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.
