Sequined Cap

This the sequined covered cap, came as part of the same hat haul as the previous post.

This was the leisure cap of some flamboyant magician I'm sure.

Now, what's the difference between this what I call a Smoking cap (Leisure cap) and a Kufi hat, both are colourful pillbox hats of a similar size and shape.

Smoking caps are European, the colour comes from the decoration, embroidery, sequins, tassels applied usually to a rich velvety fabric. 

Kufi caps are African, the colour comes from the highly patterned base fabric rather than a plain decorated base fabric 

and that's the difference in its most basic form, although there are many exceptions to the rule and ones that could fall into both categories

Greeky Fez

This hat reminds me of one worn by Greek soldier in full dress uniform, look up Evzones and you will see what I mean.

The hat is halfway between a fez and a smoking cap, with a very long tassel.

This is a theatrical hat, one made for use in a theatre production I don't know what production, only it was sold as such on e-bay.

Made of soft red felt, I would put it the head of small Greek curiosity shop owner.

Merchant Cap

This is what I call a medieval pill box shaped merchant cap.

Many hats or caps don't have special individual names, so they are more often than not listed by the particular shape they are similar to such as pill box, skull, acorn shape no matter what style or period they are from which is fine but some need a bit more description.

 This cap was made to mimic a common medieval hat, normally of felt.

Now I like things in categories and what I can say about this hat is while similar in looks its not a smoking or leisure cap, they don't have turned up bands and are generally decorated with embroidery, sequins and tassels, so not a smoking cap. 

This hat falls into my category merchant cap, which is any hat that does not have its own type name and looks too good to be a peasant hat but not overdecorated enough to be a noble hat.

So you get medieval pill box shaped merchant cap.

Smokey Green

Another smoking or leisure cap, this time in green and orange to match the coat and shirt, or did I buy the coat and shirt to match the hat.

This one is complete with the essential tassel. 

Alternate name I have seen recently for this hat is a Thinking Cap, this was on one vendors web site and can find no other places this style of hat is associated with the name thinking cap. 

In word definitions its says 1st know use of thinking cap was 1847 but reflecting on this I can't think why you need to know that.

This hat came from barefoot leather although is not leather.

I don't Smoke so this is a Leisure Cap

The smoking cap is a hat designed to be worn indoors, whilst not Victorian in origin that is the period I mostly associate with them.

Smoking Cap is pill box hat that is usually worn with a smoking jacket which is thick short velvet or silk jacket.

They were worn by high class gentlemen while drinking port or brandy and smoking Turkish cigarettes & cigars home, both the cap and jacket where worn to stop normal cloths and hair smelling of smoke, they also keep the head warm.

The decorated smoking caps as I'm wearing here is a result Victorian men's sweethearts using their leisure hours to stitch and embroider these caps whilst they were fighting in Crimean war.

Smoking caps became high fashion after dinner wear in the Victorian period, today they are making come back with men and women, however someone has suggested they should now be called the more politically correct 'Leisure Cap'.

Colourful Hat

This pill box shaped soft hat is what you might call a smoking cap.

A very simple ring of fabric with a fabric lid, this one is not decorated, covered in sequins, buttons, embroidered or tasselled but does have colourful panels. 

A very comfortable hat mainly for indoor use as it offer a bit of warmth to a balding head like mine.

Makes a excellent hat for a north African/Arabic trader character

In parts of Africa this would be called a kufi, kofi hat.