I have been very busy adjusting to school season the past few weeks. As such, I have not had much time read or respond to social media posts. I have been tagged in a few posts about hairnets though. I am hoping this single blog post will help with my lack of response in individual threads/conversations.
I am going to try to break down the questions and concerning comments arising in posts & threads. Please be aware most of these points are covered more extensively in previous posts or in my book To Net, or Not to Net.
What is it called? And the word “snood”
The net-like item encompassing the hair would have been called a hairnet, net, or cap in the 1850s and 1860s.
At the same time, the word “snood” was used less frequently as a verb meaning to tie up one’s hair with a ribbon, or very occasionally as a noun meaning the ribbon tieing the hair up. The word “snood” came to mean the net in the early 20th century.
Weight of Nets
Netted and crochet nets of the mid-nineteenth century were nearly always very fine. Picture silk thread nearly the weight of hair. The exceptions were fashionable nets/caps such as those made of silk chenille.
Please be careful about selecting crochet net directions. Many craft project nets or “snoods” do not use an appropriate weight thread to accurately represent the mid-nineteenth century.
Plain Nets vs Ribboned Nets vs Foundations
I’ve noticed in the past year or so there has been a shift to wearing hairnets with pleated or ruched ribbon. Several posts tell me this is being promoted as the norm or even a requirement somewhere. This does not reflect what I have found in my research. When looking at photographs, the majority, even the vast majority, of women wearing hairnets are wearing plain hairnets, meaning nets without a ribbon or other foundation.
This type of hairnet, a plain, fine net, is worn as part of the hair dressing process. The net would be comparable to the hair pins also dressing the hair. These nets are not decorative. They can be worn at home or out of the home, under a bonnet or a hat.
Nets with a pleated or gathered ribbon fall into the decorative realm. These could be called caps in fashion literature. Likely, a foundation would support the ribboned portion of the net. This accessory may or may not fit under a bonnet and will be crushed by a hat worn properly.
Decorative nets and caps were accessories. This accessory could be worn at home or on a social occasion.
Additional Resources
- To Net, or Not to Net – e-book available for instant download (on sale through the end of September 2023. After that, use code WHIMSEY to save.)
- Hairnets – The Basics and More Indepth – Including a video
- Ribbon Hairnets – A 2015 how to
- Velvet Ribbon Hairnets
If I Had My Own Blue Box: 
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