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Glossary: Hats

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aqal  (hats)
A rolled band of decorative material used to secure the traditional Arab head-dress.
Source: Classic Millinery Techniques

bandeau  (hats)
Decorative head band, popular during the 1920's.

bandeau  (hats)
Small leaf or drop shape head-dress for women, to accompany elegant attire.
Source: CMC

baseball cap  (hats)
Cloth cap with wide brim at the front. Originally a 5-panel cap, worn by baseball players with the team monogram on the front panel.
Source: CMC

basher  (hats)
A straw hat.

beaver hat  (hats)
Hat made of beaver fur felt.
Source: HBC

Ben Hogan  (hats)
English driving cap.

beret  (hats)
Cap of felt, felted jersey or fabric with soft, wide, circular crown. With or without a headband.

bicorne  (hats)
Men's hat of the late 18th and early 19th century: wide brims were folded up to form two points. Signature hat of Napoleon.
Source: CMC

bird cage  (hats)
A small hat with stiffened veiling surrounding the wearer's face.
Source: Classic Millinery Techniques

biretta  (hats)
Square cap worn by clergy.

boater  (hats)
Oval, flat-topped hat with rigid flat brim. Typically, made of straw braid. Also called a sailor or a skimmer.
Source: CMC

bonnet  (hats)
Women's or girl's head-dress, with deep brim and ribbons to tie under the chin.

bonnet  (hats)
Men's or boy's brimless head-dress.

bonnet rouge  (hats)
Red cap worn during the French Revolution as a symbol of liberty.

bowler  (hats)
Oval hat with round, rigid crown and modeled brim. Also known as a derby, because the style was made popular by the Earl of Derby in 19th century England.
Source: CMC

breton or bretonne  (hats)
Women's hat with ample round crown and brim turned-up all around.

bridal veil  (hats)
White or ivory veil worn during wedding ceremony.
Source: CMC

brim  (hats)
Projecting edge of a hat.

brush hat  (hats)
19th century term for felt hats with nap brushed up during planking.
Source: Pufpaff

bucket hat  (hats)
Fabric hat with a flat-topped, slightly conical crown and sloping brim.

bumper brim  (hats)
A tubular brim.
Source: Classic Millinery Techniques

calotte  (hats)
A close-fitting skull cap.
Source: Classic Millinery Techniques

Canadian Mounties stetson  (hats)
Official head-dress of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
Source: CMC

canotier  (hats)
Boater.

cap  (hats)
A hat without a brim, or a small brim at the front.

cartwheel  (hats)
A hat with a wide straight brim and a low crown, reminiscent of hats worn by peasants in southern France.
Source: Classic Millinery Techniques

cassimere hat  (hats)
Felt hats with a very smooth surface produced by pouncing.
Source: Pufpaff

caul  (hats)
Historical term for a close-fitting indoor head-dress, or the plain back part of the same.

cavalier hat  (hats)
A wide-brimmed, plumed hat worn by cavaliers in the 17th century: the right side of the brim was pinned up to the crown so that the wearer's sword arm could move freely above the shoulder.
Source: Classic Millinery Techniques

chapka  (hats)
Cap of fur with flaps that can be turned down to cover ears and neck or fastened to the side of the flat-topped crown.

chef's hat  (hats)
White, starched bonnet worn by chefs. The tall crown should have 100 pleats.
Source: CMC

cloche  (hats)
Women's hat with round crown and modeled brim. Current usage.

cloche  (hats)
Women's hat of the 1920's. Close-fitting round crown, with no brim or a small flare at the brim edge.
Source: CMC

coalman hat  (hats)
A short visor cap with a protective flap at the back, derived from a hat worn by English coal deliverers to protect their backs from dust.
Source: Classic Millinery Techniques

cocked hat  (hats)
Bicorne or tricorne.

cocktail hat  (hats)
A small, often frivolous, hat for women, usually worn forward on the head.

coif  (hats)
Close-fitting cap of white linen, tied with strings under the chin. Worn at times by both men and women, often under other head coverings, from the 12th to the 17th centuries.

coif  (hats)
Head-cover worn by nuns as part of their habit, often with long veils.
Source: CMC

coke  (hats)
Bowler.

conch hat  (hats)
A wide-brimmed palm straw hat of the Caribbean.
Source: Classic Millinery Techniques

coolie hat  (hats)
A conical straw hat, similar to the style worn by laborers in the Far East.
Source: Classic Millinery Techniques

coptain  (hats)
A hat with a high tapered crown and narrow straight brim, believed to have originated in Spain in the 16th century. Later worn by the Puritans, and still known by their name.
Source: The Hat Book

cordie  (hats)
19th century term for plain wool felt hats.
Source: Pufpaff

coronet  (hats)
Small crown worn by members of nobility as a symbol of rank.
Source: CMC

cover  (hats)
19th century term for cordies with applied cod-wool and fur nap on the crown, upper and under sides of the brim.
Source: Pufpaff

cowboy hat  (hats)
Hat with high crown and wide brim, originally worn by cow hands. Usually of felt or leather.
Source: CMC

crown  (hats)
Top part of a hat.

crown  (hats)
Head-dress usually of gold, worn as a symbol of sovereignty by monarchs.

crush hat  (hats)
Collapsible top hat.

deer stalker  (hats)
A hunting cap with visors at the front and back, and ear-flaps that can be tied up over the crown. Also known as a Sherlock Holmes hat.
Source: Classic Millinery Techniques

derby  (hats)
Bowler.

diadem  (hats)
Head-dress or head-band, worn as a symbol of sovereignty.

doll hat  (hats)
A very small hat in any style, usually worn forward on the head.

dorsay  (hats)
Word of French origin, referring to brim: sharp vertical fold all around the edge.

