Monday, 9 July 2018

A Hat for Scholar

This is sort of brimless cloth hat is a bit odd, it could have been worn in any period from the 13th to 19th century, although I've grouped it in the so-called renaissance, 16th C period


The hat is made like a muffin cap with an abundance of material fixed to a smaller headband, this one is made so the headband becomes hidden when worn.



The fabric green in colour is slightly eccentric style make this something that could be worn by a medieval scholar or a poet


Found for £2 in the bargain bin at a lrp fair


Saturday, 30 June 2018

Ushanka

Ushanka comes from a Russian word meaning ears.

This fur-lined cap comes with fold-down ear flaps that can be tied up to the crown of the cap, or fastened under the chin to protect the ears lower face from the cold. 


The Ushanka cap or hat is winter wear worn any from the USA to Russia but is very popular with Soviet naval officers

Traditionally made from rabbit or sheepskin and used in all sorts of extreme cold climates





This could also be called a trapper hat, but a trapper hat is not necessarily fur lined or designed for extreme cold.


This hat is a tourist variety with cheap soviet style badge and artificial fur but is still a practical hat that not just novelty wear.


Friday, 22 June 2018

Hat Haul


"You won with a £31.98 bid" is not always good thing until you get the items however when you manage to get a job lot of hats eBay for a reasonable price you hope to get at least a few that make the bid worth it.


This bunch of 20 odd hats worked out to about £ 1.50 each


However out the selection, only 12 were worth keeping and only 9 would I have bought separately, even so, that still about £ 3.50 each which is still a bargain and of those at least 2 of which I would have paid £10 plus to buy individually.

Of the bad are these Mikey mouse ears and heart-shaped deely boppers


Along with the eye patch and foil wrapped cardboard Egyptian style circlet, these were all part of the giveaways



In the good pile several woolen, felt and cloth caps that were well made and well worth it.



Then we have those that fall between, the female headdress below was children's size so given away.


The Red Indian style headband is a bit rubbish but I ended up keeping it


Overall in the good box, I got an excellent felt fez, 3 muffin caps, 2 pillbox/smoking caps, a musketeers hat, another fabric fez and a skull cap, plus in the ok pile a jester hat, the red Indian headband above and sequined bandanna 


Sunday, 17 June 2018

Time for a Pow Wow

A pow wow or powwow is a gathering of  Native Americans were they dance, sing, socialize, basically a party. in most western films they are also often portrayed as a political meeting between warring tribes or cowboys.


Headdress or war bonnets like this would be essential at any powwow as you need to look your best.


The Warbonnet is the chosen ceremonial headgear of the Plains Indian of North America, they were also worn into battle.


They are quite light and comfortable to wear they serve no practical purpose at all other than to announce your presence, which they do very well.


War bonnets are made around a buckskin skull cap and designed so the feather flare out around the head. 


The skull cap can also be decorated with beads.

Dyed horse hair mostly holds it all together and creatively provides additional decoration


Some war bonnets also included horns from buffalo.