At the beginning of the period the stiff, high-crowned steeple is popular. The Puritans adopt it, adding a plain hatband and austere buckle for decoration. By 1630 the fashionable hat has a low crown and a wide, stiff brim. It is decorated with a jeweled hatband and long ostrich plumes. Eventually losing its stiffness, one side of the brim is fastened to the crown with a brooch.
Most hats are black or dark in color.