Nefertiti Hat

This home made hat is based on the Nefertiti hat/crown

Nefertiti was a Queen of Egypt from 1370 BC to 1330 BC

This hat was made as a lrp prop and not historically accurate in any shape or form, plus its made of cardboard and felt.

To make this hat I made a basic paper pattern by trial and error and then transferred it to some thicker card.

Lots of glue and staples later I got the basic shape.

Which I then covered in felt and gold leather look fabric.

before finally glueing on some gem cake decorations.

Below in use 

Medieval Felt Hat

This tall hat, now looking a bit crushed was used roughly between 1320 and 1590, although apparently not worn in the early Tudor period, it did reappeared during the Elizabethan. 

This is felt hat made by shaping felt with hot water or steam.

Buddhist Ceremonial Hat

This is a Buddhist Lama Monk Ceremonial Hat which is worn by Lama or Monks during Buddhist ceremonies or other ritual celebration.

 It is made from brocade material over board. Its inner surface has got cotton lining.

You can see images of Dalai Lama wearing a very similar hat.

In this image the top is pointing forward but works equally well pointing backwards

Novelty Witches

Novelty Witches Hat probably for a Halloween costume

Made of velvet its works in a way, but does not mirror any reality.

The original owner of the hat donated it after wearing once for lrp event where she played the part of witch, see photos below.

The witches hat itself while not historical true does have its roots in history of the period witches were burnt in England. 

One theory I read is the pointed hat represents a church steeple so witches where made to wear them in last ditch effort to redeem them in the eyes of god. 

Another the hats shape is to do with mummified witches from China which were found wearing felt cones on their head.

More likely its a follow on from the wizard hat which was to do with demonising of the Jews in the medieval period.

One thing is sure most of the look is pure Hollywood from films like the Wizard of Oz. 

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.

Putting on My Top Hat

This is typical average height black wool top hat is about the most common top hat you will find.

 On this hat the brim is turned up and the crown while still the top cylinder tapers out towards the top.

Top hat can be taller or lower than this, the cylindrical crown can taper in, be straight or in the case of mad hatter style top hats taper out even more, the brim can be flat or turned up, all these are variations are top hats, some have sub type names others are just a tall top hat or low height top hat.

The black felt top hat like this one has been around since about 1900 for funeral services and still in use today.

I consider a average height top hat to be between 12 and 13 cm high.

Witchfinder Hat

So called witch finder hats are wide brimmed, with a tall flat topped tapered crown and with a large single buckle around the base of crown at the front.

The hat gets its name from the witch finder general Mathew Hopkins who hanged over 100 people accused of Witchcraft and can be seen wearing a hat of this shape in contemporary imagery.

Historically this shape of hat is a 17th Century hat style worn during the English Civil War and would have been made of felt.

The stiff dark leather witchfinder's hats you will find nowadays come from modern imagery and films.

The proportions have all been exaggerated in the hat I'm wearing. 

This is very heavy hat, but not uncomfortable to wear, you just have to remember your a bit taller and duck or you will lose the hat to low hanging branches or beams

Theatre Turban Hat

This headdress is from a theatre production and built crudely around a cardboard fez.

Trying to mimic a Asian turban, in a way that is quick to put on, it doesn't do real turbans any justice but ideal to convey a quick costume theme.

I would like to say its over the top, but just type in images of mysori turbans to see great real turbans or rajasthani turbans if you want big and colourful.

Another find at Chows Emporium. 

I started this blog when I was much heavier and really noticed the difference in the older photos to now.

Gandalf the Green

A wizards hat made of green felt 

Tall pointed hats of this style seem to have come about in European folklore, where they were worn by witches, wizards and dwarfs. 

I've read (although evidence is thin) that this style came to be associated with witches via the demonizing of Jews that wore tall pointed hats in 14th-16th centuries 

Another idea is the hat is symbol of a cone of power, the circle and its a thus a associated with magic, somehow to me this seems just as unlikely.

What I can say is the hat became associated witches hats in images created in the Victorian era and from there its not a great leap to also associate them with wizards.

I think mainly of Gandalf when I see this hat, probably popular images and artwork associated with Tolkiens work. 

Purchase from Leonarbo Carbone trading at Tewkesbury.

Medieval Felt Hat

This tall acorn style felt hat is of excellent quality purchased from a Medieval market in the UK and made in Poland.

A good hat to sleep in it would seem.

Its since become the hat of Merlin and where he stores his cakes. 

Yes I do keep cakes in the hat