradually go out of fashion, but only to return and remain for a long time.
In the mid-19th century, women began to wear wide-brimmed hats, with a light veil attached to the front, completely or half covering the face. Towards the end of the century, there was a tendency to minimize everything - both wardrobe items and accessories as well. The most fashionable headdress 
The end of the century was considered a small hat, shifted to the front of the head or to the side with a small mesh. A boater model appeared, which was perfectly matched with weightless fabric that hid the face.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the most popular hat became the bell hat, which covered the face without any additional material, and only in the forties the accessory with the usual decor returned to the fashion Olympus. Fascinators became popular - mesh, denser fabric, lace material, attached to hats. During this period, it was the decorative part that began to be given more attention than the practical purpose of hiding the face. Veils became more impressive in size than the headdresses themselves, which were also decorated with feathers, beads and other elements. The heyday of elegance came in the sixties, with the entry into fashion of the pillbox hat, perfectly combined with a very small net that barely covered the forehead. This era has become a wonderful inspiration for those masters who create today.
Stylish mystery
Someone will ask in bewilderment: why? modern girl do you need a hat with a veil? In everyday life, most likely, it is not needed at all, because girls no longer need to hide their faces from the prying eyes of others. But such a model is very good option, firstly, for a wedding accessory, and secondly, to complement a cocktail outfit.
A social party or a special event are very suitable occasions for decorating yourself with a miniature headdress. 
with flowers, elegant feathers, beads and mesh. A wedding hat with a veil exists in a huge number of options: from wide-brimmed, covering the face with a dense haze descending below the level of the face, to cylinders, tablets or completely invisible veils, which are flavored with foam from flowers, feathers and ribbons. The main advantage of this accessory is its ability to decorate any, even the simplest outfit, turning it into a festive one.
A hat with a veil is the main wedding fashion trend of 2010. It can easily replace both a traditional veil and a tiara 
. The most current version is small, shifted to the side and forward with a sparse openwork mesh. Such models appeared at Carolina Herrera, Lanvin and became the leitmotif of the Oscar de la Renta fashion show. Outside of wedding fashion, this theme was explored by John Galliano, who created the Dior spring-summer collection with luxurious veiled top hats.
Evgenia Zhirkina
In the 19th century, a hat with a veil was in the wardrobe of almost every fashionista. A century later, the need for veils disappeared, and these headdresses began to turn into a retro accessory. Today, this accessory is gradually coming back into fashion; it can now even be worn with jeans.
These headdresses come in several types - from fascinators to wide-brimmed hats with a long veil. A veil is a tiny veil that is attached directly to the hairstyle using a pin or hoop. It can cover the eyes or serve only as a hair decoration. This accessory is the most democratic. It goes perfectly with both a wedding dress and trousers. You can wear a veil to a cocktail party, a wedding, a christening, a club or a restaurant.
When putting on a veil, try to make it match the style of your outfit. You should not wear an elaborate accessory that is more suitable for wedding dress, with a simple pantsuit.
A small pillbox hat with a veil is more demanding when choosing an outfit. The latter can cover only the eyes, or can hide the entire face. These hats go perfectly with vintage outfits in the style of the 50s and 60s of the last century. This accessory should be worn to an exhibition or a party of a corresponding theme.
In the 19th century, wide-brimmed hats with long veils were in fashion. And if then you could easily go shopping in such a headdress, now they are suitable only for special events, which are usually held outdoors. But such a hat should be worn correctly - since the accessory itself is too noticeable and is a bright decoration, the dress should contain a minimum amount decorative elements.
Not only for the above events you can wear a hat with a veil. The right accessory will be appropriate almost anywhere. The most important thing is that it matches your outfit.
You can wear a hat with a veil to go to the cinema or cafe with friends. For such a pastime, an elegant pillbox hat or a veil similar to a hair clip would be most appropriate. It goes well with both a trouser suit and evening dress. Using this headdress, you can create a unique image without being too pretentious.
