The accessories we wear have a long history. People loved necklaces, earrings, bracelets, belts, hats, caps, ties, umbrellas and gloves for a long time. Queen Elizabeth II enjoyed hats and 16th president of the US Abraham Lincoln liked bowties. Let’s look at the history of accessories.

Necklaces are a very old form of jewellery. The oldest necklaces are 40,000 years old! Can you imagine? People made them from various natural materials, such as wood. Today we often make them from metal: gold, silver, and others. But you can make your own using, for example, flowers – I’m sure they will be just as beautiful!

Earrings have a very long history as well. For ancient Egyptians they were a symbol that you were rich. Now people sometimes wear several earrings in one ear and they are often in different shapes and sizes. We make them, for example from various metals and precious stones.

There are so many different styles of bracelets. It is hard to decide which is the prettiest. Fortunately, you can wear several bracelets or bangles on your wrists at the same time. We can make our own with some string and beads. Some people make such bracelets for their friends. Then, they call them “friendship bracelets”.

Belts are very practical and people wear them to make sure they don’t lose their trousers. But we also use them to decorate our clothes. Some people like to wear their jeans with a belt as well. We often make them from leather, but you can also use other materials if you are against using animal products.

Hats keep people warm (these made of animal fur) or keep heads cool (straw hats). They are often a sign of social status, for example the British Royals have a long tradition of wearing hats during public events. Today we have a choice of many different styles – casual beanies, cowboy hats, berets and many more.

Baseball caps are popular not only with people playing baseball. Nowadays everyone can wear such a cap. It is very useful on sunny days because it protects your eyes. But some people wear it back‑to‑front to be more casual. Do YOU ever wear a baseball cap? If yes, do you put it back‑to‑front?

A tie and a bow tie are quite young accessories on our list – only 300 years old. Boys and men wear bow ties and ties during formal occasions. Tying a tie or a bow tie is not an easy thing to do. There are also many ways to do it. Older men in a family often teach boys how to tie a tie to make it look elegant. 

The history of umbrellas is very long. People in ancient Egypt used umbrellas as protection against the sun and the Chinese made umbrellas from paper. Not a practical solution when it’s raining! Now umbrellas are popular everywhere. Men and women use them to protect themselves against the sun and rain. 

How old do you think gloves are? Well, just like almost any other accessory in this presentation, they are very old indeed. Centuries ago in Europe, people wore them to show how rich they were. Now, gloves come in all colours and materials, and everybody wears them. They keep our hands warm in winter, and they are the warmest if someone knits them for you!

Here are the names of accessories you are learning about in this material - now you know how to name them!