Mob cap

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Simple mob cap, 1805

A mob cap or mob-cap is a round, gathered or pleated cloth (usually linen) cap consisting of a caul to cover the hair, a frilled or ruffled brim, and (often) a ribbon band, worn by married women in the Georgian period. Originally a lower-class style, the mob cap became a high-fashion item as part of the adoption of simple "country" clothing in the later 18th century. It was an indoor fashion, and was worn under a hat for outdoor wear.

It first got its name of "mob cap" when worn my most of the peasant mob watching the French Aristocrats guillotined. One woman in particular,who would knit continually while watching the executions, always wore a "mob" cap during the times.

By the Victorian period, mob caps lingered as the head covering of servants and nurses, and small mob caps remained part of these uniforms into the early 20th century.

Mob caps continue to be worn in the medical industry, in cleanrooms, and in other sectors where the hair has to be contained. Modern mob caps are usually a simple circle shape with an elastic band and may be made of disposable materials such as Spunbound polypropylene or of nylon net.