Easter bonnet  (hats)
Women's hat: a new spring style to be worn at Easter.
Source: CMC

English driving cap  (hats)
Low-profile cap, originally only for men, with small brim at the front. Crown may be tailored with side panels, or gored.

feather bonnet  (hats)
Military head-dress of Scottish regiments, made of ostrich plumes mounted on a wire frame.
Source: CMC

feather head-dress  (hats)
Ceremonial and symbolic head-cover worn by chiefs of North American Indian tribes.
Source: CMC

fedora  (hats)
Felt hat with a lengthwise crease in the crown, and a medium brim.

fez  (hats)
Conical, flat-topped cap (tarboosh) of red felt, once made only in the city of Fez, Marocco. Men's head-cover.

fillet  (hats)
Ribbon or narrow headband worn to confine hair.

five-point cap  (hats)
English driving cap.

forage cap  (hats)
Military cap with a small brim, also typical for police uniforms.
Source: CMC

Gainsborough  (hats)
A wide-brimmed, plumed hat with the brim turned up on one side. Named for the 19th century English painter who often portrayed this style in his works
Source: Classic Millinery Techniques

Garbo hat  (hats)
Slouch hat.

garland  (hats)
A wreath of flowers (artificial in millinery), worn as a decorative head-dress.

gatsby  (hats)
English driving cap.

gaucho hat  (hats)
A black felt hat with a wide flat brim and shallow flat-topped crown.

gibus  (hats)
Collapsible top hat.

glengarry  (hats)
A Scottish cap with pointed front, usually a pair of trailing ribbons at the back.
Source: CMC

gossamer hat  (hats)
Lightweight muslin hats sized with shellac, used as bodies for silk plush hats.
Source: Pufpaff

hat  (hats)
Item of dress worn on the head, from a word of Saxon origin meaning hood.

headache band  (hats)
A 1920's term for decorative head bands.

helmet  (hats)
Military head-dress.
Source: CMC

helmet  (hats)
Protective head-cover: for soldiers, aviators, motor-cyclists, miners, bee-keepers, fencers, etc.

hennin  (hats)
A high conical hat with a veil attached at the top, worn by women during the 15th century.
Source: Classic Millinery Techniques

hijab  (hats)
Head-cover worn by Islamic women, often accompanied by the niqab (face veil).
Source: CMC

homburg  (hats)
Men's felt hat with a soft lengthwise crease in the crown, and a narrow slightly rolled brim. Made popular in the 1890's by Edward prince of Wales (later Edward VII), who borrowed the idea from the hat of local militiamen in Bad Homburg, Germany.

Ivy cap  (hats)
English driving cap.

jockey cap  (hats)
Cloth cap with close-fitting 6-panel crown and wide brim at the front.

Juliet  (hats)
A small, brimless, round cap of wide mesh, usually decorated with jewels. The style dates back to the Renaissance.
Source: Classic Millinery Techniques

kepi  (hats)
Typical cap of the French Foreign Legion uniform. Flat-topped oval crown, with a brim at the front.
Source: Image

kippah  (hats)
Skull-cap worn by Jewish men. Also known as yarmulke.
Source: CMC

liberty cap  (hats)
Phrygian cap.

mitre  (hats)
Head-cover worn by bishops, characterized by two peaks.
Source: CMC

mortarboard  (hats)
Flat, square head-cover worn by professors and students for solemn academic occasions.
Source: CMC

mourning bonnet  (hats)
Black bonnet worn by widows during the 19th century.
Source: CMC

mushroom hat  (hats)
A hat with a mushroom-like, downward curved brim. Known as a Tiffany in Italy, from the hat worn by Audrey Hepburn in the film "Breakfast at Tiffany's".

nap  (hats)
19th century term for cordies with applied cod-wool or camel hair nap on the crown, upper and under sides of the brim.
Source: Pufpaff

newsboy  (hats)
Large, soft, 8-panel fabric cap with visor.

night cap  (hats)
Men's cap worn informally indoors from the 16th to the 19th century. The cap had a deep crown made of four segments, with the edge turned up to form a close brim.
Source: The Hat Book

niqab  (hats)
Face veil worn by Islamic women, together with the hijab (head-cover).
Source: CMC

pakul  (hats)
Felted wool cap from Afghanistan with a flat top and rolled brim.

panama hat  (hats)
Straw hat made with panama cloche.

pastorella  (hats)
Italian term meaning shepherdess, for women's hat with round crown and wide, drooping brim. Usually of straw.

peak  (hats)
Visor.

petasos  (hats)
Hat of ancient Greece, with a wide flat brim and conical crown.

