Caps were worn by all classes of people, for many different reasons. Widows and mothers wore caps. Some married women chose to wear them. Housekeepers and servants wore them. Children wore them. Old maids wore them. Pretty much the only group who didn't were young ladies, during that period of time when they were no longer children, and not yet old maids (or as Caroline Austen put it, "ladies who were not quite young"), though Jane Asuten took to wearing them at the age of twenty-three.

Worn mostly indoors, the cap was also often placed under a bonnet or hat for added warmth and comfort. They were never worn on formal occasions during the Regency. Usually made of lace or lawn in light colors (a widow might wear a cap trimmed in black), caps became as lavishly trimmed as any other creation of the time.

Some caps were made very plainly. These were made mostly for wear by servants and/or sleep wear. While most caps did not sport ties, these might depending on style.

The Mobcap Made familiar by Betsy Ross, the mobcap was still worn during the early 19th century, though not as popular as it had been, a generation earlier. Mobcaps were usually trimmed with ruffles or lace.

The Lace Cap Similar to the mobcap, it was much lighter, but carried many of the same characteristics. Soemtimes it was made of sheer lawn and trimmed in lace and even flowers.

The Draped Cap Some caps were also made with more of a drape. They were created with a band of fabric or lace and then a flow of the same over the head and down the back (much like wearing a skirt upside down on top of your head)

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