Why did ancient scholars wear hats?

The ancient custom was to wear a hat when going out. When an ancient man was about twenty years old, his father or the elders in the clan put a hat on him, which meant that he was an adult and could shoulder the responsibilities of family, clan and country.

Ancient people didn't wear hats casually, but they were very particular. Ordinary people have their own way of wearing hats (ordinary people can't afford to wear hats, so they are called "thousand hands"), and officials have their own way of wearing hats, which is stipulated by the state in the form of almost law. Once it is violated, the consequences are unpredictable, ranging from reprimand to dismissal, and even more serious, it will be charged with contempt of court.

In the Book of Rites, which ancient scholars memorized, they advocated wearing hats, believing that wearing hats could show etiquette and education. The reason why mortals are human is propriety. The beginning of propriety lies in correct expression, neat colors and fluent words. Let the body be straight, the color be neat, the words be fluent, and then prepare for the ceremony ... so the crown should be ready, the clothes should be ready, and then the body should be straight, the color should be neat, and the words should be fluent. Therefore, "the crown is the beginning of the ceremony." It was the ancient sage who was crowned again. The ancients crowned it with ceremony, and every day honored it with guests, so they respected the crown and crowned it, so they valued ceremony and ceremony, so it was the foundation of the country.