A Sombrero

A Sombrero, mexican hat, basically a very wide brimmed hat with a crown and upturned edge popular in Mexico used as a shield from the sun, these hats are wide enough to cast shadows over neck and shoulders.

This Sombrero however is possibly the worst hat I own, its made of compressed cardboard and is pure tourist tat, I'm sure if I ever got wet it would turn into paper mache. 

Well one day I'm sure I will get a better quality Sombrero but for now this is all I have.

They were also worn by cowboys and in many other Spanish speaking countries

Bucket Hat

A couple of laces make thus old bucket hat really useful in the wind.

Bucket hats probably started has practical fishemens hat in some oiled fabric, but were adopted has fashion hats in the 1960's.

Also known as session hat, fisherman's hat, or Irish country hat.

Photo above by Tom Garnett from Dark Colony Event

I've had this hat for a least 27 years as went with me to Thailand 1989 as can be seen in the photos below

My taste in clothing has got a little duller since this photo below with the very sun burnt legs to match the shorts.

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.

Historic Past

This helmet is one I no longer own, a visored bascinet made back in the early days of when I took part 15th Century medieval re-enactment.

These photos were taken in June 1987

This helmet was excellent to fight in, providing good protection and freedom of head movement, some of that down to the fact it was not a accurate reproduction. 

the quality and historical accuracy of this helmet would not get past most re-inactment groups standards today.

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.

Julie Made This

This hat was crocheted as a Christmas gift by a good friend.

You can read her blog about here

On her blog it looks decidedly more pointy but it was fresh of the hooks when those photos where taken.

In the photo I'm also wearing a cowl Julie made, which get worn quite often during the winter weather, cowls work for me like a scarf you won't loose to keep your neck warm.

Un Béret

The Beret is a hat I could associate with the French, but that is only a small part of its many roles, this is a hat with many strong associations which I've pointed out below

I started with the French but if you go back to its origins it can be equally be Spanish or Scottish were they are called Scottish Bonnets, notable the Tam-o-shanter.

The hat I'm wearing is one I associate with the French with little pip of fabric in the centre.

The Beret is a round flat, soft hat were the fabric overhangs the headband on all sides equally. 

Berets can be handwoven, made of lightweight wool felt, crocheted, knitted or modern fibres.

The Beret as far as I can tell started with Basque shepherds in the 17th Century and was then mass produced by the French and Spanish in 19th Century.

They are used as military hats, the Blue Berets of Scotland in the 17th Century, The blue berets of French forces in 18th Century, American Special forces called Green Berets, the red berets of the British Parachute regiment and many other military groups.

They are also the hat of revolutionaries, most notably the image of Cha Guevara, The black berets of the black power movement in the United States, The black Berets of the IRA, and one I knew nothing about the brown berets of the Chicano Movement which wants parts of the United States returned to Mexico, and many more.