Tootler I remember the same as you do. When I was a kid, all the older women wore hats in church. However, men had to remove their hats. I think this is still the case - I went to York Minster about 8 years ago and was asked to remove my cap by a very posh sounding feller who was wearing some sort of robe. He was very offended that I had a hat on and there he was, wearing a dress!

Azizi, I belive the origins of this custom to lie in the New Testament. St Paul specifically says that any man praying or prophesying with his head covered dishonours the lord, but at the same time any woman praying or prophsying with her head uncovered dishonours the lord.

I've no idea why, and all it sseems a bit arbitrary to me, to say the least. Still, that's religion I suppose. But I agree with you - these days it's largely tradition and custom, and ladies wear hats because all the other ladies are wearing hats (or don't wear them because nobody else is - depending on the area, I suppose).

These days, in the UK, even older ladies don't wear hats so much except at weddings - at weddings you see a lot of elaborate headgear on the females.