A hat with a veil can also emphasize the solemnity of the moment. It can be worn at a wedding, and not only for the bride, for christenings. This accessory will be indispensable for mournful occasions, reliably hiding your face. Film festivals and similar events call for long, sophisticated dresses, which can also be paired with an elegant hat and veil.
Stock up on a few hats and outfits and head to the photo studio. You may not have a place to appear in a hat with a veil, but you shouldn’t deprive yourself of the pleasure of wearing it.
There is still an event to which wearing a hat is mandatory - horse racing. Appearing there without a headdress is considered a violation of tradition. So at the races you can demonstrate the sophistication of your taste in all its glory.
Hat (English: Hat) - a headdress of a stable shape, usually consisting of a crown, brim and decorative elements.
History of the hat
Ancient Egypt
IN Ancient Egypt The pharaoh wore a large piece of striped fabric under his crown, which was called a klaft or nemes. The rest of the Egyptians, except for slaves, wore wigs made of plant fiber. The higher the social status of the owner, the more magnificent and larger the wig was.
Antiquity
In Ancient Greece, men and women walked bareheaded, but when traveling they wore a low, round felt hat with a brim - a petasos. If there was no wind or rain, the petasos suspended from a belt or ribbon was thrown behind the back. The messenger of the gods, Hermes, was depicted in such a headdress on frescoes and in sculpture. Petasos became the prototype for most styles of modern hats.
XIV - XV century
Scientists also consider the medieval gennin to be the prototype of modern hats. According to the most common version, the tall conical hat was invented by Queen Isabella of Bavaria of France in 1395. Since at the turn of the XIV and XV centuries it dominated french fashion, the headdresses of Burgundian court ladies spread throughout Europe.
The frame for the gennin was made of paper or starched fabric, and then covered with expensive material. The height of the gennin of princesses reached 1 m, that of court ladies - about 60 cm. On the back of the headdress there was a transparent one, sometimes covering the face. The hair that escaped from under the gennin was shaved, leaving a small triangle in the middle of the forehead. Because of the fashion for high gennins, special doorways had to be cut into castles.
This headdress was worn until the 16th century.
In the XV-XVI centuries they were popular in Germany and France. According to the Augustinian Gottschalk Hollen, the headdress of a 15th-century fashionista looked like this:
“Then a vain city woman puts on men's hood, either a gathered expensive veil, or a silk mesh in three or four layers, or decorates the head with gold and silver hairpins, or uses a decoration on the forehead. All this is necessary for a woman to decorate her head. A hundred gold pieces is hardly enough here.”
In the Middle Ages, even during the time of Charlemagne, special customs in wearing headdresses appeared: worthy people wore pheasant and rooster feathers on their crowns, and those who were guilty wore plucked carcasses of forest birds. Green and yellow hats were to be worn by bankrupt people.
"For reasons beyond my knowledge
In all regions, in all years
The importance of money, power, rank
It was only visible from the hat...”
poet Christian Genter about the Middle Ages
16th century
17th century
In the 17th century, hats were made from various materials all kinds of colors and shades, decorated with jewelry and feathers. Decorations were attached not only to the crown, but also to the edges of the brim. Hats were used primarily for decorative purposes, since, due to the fashion for elaborate and voluminous wigs, headdresses were usually worn under the armpit.
First half. In the first half of the 17th century, costumes in different European countries developed differently, although they had many common features. The beginning of the century was marked by several wars, so fashion largely borrowed elements of the uniform. Men in France wore felt hats with wide brims and a round top, reminiscent of military hats. The edges of the brim were raised and pinned to the crown, decorated with ribbons, ostrich feathers, and buckles made of precious metals and stones. In particular, such hats were worn by French musketeers.
For special occasions, men wore a low hat made of beaver fur, entwined with a long feather. It was called "Louis XIII's Hat" because... the French king was especially fond of this style.
French women wore caps at home. To go out, ladies wore wide-brimmed hats decorated with jewels and plumes.
