This women’s straw “boater” hat was worn in the late 19th century as part of an outfit for bicycling. Bicycling was wildly popular in the 1880s and 1890s and was considered particularly liberating for women. The bicycle offered a new kind of mobility and independence, and bicycling costumes often included split skirts or bloomers. Bicycling costumes were nearly always paired with a straw boater, as it was the go-to hat for warm weather and sporting activities during that period. While larger versions could provide shade, this smaller-proportioned hat would have sat atop an upswept pompadour hairstyle. At the time, wearing a hat when you were outside was required by social norms. A hat like this completed the outfit, whether or not it served a function.