Until the late 19th century, women were not permitted to leave the house without a head covering. The traditional headwear in the alpine region was a hat, and in the flatter regions it was caps in a variety of designs. The Linz bonnet for married women was worn throughout Upper Austria. The quality of a bonnet, and its decoration, depended on the financial status of the wearer.

There were many variations: 

gold

gold and black

embroidered with pearls or glass seed beads, 

and tulle embroidered with decorative flower designs. 

The colour categories were more precisely defined when it came to the Bavarian Riegelhaube bonnet. 

The golden bonnets were for married women, 

the silver bonnets were for unmarried women 

and the black bonnets were for widows.

Until the mid-19th century, it was compulsory to wear a bonnet in church. Women’s hair was supposed to be covered. These types of bonnets were not actually suited to the purpose, which is why the black headscarf eventually became the fashion around 1850.