In England, men or women sought to show their originality with the help of hats. Men's hats differed in the width of the brim, the height of the crown, decorations, and material (felt, cloth, suede, leather, wool, etc.). In the first half of the 17th century, the British chose yellow, brown, white and black hats. Women in England wore caps, hoods, hoods, and small velvet caps with embroidery. When going outside, ladies wore large “Puritan” hats over these caps. It began in the 1630s.
Second half. In the second half of the 17th century, fashion changed dramatically. Thanks to King Louis XIV, France became a trendsetter, and all European states fell under the so-called “Versailles dictate.” At that time, soft, wide-brimmed felt hats with a feather or fox tail on top were popular in France. Due to the inconvenience of using hats that limited visibility during military operations and hunting, their brims began to be pinned - at first with right side, and later so that three angles are formed. This style of wearing has changed in new look hats - cocked hats. During the reign of Louis XIV, they became an element of military uniforms, and then spread throughout Europe.
XVIII century
First half. In the 18th century, hats were considered a secondary addition to the popular wigs of that time, which determined the manner of wearing headdresses. Hats were worn straight, or at an angle or with a strong forward tilt. In Europe during the Baroque era, ladies wore a fontange - a cap made of. It went out of fashion in 1713, also thanks to Louis. At the ceremonial reception in Versailles, the Duchess of Shrewsbury appeared without a cap and had a simple hairstyle decorated with lace and flowers. The French king really liked her look, which put an end to wearing the fontange.
Aristocrats began to combine neat hairstyles with simple caps, small lace hairpins, and round toques. Under the influence of the elegant Rococo era, European costume began to change again. The number of popular women's hats increased: In summer, ladies wore straw hats, and in autumn and spring, felt hats. The classic straw models were the Florentine hat, Panama hat and boater. At ceremonial receptions, nets made of thin threads, luxurious hairpins, light turbans and turbans were worn. Cocked hats and warm hats were intended for traveling and walking. Caps remained as a home or nighttime item of clothing. All headdresses of that time were distinguished by their simplicity of execution and minimal decoration. Men in the Rococo era, along with cocked hats, began to wear felt hats and small “jockey” caps.
Second half. In the 1770s, hat styles changed dramatically. The fashion of that time was set by the French queen Marie Antoinette. Women's hairstyles became tall and complex: they were created using extensions and special rollers. Ladies' hats have also grown in size. Some models of that time reached a meter in diameter. They were decorated with ribbons, artificial flowers, feathers, and lace. There were even special mechanisms installed in the hats that made the figures of birds or butterflies move. On the headdresses there were models of sailing ships, multi-towered castles, dishes with fruit, swans, mills, bridges, etc. Ladies wore fresh flowers on their hats, placed in vases with water, as well as entire compositions, for example, “the expulsion of Adam and Eve from paradise” .
In 1789, a revolution began in France. The Phrygian cap or ribbon with the colors of the national flag began to be used as headdresses. In the 18th and 19th centuries, men wore a castor hat made of high-quality, very fine cloth. Beaver or goat down was used to make this headdress.
19th century
First half. In the 19th century, the hat became one of the main items for men and women. women's wardrobe. At the end of the 18th century, the double-cornered hat appeared, gradually replacing the cocked hat in everyday wardrobe. In the first years of the century, Napoleon's soldiers returning from the Egyptian campaign carried the turbans of the defeated Mamelukes on the tips of their bayonets. Lord Byron glorified oriental exoticism and appeared in public wearing a turban. These hats have become popular again.
In 1797, Englishman John Getterington invented the top hat. IN men's fashion headdress came into use at the beginning of the 19th century.
Since 1820, the bolivar, a cylinder with wide brims, has become popular. In 1835, a folding cylinder appeared - the shapoklyak. This type of hat was popular for a century and only went out of fashion by the First World War.
Ladies in the first half of the 19th century continued to wear toque hats, lavishly decorated with feathers, buckles and precious stones. In the first half of the 19th century, a schute came into fashion - a women's straw hat, similar to a cap, with wide brims framing the face. It gained mass popularity thanks to the theater, where it began to appear as a prop around 1800.
