Seems like the kids today are more interested in looking like little adults. But back in the day, say during the 1940s, and long before Chuck E. Cheese, it was not perfectly acceptable and ever desirable for a kid to be a kid. And nothing denoted kid status more effectively than wearing a little beanie with a silly propeller on top.

You want a detailed history of the propeller beanie? Well, good luck with that. Nobody is really sure when they emerged or how. They just sort of showed up one day and became the latest and greatest fad. The concept was simple, as the beanie was simply a fabric skullcap of sorts that sat firmly, yet comfortably on the head. The elusive part is the propeller. It’s purpose remains unclear and more than likely, it was simply necessary to increase the silliness factor of the hat to the tenth power. But one thing it most certainly did was propel sales. Without it, it would have been just another hat and that wouldn’t have been much fun, would it.

Paired with short knicker suit, the look was unstoppable. The magic and mirth overflowing. Today, daring to wear such a silly contraption amongst your friends might leave you ridiculed, or worse, beaten and bloody. Kids take life too seriously these days. Perhaps they could all use a propeller beanie to lighten up a bit.