Saturday 27 June 2015

Bicorne Hat

This bicorne is a stiff felt hat, unlike the bicorne in my earlier post it won't fold flat, its also can only be worn fore and aft.


What I call hard hats might be better called stiff felt hats, they are hats made of felt where the felt is soak in water then steamed and then pressed in a mould and or rolled into shape. Once formed the hat stays to its formed shape and becomes quite rigid. Top Hats, Bowler Hats are usually made this way.


Purchased from a medieval market, this style is much flattened compared to some.






Wednesday 24 June 2015

Fezzes Arn't Just for Comedy

The Fez is either truncated cone or short cylinder sometimes with a tassel on top and made of red felt.

One of the worlds top ten hats, worn by Tommy Cooper, Dr Who, Madness, Laurel and Hardy, wind up or evil monkeys and people from Cyprus.

Heavily associated with people from north Africa and other countries around the Mediterranean like Morocco, Turkey and Greece. 


They were worn back at least as far as the 15th Century and even adapted as part of the German army uniform. Some military fez's even had different coloured detachable tassels to signify rank or unit.


I've have had this fez so long I can't remember were I got it.

A hat for casual use and fez-tive occasions.


Monday 22 June 2015

Hat Art

I thought I would include a couple of drawings of Richard in a Hat, since my hat collection seems to have inspired a card.


Above me including orange beard wearing a yellow hat and surrounded by various other hats including one that looks like a crown.

Below a stack of hats, the top one is very tall top hat.


Produced by a talented 5 year old girl.


Sunday 21 June 2015

Peaked cap

A peaked cap as used by many military organisations and the odd civilian services such as the police, post office.

This one is clearly RAF at least that what the hat badge would indicate, a quick search says its airman's no.1 SD hat badge whatever that means.



The visor or peak is made in this case of plastic, but originally the peaks would be polished leather.


Peaked cap also known as Forage Caps, Barrack Covers or Combination Cap.

Thursday 18 June 2015

The Turban

Turbans or what is a length of cloth wound around the head.

Simple they are not, there are multiple ways of tying them, different lengths of fabric, patterns, colours etc. creating a big variety of looks.


My way of tying a turban was taught by visitor from North Africa but they are traditional headgear all the way through Arabic lands across to India and Indonesia as well as North and other parts Africa some like the Sikhs wear them for religious reason and they all do a far better job than me who just wear them very occasionally to represent some fantasy culture in larp.

Other names for turban I have seen pagri, blangkon, saraki, jamandani, keffiyeh, kufiya, ghutrah, shemagh, ḥaṭṭah, mashadah, sudra, chafiye. cemedanî. 


I have 2 lengths of fabric I keep for specifically for turbans, both about 3 meters long and just under a meter wide you can get away with shorter but you start to loose shape and struggle to tie them, most fabric for turbans is even longer.

Monday 15 June 2015

The Cork Hat

This tourist only gift hat was brought back from Australia by my globe trotting mother about 10 years ago.

A basic bucket hat with corks dangling from the rim in theory to keep away blow flies from Australians as they travelled through the Outback, I'm sure it works to some extent.



The Cork Hat has been relegated to a novelty item.


The original cork hats had the corks dangling from a slouch hat or bush hat which is proper stiff brimmed felt hat.

Friday 12 June 2015

Some Hats Lower Your IQ

Some Hats Lower Your IQ and this hat made of hessian is one that does that.


A theatre prop picked up from Chows Emporium 
Its basically a cone hessian, with bit of hessian decoration dyed green.


Theatrical Hat = Hats made for use in plays and shows, 
often more dramatic or bigger than the real thing.

Tuesday 9 June 2015

The Artist

This hat made of lightweight fabric is made of the same design as chef 'tall boy' hat but the pattern on the fabric said to me, artist.

This hat has a head sized band to which the larger bonnet piece of fabric is pleated and attached. 


This hat was a very welcome and unexpected gift 


Cloth hats = Hats made from cloth/fabric.

Sunday 7 June 2015

Chapeau-bras

Chapeau-bras is usually a bicorne but one that will collapse flat.

They were worn as part of 18th Century ceremonial, diplomatic, or naval dress, currently thinking of Admiral Nelson and Napolean Bonaparte.

It basic starting point is a wide brimmed hat with two opposing parts of the brim tied together.

This bicorne (bicorn works as a spelling as well) is at the cheap end of the spectrum, they get much more elaborate with feathers, emblems and gold and silver lace trim, often referred to as cocked hat once they get plumage or fancier. 

This was purchased at the Tewkesbury Medieval Battle Fair in 2013 according to the photo below

I also have none collapsing bicorne which I wear more often.






I have found a photo of someone else wearing it points front to back (fore and aft) in the photo below rather than side to side (athwart or port to starboard) as in photos of me above.


Thursday 4 June 2015

Stocking Cap

This is what I call a sock hat although its not made of socks, perhaps its made like socks, better known as knitted bobble hat or stocking cap.

On the day of purchase complete with label still attached, a friend took photos so I could see if I liked it before I handed over the cash.



In my opinion all good pirates crew need a sock hat and this was purchased with that idea in mind as in the photo below.