While Gaston, a seven-year-old pooch was wearing his dog hat striding down the parking lot of the local university with pride, two ladies with astonished voices exclaimed, "Oh my gosh, look at that dog in that hat!" In fact, it wasn't the first time that he caught the attention and admiration of others.

Do you own a dog hat or ever had your dog wear one? Hats are perhaps one of the most popular accessories that are sold and being used on a daily basis. The reason for wearing a hat varies from culture to culture and person to person. Whether it is for protection, political, social ranking, or fashion usage, headwear has emerged from its history and become a fashion that stays.

World's Oldest Hat
The history of the hat can be traced back to the hunter-and-gathering era when the hat was used primarily for protection from the extreme weather. According to BBC dated 25 April, 2000, "Woven clothing may date back at least 27,000 years, according to archaeological evidence left by Stone Age hunter-gatherers… After discovering the impressions on the clay fragments…a number of "Venus" figurines found in Europe…Many appeared to be wearing clothing including basket hats and caps, sashes and belts."

Underneath the Hat
According to the Dictionary of Idioms, wearing a hat is associated with "keep something secret," this expression came from the late 1800s. Although the earliest artifacts depicted women (the Venus clay figure) were the one to wear hats. However, in our contemporary society, more men wear hats than women.

As time passed, keeping something under the hat still stands. Movies depict a spy trying to hide his face under a hat, and, in real life, celebrities covering their faces with hats in hopes not to be recognized. Now that hats have become an integral part of our lives, it carries symbolic meaning. Through wearing, we send out our sense of belonging and who we are. The baseball hat, for example is more than just a hat. It gives you a clue of that particular person who wears it. If you pay attention to the symbol in front of the baseball hat, it may have a story behind it, whether it is a particular group or activity, the symbol can be a profession, sports team, name of a famous designer, or just simply a phrase to express the inner self.

A Complete Mini Me
Now hats have extended to dogs as well. The movie Legally Blonde captured girls hearts with that "mini-me" look. The movie portrait how Elle (Reese Witherspoon), the Harvard-educated lawyer cherishes her little companion, she even accessorized her little pooch with the matching pink dress and hat. The hat certainly adds a dazzling look. So, if you are single and open to meet people, get out there and reveal in the season's pleasures. Remember nothing is better at capturing life's most personal moments than creating your "mini me" look. Expressed "your sense, yourself." Let your attitude have an overhaul, pick a dog hat that makes you frolic.