Originally Posted by
jjs56
My Mom was a nurse. Her cap was actually a heavy piece of cloth in the shape of a rectangle with small convex curve on one long edge. She would heavily starch it and then shape it into the proper cap shape for her school. Different schools had different style caps. I think nursing students still have pin ceremonies, but I don't think they do caps anymore. My Mom was from the day of dresses only and white from head to toe. If you find a cap today that's stitched together, it may not be authentic.
My Mom graduated from nursing school in 1928 and her hat was rectangle with one rounded side (I know she made several out of sheets at one point because she could not find the fabric she needed) - she would soak it in starch. She had these shank buttons that were connected with a small ring and used them to button the hat together -- the hat was put together like a piece of origami . I do know that her hat was what the graduates from her school wore. Her last job was working in a nursing home in 1980 then we had her move closer to us.