No hat? So what?

[Sam Flynn]

I was interested to read (Judith Walkowitz, 1982) that the dress code of many prostitutes at that time was not to wear anything on their heads - a free-flowing head of hair being perhaps a "come-on" that would attract customers, especially if that hair was young and luxuriant.

With that in mind, the "big deal" made of Kelly's habit of not wearing a hat is perhaps misplaced, and many others of her class would have adhered to the same style.

Observations and comments welcome.

[Suzi]

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm Gareth....a Good point... (YOUNG hair!!!!!!!!!! hehe)

I like to imagine that image too,,,,Where does this put us with Polly's 'Jolly Bonnet' line though....perhaps....as I've always suspected Polly was just a rather sad down and out ...not a 'sex worker' (don't you HATE that phrase!)

In that case though........ WHY was Mary 'noticed' by the hawkeyes of Dorset St for NOT wearing one?

Suzi x
The 'Red Hat no Drawers' line still lurks rather tantalisingly in my mind though!!!!

[Kelly]

I would imagine that a career prostitute would make choices considerably differently than a casual one. The casual prostitute might be eager for any sign that she is improving her station in life,and that would include a desire for respectable clothes.

However, even the career prostitute wouldn't always want to appear slatternly, and that's where the dress-lodgers came in. Women who appeared clean and well-dressed could attract a better class of client.

Essentially, any attempt to suggest that "prostitutes did (or wore) such-and-such" is lumping them all into one stereotyped class, as if they didn't all make varied and individual choices.

[Celesta]

If Mary were in the habit of wearing a hat, she might have caught more notice, when she appeared without one, and, naturally, the reverse is true. The cover of Walkowitz's book shows that classic old photo of the women sitting on the curb. The inference has always seemed, to me, that these women were prostitutes, and I notice that most aren't wearing a hat. It's harder to tell on some though, as a dark hat might blend with dark hair in the picture. This is a domestic scene, but it might lend some credence to Walkowitz's hat theory. Yet there's no way of knowing if these women were prostitutes. Of all the pictures I've seen of women on the streets, most are wearing the uniform hat of the era. In some of the crowd scene photos, like those of Petticoat Lane, one is looking at a virtual sea of hats. I suppose we could do a statistical sampling of the available pix and do a hat versus a no hat count. Of course, our Polly had a "jolly hat," and the fact that she made a big deal out that could probably be used to confirm or deny the no hat notion, depending on what you believe.

After all, the common street walker offered sex on the spot, and I have doubts that the type of client she would attract would have the time to worry about whether her hair was free-flowing. Now, the kind of woman who had digs in which to entertain her client might go for the free-flowing style. Our Mary did fit, at least briefly, into that mold.

Polly had a "jolly bonnet" and was very happy about it. That she was proud of it, and seemed eager to wear it, suggests that she thought it would make her more attractive.

[Debra A]

I've read in a couple of different sources that not wearing a hat was common among the Irish lower class women of the area in general, apparently they preferred to wear shawls and covered their heads with these when they needed to, in bad weather and such.

[Sam Flynn]

I've read in a couple of different sources that not wearing a hat was common among the Irish lower class women of the area in general, apparently they preferred to wear shawls and covered their heads with these when they needed to, in bad weather and such.

Interestingly, Walkowitz also notes that prostitutes were sometimes given to not wearing shawls - so quite where that leaves MJK, I don't know! Having said that, it was rather chilly and raining on the night of her death, so maybe a wrap was "permissible" under such circumstances.

Not that I'm implying that every prostitute would have felt compelled to adhere to a "uniform", that is. My main purpose in flagging this up was to indicate that Kelly was probably not unique among "her kind" if she indeed chose not to wear a hat.

[Suzi]

Ah a wrap/cross[no relation to Charles]over may be interesting..... Ive found some lovelies and some serious bizarros when typing Victorian Prostitutes into Google images

Obviously VERY entertaining in 18 something!!!! Mind you it IS Punch!!!

Bonnet free 'lovelies'

A (whatever the collective noun is) of Rippers!!!!

[j.r-ahde]

Hello you all!

Then, maybe Saucy Jacky was The Mad Hatter!

All right, seriously;

since Mary obviously had a unique hair colour (that was probably considered red by ones and blonde by others), she got more attention without a hat!

All the best
Jukka

[j.r-ahde]

Hello Suzi!

We were posting simultaneously!

By the way, the first one the left of bonnet free 'lovelies' seems to be somewhat marykellyish!

Where's that from?!

All the best
Jukka

[Suzi]

Next spasm-
'Ello darlin...fancy an 'orrible time......

Just wonderful.......and no 'at!!!!

Proof! LOL

[Suzi]

Hello Suzi!

We were posting simultaneously!

By the way, the first one the left of bonnet free 'lovelies' seems to be somewhat marykellyish!

Where's that from?!

All the best
Jukka

Hi Jukka
Type in Victorian Prostitutes into Google Images and they come up!! Yes she does.........it's the JAW!
Suz x

[paul emmett]

Hello, all.

The hat thing then probably speaks to the issue of casual prostitution being discussed on another thread, since Tabram, Nichols, Stride and Eddowes were all wearing bonnets. I'm not sure about the presence of shawls.

[Suzi]

and furthermore...........
Proof that at least three victims hid inside a red crossover to confound the piemen/ police!!!

Gawd you wouldn't tangle with her would you......presuming she could get off of the couch!!!!

Avon calling!

[Celesta]

Interestingly, Walkowitz also notes that prostitutes were sometimes given to not wearing shawls - so quite where that leaves MJK, I don't know! Having said that, it was rather chilly and raining on the night of her death, so maybe a wrap was "permissible" under such circumstances.

Not that I'm implying that every prostitute would have felt compelled to adhere to a "uniform", that is. My main purpose in flagging this up was to indicate that Kelly was probably not unique among "her kind" if she indeed chose not to wear a hat.

It's a timely thread, Sam, as there has been so much discussion of Mary and her red/ginger locks and whether she kept them under a hat. People are already having a good time with the thread. Since Polly was so excited about her new bonnet, maybe she had been hatless for a while. When I used the word "uniform," I was remembering Victorian pictures I'd seen of people on the streets and 100's of little, flat, straw hats! Charles Dana Gibson had a good time with those little hats, in some of his Gibson girl cartoons, particularly one called "The New Hat." It shows a line of ladies walking down the street. They all look differently, but each is wearing the same round, flat hat. The only difference being what was used to adorn the hat.

Thanks for posting this thread.

[Suzi]

Hi Celesta-

I think....... (sometimes) that maybe the shawl was the garment of choice and that a bonnet of any description would have been a luxury beyond the dreams of avarice!!!!!Also I suspect that a GOOD shawl would have been a luxury/gift anyway!

A quick nip out for a quicky IMHO wouldn't have required a 'What shall I wear ' scenario.

The concept of that ....re Mary [or let's face it any of them]... in Dorset Street or wherever...late at night...maybe a tad 'merry' ....or whatever is impossible!.

The image of Polly saying she'd be back and Annie munching the last of her potato doesn't bring the ''Er what shall I wear ''image'' to mind does it?

Poor dabs....it was go out and get it 'done' and get the few pennies for a bed and not have to 'carry the banner' all night.... not OMG what shall I wear!

Cheers

Suzi x