Mob Hat

 A Mob hat or cap was worn by Georgian women of any status. 

Its also called a Mop cap which is probably due to a subtle change its use from a frilly bonnet to a hat used by victorian maids who mopped the floor.

This style of hat is mainly associated today with Victorian maids and would normally be white.

Basically, a round cloth gathered with a ribbon or string to give a ruffle brim and covering.

Designed to keep the hair under control, modern plastic and net variants are used in clean environments such as food factories for the same reason.

These caps or a version of them were worn by men at least in the early 18th century but were predominantly women headwear.

Red & brown nightcaps

I've already posted photos of one of this set of 8 nightcaps, the 2 in the photos below are the other jersey fabric's used in the set

Part of Ebenezer Scrooges wardrobe. 

Used to keep you head warm in the British Isle and other colder regions of Europe before central heating.

The long train of fabric forming the crown was used to wrap around the neck and act as a scarf.

Wee Willie Winky

This nightcap is made of stretchy jersey material as part of a job lot of 8 nightcaps found by mate DaveP.

In many illustrations for the nursery rhyme Wee Willie Winky he is seen wearing a Nightcap.

Wee Willie Winkie rins through the toon, 

Up stairs an' doon stairs in his nicht-gown, 

Tirlin' at the window, crying at the lock, 

"Are the weans in their bed, for it's now ten o'clock?"

"Hey, Willie Winkie, are ye comin' ben? 

The cat's singin grey thrums to the sleepin hen, 

The dog's speldert on the floor and disna gie a cheep, 

But here's a waukrife laddie, that wunna fa' asleep." 

Onything but sleep, you rogue, glow'ring like the moon, 

Rattlin' in an airn jug wi' an airn spoon, 

Rumblin', tumblin' roon about, crawin' like a cock, 

Skirlin like a kenna-what, waukenin' sleepin' fock.

"Hey Willie Winkie, the wean's in a creel, 

Wamblin' aff a bodie's knee like a verra eel, 

Ruggin' at the cat's lug and raveling a' her thrums- 

Hey Willie Winkie – see there he comes." 

Wearit is the mither that has a stoorie wean, 

A wee, stumpie, stousie, that canna rin his lane, 

That has a battle aye wi' sleep afore he'll close an e'e- 

But a kiss frae aff his rosy lips gies strength anew to me

The poem was written by William Miller in around 1840

Bad Scholars Hat

Dunce's hat

The dunce's hat was given to children in Victorian schools as a punishment to pupils who were disruptive, clowned around and did not want to learn.

The hat was traditionally a tall white cardboard cone and painted with a big D or the word dunce.

As well as wearing the hat the children were made to stand in a corner and left to be mocked by their fellow pupils.

I'm not sure this tactic or punishment actually worked as I suspect the children made to wear the cap did not care, were made class heroes, but even more likely they probably had some actual real learning difficulty which the Victorian teachers had no way of understanding or were trained to deal with.

Reviewing the Situation

This crumpled top hat makes a perfect hat for a late Victorian tramp.

or a Fagin like villain.

This well-battered grey top hat look takes time or skill to produce, or just luck but is perfect for theatre or larp.

Anyway, I now need to pick a pocket or two.

Czapka

This helmet called a Czapka is in style used typically by 19th C Royal Russian, German and the Polish Uhlan Cavalry Regiments.

Made of pressed leather.

The Czapka origins lie in the very late 18th Century when a square-topped (4 pointed) Shako was used by Austrians infantry. 

Czapka is Belorussian words translate to English simply as a cap.

The helmet in the shape shown here was adapted by various cavalry regiments after the Napoleonic wars, mainly those of Poland, Russian, Prussia, Germany and Austria. Although the British and French did have a version for some of their cavalry regiments without the square top.

The helmet continued to be used by Cavalry regiments right up to first few weeks of world war one, before becoming a helm just used for parade grounds only.

This is a theatrical quality copy, not reenactment copy.

Shako

This leather shako is part of our crew kit

I have no idea if its a reproduction of genuine helmet or just something made for the theatre.

It's solidly made with a steel badge so could be a re-enactment helm, but the elastic headband and overall finish make me believe it is from a theatre production, where close up inspection does not occur.

2 years ago above

below is today after losing 5 stone

General Plumage

This Shako hat is another theatrical hat

A Shako is a tall cylindrical military hat with a visor, the cylinder can be parallel or tapered in or out at the top.  

They are usually decorated with plumes and a plate or badge on the front of the cylinder.

The Shako was popular in the 19th Century, initially, it was a practical improvement on the military hats of the time offering a little bit of protection, but by the end of the Napoleonic wars, it became a showy parade ground hat.

In the UK a stovepipe version of the hat was first worn by military units from around 1799 but by the mid 1820's it's importance to show off the unit took over from its practicality, attempts were made in the mid-century to return it to practical use, but by 1870 it was no longer considered for actual battlefield use at all and in the UK by 1905 it was no longer worn by units for any use.

Some countries continue to use Shako for their showy military parades even today.

This hat comes from a theatrical production and is not a reproduction of an actual Shako worn by soldiers.

Tall Top Hat

This tall top hat gives you extra presence.

This is near enough for me a stove pipe style top hat, perhaps to be a perfect stove pipe it needs the side of cylindrical crown more parallel and the brim flatter, but height wise its got the credentials.

Just look at images of Isambard Kingdom Brunel or Abraham Lincoln to see the difference.

Stove Pipe a sub category of top hat, also know as chimney pot hat, a very Victorian hat. 

 Like all good Victorians I need to check my steampunk containment device is still containing the fresh air that was put in it and the clock is set half past 1833.