Biretta

The Biretta is a hat that moves from the circular hat band into a 4 cornered squarish shape.

The corners are called horns, they may have 3 or 4 horns and the horns can be small like this or quite large and flamboyant.

The hats are worn by priests in the Catholic and Anglican church and also as academics hats in universities, usually denoting someone with a doctorate.

When worn by Bishops or denote ranks the hats can also get extra adornments such as pompoms.

Biretta is also optional head wear for female barristers in England and Wales.

The history of Biretta stretches back at least as far as the 10th Century.

Homburg

The Homburg hat is the hat famously worn by Winston Churchill and popular with Gangsters.

The homburg is a formal hat that started to become worn from around 1890 when people like King Edward VII wore one.

Dwight Eisenhower and Anthony Eden also famously wore the Homburg as did Al Pachino in Gangster films which resulted in gaining the nickname the Godfather

The hat is identified by a single dent running down the centre of the crown, called a gutter crown, a darker coloured band around the bottom of the crown and stiff curled up brim. 

It is a wool felt hat that usually comes in dark colour, grey is the most popular  

The hat gets its name from Bad Homburg a district in Germany where Edward VII brought the hat back to Britain from. 

I don't own a cigar, so went for the pipe for my photos.

Musketeers Hat

This theatrical hat is designed to look like a Cavaliers or Musketeers hat from the 17th Century.

Cavaliers hats get their name from supporters of Kings Charles I during the English Civil War whereas Musketeers Hats get there name from the personal musket wielding bodyguard of King Louise XIII. Both were known for wearing extravagant clothing including hats like this one but decorated with ostrich feathers. 

This wide-brimmed style of hat usually was cocked up on one side or both, one side of the brim was often pinned totally up.

The theatrical hat here is made of sponge covered material, with a wire frame and covered in velvety fabric with a bit of trim. 

Nothing like the real thing which should be made of felt

This hat cost me about 1 pound as part of a batch of hats.

I will get a nice authentic Cavaliers hat one day.

Alas tis but a Hat

This hat is part of a batch of theatrical hats I got from eBay

Made to look like a medieval chaperon, the hat is nicely flamboyant and also easy to wear.

Wee Willie Winky

This nightcap is made of stretchy jersey material as part of a job lot of 8 nightcaps found by mate DaveP.

In many illustrations for the nursery rhyme Wee Willie Winky he is seen wearing a Nightcap.

Wee Willie Winkie rins through the toon, 

Up stairs an' doon stairs in his nicht-gown, 

Tirlin' at the window, crying at the lock, 

"Are the weans in their bed, for it's now ten o'clock?"

"Hey, Willie Winkie, are ye comin' ben? 

The cat's singin grey thrums to the sleepin hen, 

The dog's speldert on the floor and disna gie a cheep, 

But here's a waukrife laddie, that wunna fa' asleep." 

Onything but sleep, you rogue, glow'ring like the moon, 

Rattlin' in an airn jug wi' an airn spoon, 

Rumblin', tumblin' roon about, crawin' like a cock, 

Skirlin like a kenna-what, waukenin' sleepin' fock.

"Hey Willie Winkie, the wean's in a creel, 

Wamblin' aff a bodie's knee like a verra eel, 

Ruggin' at the cat's lug and raveling a' her thrums- 

Hey Willie Winkie – see there he comes." 

Wearit is the mither that has a stoorie wean, 

A wee, stumpie, stousie, that canna rin his lane, 

That has a battle aye wi' sleep afore he'll close an e'e- 

But a kiss frae aff his rosy lips gies strength anew to me

The poem was written by William Miller in around 1840

National Hat Day 2019

Docker Cap

A docker cap is a mix of a beanie hat and skull cap, with perhaps a bit of baseball cap thrown in. 

Docker caps got their name from the dockers in the early part of the 20th century that wore them. Later they were adopted by sailors and other manual workers such as builders.
Now they are considered more of a bohemian headgear.

They are a soft hat that fits the shape of the head, they should not come lower than the ears, they don't have a brim or peak but do have a turned up edge around the circumference of the crown.

They are usually made of 6 to 8 panels of fabric such as wool, cotton or leather, but they can also be knitted, the panel ones also tend to have the same button on the crown like a baseball cap.

This one also has an adjustable band like a baseball cap.

Umbrella Hat

Umbrella Hat

 In theory, this is a great idea i.e. a hat that collapses and so you can stuff it in your pocket. 

However, keeping your head dry is much better served with a normal hat or even the hood of a rain mac which can scrunch down to much smaller units. 

 This is a novelty hat only.

The hat as shown collapses umbrella style, but in lieu central pole has several braces which fit into an elasticated band which grips to your head in a very uncomfortable way, that probably would not keep your hat in place in a gust of wind. 

I can see myself chasing this hat across a beach if there is a breeze.

 On the plus side the wide brim does provide extra sunshade and a little shoulder protection from the rain, so might be of some use, but unless I want a laugh I will pack a bucket hat for emergency use.