Topper

This photo of me was taken at Whitby where I spent the evening wondering about in a steampunk goth festival held there every year.

Top hats first appeared at the end of the 18th century and were very much an upper class status symbol or funeral hat worn by men, the best ones are silk rather than felt.

This hat is slightly battered ex-wedding top hat, the sort you pick up from a car boot for under five pounds.

This hat is 1/4" too big for me, but not complaining, cost next to nothing and does not fall over the ears, just uncomfortable to wear for long periods.

More about top varieties in a later posts

Union Army Cap

Union Soldiers Kepi, also called a McClellan Cap according to the Wikipedia

This hat has a square leather peak and sunken round top.

This hat was a present brought back by my Mum from the gift shop in the Abraham Lincoln Museum, when she visited Illinois in America a few weeks ago. 

The hats is not a bad quality reproduction apart from the plastic badge on the front. 

Colourful Hat

This pill box shaped soft hat is what you might call a smoking cap.

A very simple ring of fabric with a fabric lid, this one is not decorated, covered in sequins, buttons, embroidered or tasselled but does have colourful panels. 

A very comfortable hat mainly for indoor use as it offer a bit of warmth to a balding head like mine.

Makes a excellent hat for a north African/Arabic trader character

In parts of Africa this would be called a kufi, kofi hat.

Bowler or Derby

I was recently informed my Bowler hat was in fact a Derby, now I always believed Bowler, Derby and its many other names Coke Hat, Boxer, Billy Cock, were all names for the same thing and for all useful purpose bar riding they still are.

The Bowler was first made and designed in 1850 by William Bowler for Sir William Coke for head protection when riding. The Derby got its name when the 12th Earl of Derby visited the United States in a hat of this style in 1880 and created a fashion there, so could be classed as the America name for Bowler.

Anyway if your looking for a difference a Bowler is hard and rigid, while the dome of the Derby Hat can be bent easily with the fingers, both are the same shape. 

This hat is therefore a derby bowler.

All fashionable goblins (above) wear bowler hats as do steampunk man servants (below)

Woollen Hood

 A Woollen Hood with a cotton lining

This hood has character its been patched in several places, including where it caught fire while I was wearing it from a pyrotechnic I got too close to, luckily for me wool does not burn as quickly as some modern fibres.

Photo below a minor warrior from a lrp event.

This hood is old, I first wore it during 1980's when I started doing re-enactment in it various forms.

I'm wearing it on the front row of the photo below from around 1990 I'm the one in blue and yellow with a pole axe. This was during a period when I did theatrical re-enactment at Warwick Castle and various other places.

Steam Punk Explorer

This Pith Helmet was purchased new from a re-enactment market, and is ideal for any explorer character. 

I have photographed this one with me as steam punk type adventurer complete with my steam punked rifle.

Pith Helmets are designed for humid climates, they are light weight and practical.

They include ventilation in crown via simple holes

The top button is also designed to allow ventilation as can been seen from the photo above and photo below taken from inside the helmet showing where the button bolts on to the helmet.

Another feature is the chin strap which most of time forms a decorative feature on the brim, but when windy can be brought down and fasten under the chin.

The hat is covered with cotton and includes a adjustable lining which forms a sweat band. 

I Got a Hankering for Some Moonshine

Does this hat belong to a back woods cannibal from the deep south of US with shotgun in back of their pick-up truck parked outside a trailer home or do I watch too much american TV and cannibals are not real :)

 A typical hunters cap made of a fleecy material, this one in camouflage pattern. Similar baseball cap in design this hat has a extra section the back of the head offering bit more warmth, but no ear flaps.

A army surplus store purchase.

The Incredible Wang

This woven bamboo/straw hat is from the family of oriental rice paddy or coolie hats, although as can be seen its not the typical conical style.

I've so far found it hard to obtain much information on these styles of hats so can't tell you much more, other than it provides good shade and having a chin strap is essential even in a slight breeze.

The is hat gets used by The Incredible Wang, master of Chi and full of wise words, he also makes good noodle soup.

I bought this hat from a Larp fair trader who does not seem to exist any more, at least the website link I have doesn't work and not seen them trading for a few years perhaps re-branded.