Napoleon's famous hat did not correspond to the uniform of the French army units and was the personal design of the emperor. A similar headdress was worn by the young Bonaparte as a student of the Brienne military school at the end of the 18th century. The model of Napoleon's headdress remained virtually unchanged over the years, only becoming taller and narrower. The hat was made of black felt and was decorated only with a three-color cockade attached to a black silk braid.
The Emperor was first depicted wearing it in a portrait by the artist Isabé of 1802. Monsieur Poupard was Napoleon's hatter during the imperial period. He supplied the emperor with hats at a price of 48 francs apiece. In a fit of anger, Napoleon sometimes threw his hat on the floor and trampled on it (for example, in 1813 during a meeting with the Austrian envoy Metternich). Between March and December 1807, Napoleon owned 12 hats, of which 8 were new and 4 were repaired old ones. During campaigns or on marches, Napoleon wore a velvet cap, the prototype of the modern cap.
In 1812, Napoleon wore his famous “little hat” on his way from Paris to Moscow. At the insistence of the chief surgeon of the great army, Jean-Dominique Larrey, the emperor's hat was insulated from the inside with woolen fabric. The headdress is currently in the personal collection of Canadian historian Ben Vader. The emperor wore this hat on the Borodino field, in it he entered the Russian capital and in it he left Moscow on October 19, 1812. The artist Charles de Steuben depicted Napoleon's entire life by arranging his hats in different ways. The first three hats on top symbolize the two Italian and Egyptian campaigns. Three hats in the middle row - the birth, dawn and decline of an empire. The last two are Waterloo and a link to St. Helena.
Second half. By the second half of the century, women's hats had almost lost their practical functions. The styles of hats changed rapidly. Fashion magazines offered up to 30 models each season. The reason for the appearance of a new style could be political events, funny incidents, new literary works or theatrical performances.
There were "Romeo" and "Francis" hats.
“...a women’s traveling headdress, the appearance and names of which change daily.”
V. I. Dal, definition of a hat
Headdresses were decorated with satin and gauze ribbons, silk flowers, ostrich and heron feathers, bouquets with a high vertical branch, and garlands of leaves made of the same fabric as the headdress. Fashion publications regularly published recommendations for making hat flowers for middle-class women. The profession of “florist” appeared - a milliner who dealt only with decorations for headdresses. The decoration of the hats of that time included mantonnieres - ribbons that held the hat, and a bavolette - a frill sewn from the inside above the back of the head. In the middle of the 19th century, bavolettes had significant sizes:
“Bavolettes are made in the same way as before - huge in size and falling on the neck in the form of a fichu.”
("Fashion", 1856).
In the theater, ladies sitting in boxes could wear headdresses with feathers of any size, unlike women in the stalls. The hat has become a symbol that the lady is educated and knows the rules of social etiquette. At that time, rules were established that allowed a woman not to remove her headdress indoors, because some hats intended for a ball or dinner were made under the supervision of a hairdresser and literally woven into the hairstyle.
In 1849, a men's bowler hat appeared in England, more comfortable than bulky top hats. It became popular throughout Europe and did not go out of fashion until the First World War. From 1851 to 1867, during the era of the popularity of crinolines, women's hats decreased in size. Ladies wore lace caps, turbans with feathers and jewelry, girls wore small “bibi” hats made of silk or straw, decorated with flowers and ribbons. Headdresses were usually tied with ribbons at the chin. In summer they wore hats made of Florentine straw. During country walks they could be used as flower baskets. In the 1850s, women also wore a bonnet, a small, high-mounted hat. By the end of the 19th century, it turned into a headdress for older ladies.
In the second half of the 18th century, a pamela hat appeared, named after the heroine of the novel “Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded” by the English writer Samuel Richardson. This model was decorated with wildflowers and ears of corn. The 1856 edition of Fashion reported:
“We can add to this that the Pamela style is again considered the most fashionable.”
In the 60s, women's cocked hats decorated with feathers became popular. In 1863, the anemone hat came into fashion, but it was predicted to have a short life due to the fact that it did not protect the face from the sun:
“It is a very small hat, barely covering the cheeks; but this style will not withstand the first heat.”
