7 Unbelievable Fashion Facts From The Past

Fashion Taxes

In the past, there have been taxes on beards and hats. In 1535, King Henry VIII of England introduced a unique Beard Tax, varying according to social status. Russia had a beard tax, too, although the purpose was a bit different: Tsar Peter I of Russia (1672-1725) considered the beard as a symbol of a lack of culture and implemented a tax in 1705. Men who wanted to keep their beards were forced to wear medals attesting in public that their beards were absolutely ridiculous. There was also a Hat Tax adopted by the British Government between 1784 and 1811. Every man’s hat had to have a stamp sowed into its lining showing that it was a legal hat. Those who refused to pay received huge penalties. This method became so widespread that it finally led to government amendments and the legal definition of a hat in 1804. [Photo via]