Women’s hats were a 19th-century fashion must. By the late 1890s, however, they were reaching monumental heights and blocking the view at theaters. In 1897, Tacoma joined cities around the nation to ban big hats in places of public amusement.
Tacoma Proposes Theater Hat Ban
While men were expected to remove their hats inside buildings, women were not, making large women’s hats a problem. And many had finally had enough of feathers and flowers blocking their view. “The theater hat must come down,” the Tacoma Daily Ledger complained on January 25, 1897. “Man proposes to wear the breeches at least a little longer in this country.”
Across the country, cities began passing laws banning tall “high” hats in theaters and other places of public amusement. A bill on the issue was even introduced to the Washington State Legislature in early 1897 but failed to pass.
On September 30, 1897, Third Ward Councilman John M. Bell submitted an anti-hat bill at the all-male Tacoma City Council meeting. It was modeled after a San Francisco ordinance passed in March.
The proposed law prohibited “any person or persons from wearing hats, or bonnets or any other head covering in Theaters or other places of amusement during the performances or renditions of any program in said places.” The ordinance exempted “skull caps, lace coverings or other small and closely fitting head-dress or coverings which does not interfere or obstruct the view of the stage or platform of said places of persons sitting in the rear of said wearer or wearers.” Theaters were required to post the ordinance. Hat wearers who violate the law could be fined between $5 and $10 or sentenced to two to five days in jail, or both.
Tacoma Hat Bill Sparks Debate
The council found Bell’s bill more amusing than serious. Fifth Ward Councilman John Holgate joked that Bell must be “in collusion with the hairdressers” who might see increased business if the hat ban were put into effect. They also accused Bell of wanting the law because he was short. Bell retorted that he introduced the bill at the urging of his constituents and that he never sat more than two feet from the orchestra rail when attending the theater. He could see the stage just fine!
The Council referred the bill to the Health and Police Committee, of which Bell was the chair.
The proposed ordinance proved popular in the press. The Tacoma Daily Ledger endorsed the bill, writing on October 2 that it deserved the Council’s “serious consideration.” There were “practical and aesthetic” reasons for the bill to become a law, they argued, and Tacoma should imitate what East Coast cities were doing.
The Ledger invited readers, especially women, to write them. Authors could remain anonymous to allow “full and free expression of opinion.” The letters were published over the rest of the week.
Most letters to the editor were in favor of the bill. “The ‘high-hat’ nuisance has grown beyond endurance,” a writer known as “Justice” declared. Tall hats impacted the rights of other paying customers to see performances.
Others thought the proposed ordinance was a waste of time. “Public Spirit” called the hat issue “trivial,” while men were allowed to “make a veritable path of pestilence of Pacific Avenue” and other streets by spitting tobacco. “Why burden our lawbooks with nonsensical rubbish?” a “Theater Goer” asked, while loud male “fiends” disrupted performances by eating, chewing gum and tobacco, and stomping on women’s feet as they left their seats mid-performance.
Some writers chose to insult women hat wearers for their “vanity,” but others defended their fashion choices. “I am a woman’s rights man,” Frank B. Cole wrote, declaring that women should dress as they pleased.
“I will not remove my hat if the ordinance is passed,” one woman wrote, “and I would like to see a man big enough to try to enforce the obnoxious law.”
Tacoma City Council Reviews Hat Ban
Despite widespread support, the Health and Police Committee voted down the proposed ordinance two to one at their October 13 meeting. The committee decided to write two reports for the upcoming council meeting. The majority report was against the proposal, while Bell wrote the minority report in favor. Even if his effort failed, Bell hoped that the controversy would encourage more women to take off their tall hats in theaters.
The proposed ordinance sparked much debate at the City Council’s October 14 meeting. Sixth Ward Councilman H. H. Warner introduced the majority and minority reports on behalf of the judiciary committee, moving to adopt the majority report against its passage. Bell moved to substitute the minority report, which carried.
Lengthy discussion followed. Warner challenged the bill as both unconstitutional and anti-Biblical. Bell countered that the ordinance banned only obnoxiously tall women’s hats, not all hats. The ordinance would not apply to churches either. Eighth Ward councilman L. E. Sampson accused Warner of opposing the ordinance because he always had the front seats, and hats didn’t bother him.
At last, Bell introduced the bill for a vote. The final tally was 10 ayes, two nays and two absent. Mayor Angelo Fawcett approved the bill on October 16. Ordinance No. 1244 was now law.
Hats Off in Tacoma
“Hats off!” the Daily Ledger announced on October 21. Enforcement of the hat ban, however, proved a trickier issue. Unsurprisingly, the law was never completely obeyed. While hats might not be a problem nowadays, who hasn’t seen people on cell phones at the movie theater?
…Or perhaps that was you!
