Most people don't realise the story of the pom-pom goes back over a thousand years. The fluffy fabrics weren’t always for decorative purposes, but people are only recently learning what they were originally for.
Some believe the bobbles have been worn on clothing since the Viking era from 793AD-1066. The mythological god Freyr had been depicted with head gear that itself had a pom-pom on, as seen on a statuette found in Södermanland, Sweden, in 1904.
In some European countries, bobble hats were also used to define rank. Clergymen wore caps called birettas in Rome, with different coloured pom-poms to indicate their job. Similarly, soldiers like those in the Scottish Highland regiments and Napoleon’s infantry wore woolly bobbles on their uniform, denoting which regiment they belonged to.
For sailors, the pom-pom is thought to have protected their heads in tight spaces from low ceilings. During the Depression, pom-poms became more mainstream and accessible as they became cheaper. Some also believe that celebrities like The Monkees’ Michael Nesmith helped to popularise the cosy hat.
From Viking ships and mythological gods, to religious headwear in Rome and Napoleonic battlefields, the pom-pom has been around the world. So there you have it, that’s the long historied story of the pom-poms on top of your winter hat.