Phrygian cap  (hats)
Conical cap with the top bent forward, named for an ancient people of Asia Minor. Worn as a symbol during the French Revolution, it is now also known as the cap of liberty.

picture hat  (hats)
A hat with a very wide brim, worn tilted to the side of the head.

pillbox  (hats)
A small brimless cap with a flat tip and cylindrical side.

pith helmet  (hats)
Helmet of cork or pith (dried spongy tissue from the sola plant), covered with cloth.

plated hats  (hats)
19th century term for wool hats with applied naps of finer furs.
Source: Pufpaff

plush hats  (hats)
Men's hat of plush, an imitation of napped beaver hats.
Source: CMC

poke bonnet  (hats)
19th century women's bonnet with a very deep brim and small crown.

poor-boy cap  (hats)
Large, soft, 6 or 8-panel fabric cap with visor and peak snap. Sometimes with ear flaps. Also called a newsboy.

porkpie  (hats)
Hat style made popular during the 19th century, it has a round, flat-topped crown and a small brim turned up all around.

profile brim  (hats)
A brim turned up on one side only: front, back or side. See also relevé.

Puritan  (hats)
Black felt hat with high conical crown and narrow straight brim, worn by the Puritans during the 17th century. It was usually trimmed with a buckle at the front.
Source: Classic Millinery Techniques

relevé  (hats)
Word of French origin, referring to brim: softly turned-up at the front or on one side of the hat. See also profile brim.

roller  (hats)
A brim turned up symmetrically all around a hat.
Source: Classic Millinery Techniques

sailor  (hats)
Boater.

shako  (hats)
Cylindrical, flat-topped cap with small brim. Military head-cover.
Source: CMC

shako or shake-off  (hats)
Fur felt hats with applied naps of fur. Name derives from the manufacturing technique.
Source: Pufpaff

Sherlock Holmes  (hats)
Deer stalker.

skimmer  (hats)
Boater.

skull-cap  (hats)
Small, close-fitting cap of fabric, knit or crochet. When of fabric, usually made with six gores.

slouch hat  (hats)
A soft hat with a high crown and drooping flexible brim. Also called a Garbo hat, from the name of the actress who worn this style in many films.
Source: Classic Millinery Techniques

smoking cap  (hats)
Men's pillbox shape cap, worn during the 19th century to prevent the hair from smelling of tobacco.
Source: The Hat Book

snap brim  (hats)
A brim which can be bent into various positions, such as a fedora.

snood  (hats)
Scottish term for a fillet worn by young women to confine hair.

snood  (hats)
Loose net for woman's back hair, usually made of netting, sometimes with ribbons, bows and other sorts of trimming.

sombrero  (hats)
Mexican hat with high, conical crown and very wide brim. Usually of straw or felt.

spagnola  (hats)
Italian term for a crown detail: indented crease around the top.

stocking cap  (hats)
Knitted cap, usually conical, often finished with a pompon.

stovepipe hat  (hats)
A tall 19th century top hat, made popular by U.S. President Abraham Lincoln.

stuff hat  (hats)
19th century term for felt hats made principally of fur.
Source: Pufpaff

tammy  (hats)
Tam-o'-shanter.

tam-o'-shanter  (hats)
Beret with close-fitting headband, usually trimmed with a pompon.

tarboosh  (hats)
Conical, flat-topped cap of felt or cloth, with a tassel attached at top center. Head-cover in Islamic cultures, especially for men.

ten-gallon hat  (hats)
Cowboy hat.

Tiffany  (hats)
Mushroom hat.

tip  (hats)
19th century term for cordies with applied cod-wool or camel hair nap on the crown.
Source: Pufpaff

tip  (hats)
The top part of the crown.

top hat  (hats)
Tall, cylindrical, flat-topped hat with modeled brim.
Source: CMC

toque  (hats)
Small hat for women with no brim, or small turned-up brim.

toque  (hats)
French term for a chef's hat.

tricorne  (hats)
Men's hat of the 18th century: wide brims were folded up to form three points.
Source: CMC

tuque  (hats)
Canadian term for stocking cap.

turban  (hats)
Typical head-dress for Muslim and Sikh men, constructed by winding a long scarf around the head.

turban  (hats)
Women's head-dress resembling men's turbans.

vanities  (hats)
15th century British term for hats.
Source: Pufpaff

veil  (hats)
Cloth, often transparent, or netting used to cover the head and/or the face, for women's head-dress.

visor  (hats)
A partial brim, usually extending out at the front of a hat or cap. Also known as a peak.

widow's peak  (hats)
A close-fitting cap with a point extending down at the center of the forehead. Originally worn as a mourning bonnet by Caterina de Medici.
Source: Classic Millinery Techniques

wimple  (hats)
Head covering worn by nuns, usually of linen or silk, arranged in folds. Formerly worn by other women as well.

yarmulke  (hats)
Skull-cap worn by Jewish men. Also known as kippah.
Source: CMC

zucchetto  (hats)
Skull-cap worn by Roman Catholic clergy: black for priests, purple for bishops, red for cardinals, white for the pope.





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