Kapps, Bonnets, and Head Coverings, Oh My!
Chances are you'll never see an Amish woman without a headcovering. There are several verses in 1 Corinthians 11 that allude to the importance of keeping one's head covered, especially during prayer. The white prayer kapp is the most common head covering, and usually worn by women over the age of sixteen. Girls younger than sixteen will wear black kapps. While at home its not unusual for the kapps to be exchanged for softer, solid-colored head scarves or kerchiefs which are more comfortable and less formal. However, when and Amish woman is out in public, she will always have her head covered.
As with Amish buggies, there are subtle differences in the style of kapp among the various settlements. Here are a few examples of kapps worn in the midwest, Nebraska, and Lancaster County.
Another popular headcovering is the bonnet, which fits over the prayer kapp. Bonnets are worn when women go out, such as when they are shopping or meeting friends for lunch in a restaurant. Bonnets are usually black, but do come in different colors, as you can see on Miss Cutie Pie below: 
'Til next time,
Kathleen
Kathleen, thanks for the interesting information on the Amish Kapps and head coverings. I had no idea there were so many styles of Kapps. I assume these young women used in the catalog were models, since the Amish, I believe, do not accept taking photos, especially of their faces. I wonder if many of the Amish purchase these or whether most sew the Kapps themselves.
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Cathey, that's a great question, and something I've wondered about myself. I do know that in Middlefield there are shops that sell Amish clothing, including the kapps. For women with large families its much easier to purchase a kapp, which might have been handmade by another Amish woman, than to make them at home, especially the really "fancy" ones. Sounds odd to call something Amish fancy, but with the intricate pleating on the back of some of those kapps, that's the word that comes to my mind. As for the women being models, I'm sure you're correct. They might be Mennonite women modeling the kapps and other garments. Thanks so much for commenting!
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