ujm> The real question is, in Europe did frum Yidden ever go around bareheaded?
there seems to be a very inconsistent usage of this argument. In many cases, we have no problems changing what they did “in Europe”, or in previous centuries – eating glatt, dressing up kids as Talmidei Chachamim, getting news from social media, sending a mass of people to yeshivos instead of working, sending girls to schools, relying on tzedokah or even non-Jewish welfare, making 100 shuls abd shtibles with different minhagim in the same place, following minhagim from schools instead of parents, switching to “nusach sefard”. Hope I did not miss anyone :).
I am not arguing that these changes have no reason behind them, just that we do change things, so using the “tradition” argument is not that easy.