(“Fashionable shop”, 1863).
From the middle of the 19th century, ladies also began to master the men's wardrobe: women's silk top hats, straw boaters, and cowboy hats appeared.
In the second half of the 19th century, women's hats of the “kibitka” style with round brims were popular. From the inside and along the lower edges of the crown they were decorated with fabric flowers, feathers, ribbons, frills made of lace, airy fabrics, and braid. For several years it was fashionable to decorate your hats with stuffed amphibians. The ladies' magazine Revue de la Mode wrote:
“Frogs are now used as decoration for women’s summer hats in Paris, especially spectacular against a white background.”
Then birds began to be used to decorate hats. At the same time, hats were decorated with veils.
XX century
“A hat that suits you is a greater moral support than a whole set of laws.”
E.M. Remarque
1900 – 1910. At the beginning of the twentieth century, during the Art Nouveau era, headdresses were lavishly decorated with flowers. Wide-brimmed hats, which could accommodate Parma violets, camellias, and rose bouquets, came back into fashion. Stuffed birds were used in the decor.
The great fashion reformer Paul Poiret in the 1900s offered ladies bright turbans and modest ribbons. In summer, ladies wore boaters decorated with forget-me-nots, rose buds, and wildflowers. In winter, women wore bonnets tied under the chin, and fur hats were also popular.
In the late 1900s, there was a fashion for small hats that looked like a chicken's head with a comb of pheasant feathers. They were called "chantecler" after the title of the play by Edmond Rostand. At the beginning of the 20th century in the USA, and then in Europe, the “cake-walk” dance of American blacks became fashionable. Women's hats of the same name also appeared.
By the late 1900s, large hats became fashionable again. They were even called “laundry baskets.” The width and size of the hats often prevented the lady from moving. De Dion, the first automobile manufacturer in France, to please the courtesan Otero, calculated the height of the body in which her hat could fit. The famous woman began her career in 1909 by opening a hat-making studio.
At that time important detail there was a hat pin - a pointed rod about 20 cm long with a head made of gold, precious stones, etc. Headdresses were attached to the hairstyle with pins. Court chronicles from the 1900s have been preserved, where cases of women killing their sleeping lovers with hat pins were considered. Pins in crowds or public transport could cause serious injury.
“...in 1912, in St. Petersburg and Moscow, the city administration, in order to avoid injury to the population, banned ladies wearing hats with long pins from riding in public transport.”
"Ladies' Magazine", 1912
At the beginning of the 20th century, hat pins were made from metals, bone, mother-of-pearl, wood, and tortoiseshell. They were decorated with rhinestones, precious stones, and enamel. Pins were stored on special stands.
1910s. In 1910, the Ladies' Leaflet wrote that feathers on hats of considerable length were the last squeak of the season:
“The ladies decorated their hats with long feathers reaching towards the sky, forming a continuation of the entire figure. How will our ladies with such decorations sit under the casing of the cab during the rain? The question is very interesting.”
But by 1911, the brims of women's hats became narrower and curved up, which became one of the symbols of the transition to a new, “comfortable” fashion. Headdresses richly decorated with flowers went out of fashion; only the veil remained relevant. Wide brims are preserved on women's hats exclusively in soft summer models.
1960s Thanks to Jacqueline Kennedy, pillbox hats became fashionable in the 60s. Also popular were small hats with slanted brims, decorated with brooches, massive pins with stones or soft bows made of the same material as the headdress. Women's hats were often decorated with a veil. The fashion for hats at that time was largely set by actress Audrey Hepburn.
1970s In the late 1960s, with the rise of private cars and crisp blow-dry haircuts, hats began to become a must-have item for women and men. However, in the Soviet Union, hats were most popular in the 70s.
1980s Since 1980, velor and felt hats have become popular, although hats were no longer popular in this decade. Princess Diana revived some interest in them. Burberry
The veil was and is, perhaps, one of the most mysterious women's accessories. It’s not for nothing that there is even an expression “to speak veiledly” (from the French “voile”, which means “mesh”, “veil”, “veil”) - i.e. speak in riddles, not specifically, hiding something... But in clothes such mystery is always attractive - there is a mystery that you just want to solve!
