Mad Hatter Costumes: Why Are They So Popular?
Mad Hatter fancy dress seem to be a staple of Halloween and fancy dress parties. A Mad Hatter costume consists of extra bulky formal clothes. These clothes are usually brightly coloured, contrasting heavily with each other. The most identifying trait of the Mad Hatter costume is the extra large, tall hat which features a piece of paper with the fraction "10/6" written on it.
The Mad Hatter began as a character in Lewis Carrol's "Alice in Wonderland" and also the sequel "Through the Looking Glass." He was originally named "Hatta" and was never once referred to as the "Mad Hatter" in the book. The phrase "mad as a hatter" inspired this character.
This phrase is based on the fact that many hatters before Carroll's time suffered from neurological damage due to the mercury used in hats. People weren't aware of the damage that this substance caused as it worked slowly on the body instead of quickly. The neurological damage caused by mercury created "mad" behaviours such as uncontrollable twitching and strange verbal and visual tics. Carroll did not invent this term but his "Hatta" character has inspired most modern understanding's of the term.
Mad Hatter fancy dress are based mostly on modern interpretations of the character. Carroll did include illustrations of the character in his book. These helped inspire the famous Disney animated movie "Alice in Wonderland." Here, he was referred to as the "Mad Hatter." He holds a constantly reoccurring tea party with the March Hare and the Dormouse. He later runs into trouble with the Queen of Hearts for "murdering the time."
People creating their own Mad Hatter costume became a Halloween tradition. However, Mad Hatter costumes really took off after the Tim Burton adaptation of "Alice in Wonderland." Johnny Depp plays the Mad Hatter. The success of the movie inspired a new round of Mad Hatter costume designs based more on the new movie.
The popularity of Mad Hatter fancy dress can be explained by his behaviour. The Hatter is an incredibly unpredictable character who leaps to strange conclusions based on little to no evidence. For example, at one point, he asks the riddle "Why is a raven like a writing desk?" When Alice attempts to answer the riddle, he panics, believing her to be mad. He chases her out of the tea party.
Other strange behaviours include resetting time to 6:00 constantly so he, the March Hare and the Dormouse can hold a continual tea party. He represents pure madness and the strange illogical misfiring's of somebody suffering from mental instability or insanity.
Halloween is a time where people can pretend to be something they could never be in real life. Being the Mad Hatter gives them a chance to let loose and behave in strange and potentially inappropriate ways. This freedom of behaviour caused by role playing makes this a popular costume.
Friday, 13 January 2012
Sunday, 9 October 2011
Mad Hatter Costumes
Out of the many wonderful characters from Lewis Carroll’s imaginative tales, one of the most enduring is the Mad Hatter of Alice’s Wonderland. From his nonsensical riddles to his whimsical attire, the Mad Hatter has entertained both children and adults since his introduction in the 1865 novel Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Today, the characters of this novel are so iconic in our culture that Alice in Wonderland costumes are popular fancy dress costumes.
While nearly everyone knows who the Mad Hatter is, what does the Mad Hatters costume look lik, few know the specifics. What is a hatter and what makes him so mad? Remember that despite the modern popularity of “Alice in Wonderland”, the story and characters come to us from a far older era. In the Lewis Carroll’s day, hatters and haberdashers were commonplace. These two types of tradesperson were known for providing headwear and other decorative male clothing accessories to high-class gentleman of the day.
Often using what would later be found to be toxic ingredients, hatters became known for exhibiting symptoms such as slurred speech, hallucinations, and a lack of coordination. At the time, no one know why hatters seemed a little nuts, but today we know it is because some of the materials hatters used, such as mercury, are known to cause mental deteriation in humans.
Lewis Carroll didn’t base the Mad Hatter on hatters in general, though. Instead, the Mad Hatter is based on one particular hatter Lewis Carroll knew of. This hatter was said to have invented an alarm clock bed for Queen Victoria’s “Great Exposition,” a great fair and festival of the time.
What entices people to choose the Mad Hatter costume for their Halloween outfits is the character’s general sense of ease in all that surrounds him. Always up for celebrations or riddles, the mad hatter can’t help but infect all those around him with his carefree spirit and fancifully skewed view of reality. Another reason the Mad Hatter costume is popular for dressing up, is because it is one of many fancy dress costumes for which people get to wear regal clothes instead of their regular suits and ties.
In keeping with the Alice in Wonderland theme, but quite different in demeanor, is the more regal Red Queen. While she doesn’t have as large a role as the Mad hatters, many people still love to dress up in a red queen outfit for their fancy dress Alice in Wonderland costumes. Though often confused with the Queen of Hearts, the Red Queen actually appears in Lewis Carroll’s follow up novel Through the Looking Glass.
Both the Mad Hatter costumes and the Red Queen costumes are perfect fancy dress because they are whimsical and recognizable. Whether you choose to don the persona of a hatter gone mad or the regal Red Queen outfit, bringing Alice in Wonderland costumes to your big fancy dress party will make you a hit.
While nearly everyone knows who the Mad Hatter is, what does the Mad Hatters costume look lik, few know the specifics. What is a hatter and what makes him so mad? Remember that despite the modern popularity of “Alice in Wonderland”, the story and characters come to us from a far older era. In the Lewis Carroll’s day, hatters and haberdashers were commonplace. These two types of tradesperson were known for providing headwear and other decorative male clothing accessories to high-class gentleman of the day.
Often using what would later be found to be toxic ingredients, hatters became known for exhibiting symptoms such as slurred speech, hallucinations, and a lack of coordination. At the time, no one know why hatters seemed a little nuts, but today we know it is because some of the materials hatters used, such as mercury, are known to cause mental deteriation in humans.
Lewis Carroll didn’t base the Mad Hatter on hatters in general, though. Instead, the Mad Hatter is based on one particular hatter Lewis Carroll knew of. This hatter was said to have invented an alarm clock bed for Queen Victoria’s “Great Exposition,” a great fair and festival of the time.
What entices people to choose the Mad Hatter costume for their Halloween outfits is the character’s general sense of ease in all that surrounds him. Always up for celebrations or riddles, the mad hatter can’t help but infect all those around him with his carefree spirit and fancifully skewed view of reality. Another reason the Mad Hatter costume is popular for dressing up, is because it is one of many fancy dress costumes for which people get to wear regal clothes instead of their regular suits and ties.
In keeping with the Alice in Wonderland theme, but quite different in demeanor, is the more regal Red Queen. While she doesn’t have as large a role as the Mad hatters, many people still love to dress up in a red queen outfit for their fancy dress Alice in Wonderland costumes. Though often confused with the Queen of Hearts, the Red Queen actually appears in Lewis Carroll’s follow up novel Through the Looking Glass.
Both the Mad Hatter costumes and the Red Queen costumes are perfect fancy dress because they are whimsical and recognizable. Whether you choose to don the persona of a hatter gone mad or the regal Red Queen outfit, bringing Alice in Wonderland costumes to your big fancy dress party will make you a hit.
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