Wednesday, 22 March 2017

Pork Pie

Modern Pork Pie hats are defined by their crown which resembles the top a pork pie. 

I call this a modern Pie hat since other styles in history have also used this name.


I associate this hat with Gene Hackman in the French Connection.


Modern pork pie hats can be made from felt, straw, tweed, leather or like this one a stiff hessian like material. They always have similar proportions to the one I'm wearing, i.e. a small brim which can be flat or curled and upright crown, with the pork pie top.


Wednesday, 15 March 2017

Smart Trilby

This smart grey trilby I purchased in a hat shop in Whitby.


What is the difference between a fedora & trilby, its dam confused out there even the experts contradict each other. 

From what I can see its basically comes down to the size of the brim, big brim (3" or more ) Fedora, small brim  (less than 3") Trilby, although you will find many hats that cross the 3" border both ways.






















This hat has a gutter down the crown, a pinched front and kettle curl around the brim




Wednesday, 8 March 2017

Renaissance Hat


This hat is sometimes called a Muffin hat or cap, its of the same family as a modern chef hats, a popular lower class Renaissance period hat (15th to 17th Century Europe)


Made from basic usually lightweight fabric with no natural stiffness, with a access fabric sewn to 20 to 50cm wide headband that fits tightly around the head.

A very simple and easy to produce hat, the headband can sometimes be decorated.

This hat has no stiffened brim unlike renaissance flat caps or cow pat hats


I grabbed this off my friend Dave just as he was about to trade it, the hat did not make it to the bring and buy. 



Wednesday, 1 March 2017

South American General

This hat made me think of some South American Military General, but it is probably nothing of the sort


Its some form of military field cap but from what army I can't say as it was found at second hand market


I've scrolled through hundreds of images of hats trying to pin it down, but when you don't know one military from another finding the correct place to look is hard.


The badge is red white red horizontal stripe which I thought might make it Austrian, but that does not appear to be the case.


The buttons at the front should undo to provide a way holding the cap on in windy weather, but in this case they seem to have a purely decorative function.


Saturday, 25 February 2017

Well this happened

This theatre hat is more Arabian Princes than Prince


But you can just about get with it. 


A basic cardboard cylinder covered in fabric and then plastic decorations, it sets a scene well and could be made at home by anyone.


Monday, 20 February 2017

Pointy Bamboo Hat

This conical bamboo hat has a nice pointy shape.


Bamboo hats of this style are designed to protect the head and face of farm workers from the sun and rain.


Other English names for the conical hat include sedge hat, rice hat, paddy hat, bamboo hat, Raiden hat and sometimes coolie hat. 


But in Malay they are called the Terendak, In China Douli which translate to Bamboo Hat, in Japan Sugegasa, the Do'un in Cambodian and there are many more regional names



Wednesday, 15 February 2017

Ballistic Helmet

Whilst this helmet was sourced from a army surplus store its not really a military helmet as far as I known, its some for reproduction tactical helmet probably used for airsoft or paintball or similar


Its does offer some protection though its not marked as being to any particular standard




Monday, 6 February 2017

Underwear for the Head

The Linen Coif is cap that was worn in the medieval period, simple piece of linen formed from a couple panels of fabric tied around the head.

About as basic a cap as you can get.



I also like to think of it as head underwear since it also protects a more expensive hat from coming into contact with your greasy, filthy, flea infested, medieval hair.


Coifs come in many forms, padded for wearing under helmets, chainmail coifs are a form of armour and coifs also became garment worn after the medieval period by nuns.