Women's fashions have long called for some sort of hair accessories and head covering. Ribbons have a long tradition of decorating hair. The sunbonnet fills several roles - by keeping the sun off of the face and out of the eyes. At this time fair complected women were thought of as "more desirable", so shading the face was a desired result of wearing a bonnet. Strange how the times have changed that now people actually want to get a tan.

[Ma] turned Laura and Mary around and quickly tied the ribbons on their braids. Then she took Carries' hand. They all went out on the doorstep and Ma locked the door.

Carries looked like one of the little angel-birds in the bible. Her dress and her tiny sunbonnet were white and all trimmed with lace. Her eyes were big and solemn; her golden curls hung by her cheeks and peeped from under the bonnet behind.

Then Laura saw her own pink ribbons on Mary's braids. She clapped her hand over her mouth before a word came out. She scrooged and looked down her own back. Mary's blue ribbons were on her braids!

She and Mary looked at each other and did not say a word. Ma, in her hurry had made a mistake. They hoped she would not notice. Laura was so tired of pink and Mary was so tired of blue. But Mary had to wear blue because her hair was golden and Laura had to wear pink because her hair was brown.

-from On the Banks of Plum Creek

 

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