Today we will talk about how the veil appeared, what it was needed for and whether it has a place in the wardrobe of a modern woman.
How and when did the veil appear?
Today, when we read or hear the word “veil,” we imagine a light translucent fabric that is the highlight of the image, a kind of decoration. However, this was not always the case.
The first veils (which, by the way, appeared in the East) were quite dense (“thick veil”) and long, they were sewn from cotton or even wool! For a long time, such veils covered not only the head, but also the entire body of a woman - in appearance they resembled a Muslim burqa. You could even say that a garment like the burqa is the great-great-great...grandmother of the modern veil. 
Only when the first veils hit European countries, their length began to decrease, and the fabric gradually became lighter and more transparent. Over time, the colors of the veil also acquired significance, to which great influence Christianity had - so, a long white veil was a symbol of innocence and was mandatory for every bride, and a black veil meant mourning.
One of the peaks of popularity of the veil occurred in the 15th-16th centuries, when women attached it to a cone-shaped headdress called gennin (according to another version, ennin). It is noteworthy that the dress itself was often created... from thick paper! 
Today, such gennins with a veil can often be seen in cartoons where the acting character is a fairy, and also as an element of a carnival costume. 
By the way, at that time the veil was not exclusively a women's accessory - noble men also wore it, pinning it to their hat.
By the end of the 16th century, veils would lose their relevance - but only to return to fashion in the 19th century. And now it is becoming fashionable to wear them with wide-brimmed hats. However, by the end of the same century, the wardrobe of fashionistas was replenished with a new item - small hats with a short airy veil. 
Around the same time, a veil appears - a mini-veil decorated with feathers and beads. And, of course, its purpose was no longer to hide the body, but to be beautiful. If back in the 20-30s of the last century a veil covered the head and upper part of the face, then by the 40s it served only as a decoration... for a hat. 
At the same time, a bell hat with a veil is becoming popular. 
Then, at 40-60, the accessory experienced a new birth - after the appearance of pillbox hats with a veil on fashion catwalks, and then on city streets. Such a veil only occasionally covered the level of the eyes, and sometimes only reached the eyebrows.
Now remember where it all began - and compare the burqa and a similar veil... The transformation is impressive, right?..
Veil today
Despite the fact that the veil in society is considered an almost forgotten accessory, it sometimes appears in more or less acceptable variations at the shows of new products from famous couturiers - and not only in wedding collections. According to designers' forecasts, very soon this accessory will begin to appear en masse in everyday life. 
How do stylists advise wearing a veil in everyday life?
Complement the usual urban look with a veil - simple blue jeans(can also be skinny) and a sweater (or sweater + jacket) will sparkle with new colors if you combine them with a veil. By the way it will be sweater large knit and even a leather jacket.
A veil would look good with trousers and skirts, as well as a shirt with a sweater over it.
Stylists say that the times when a veil required elegant shoes, a classic skirt, furs and a string of pearls are over: now wearing a veil is fun- with a semi-sports style, an elongated coat (not a fur coat) and flat shoes (even sneakers are allowed!). 
Today, knitted, cashmere or knitted hats with a veil are popular - combine them with bikers or sweaters with bright prints and slogans. Do you want to look bright and playful? Choose hats in blue, emerald, yellow, red, orange, burgundy colors. You can create a more stylish and formal look by choosing a hat with a veil in black or beige. 
Short skirt, shorts or sweater dress will also be a good addition to an image with a veil. 
Fits perfectly into the look colored tights or leggings, as well as a bright belt– and if the color matches the color of the hat, then the image will be even more original.
Be careful with prints: it is very difficult to choose the right veil color for “animal” colors, so When wearing a zebra or leopard print, give preference to a black veil.
Bijouterie will make the image brighter, and an accessory like clutch in a rich shade will complete the image of a stylish city girl.
Are you ready to try on a new accessory?
Photo: womanonly.ru, fashion.ru, fashion360.ru.
