6.16.2008

Hat Week: Part 3


This is how I look sternly at squirrels on our porch.

Today's hat joins us from Scotland. It was my dad's. When he died, I inherited the hat and his watch, both of which I wear a lot. He bought it at a castle gift shop somewhere around Edinburgh; I remember him buying it (I was about 11) and thinking that it was pretty sweet. Here's a close up of the actual hat:


Reason for wearing hats du jour: they're historical! Hats used to denote membership in social class and occupational field, especially in nineteenth and early twentieth century Europe. Hats like this were the official headwear of the English, Scottish, and Irish working classes (think of the contrast between your average eel-eating proletarian in Manchester and his boss in the bowler or top hat.) Berets were the French equivalent. It can still be a fun game to wear a hat and pretend that you're staking a claim as to your social identity.*

*That said, berets remain the wrong answer, no matter what the question.

6 comments:

ninjahq said...

What were beret the french equivalent of? The hat your wearing (I want to call your hat a pub hat?). Why did you not write your thesis on the secret meaning of hats??

kungfuramone said...

Yes, the beret was the equivalent of the hat I am wearing in the pictures. And I've *never* gotten a decisive name for its species - "pub cap," "flat cap," etc. No one knows!

Sadly, the history of hats is not so secret. But it's fun to know about. :]

Chrissy said...

I disagree - Ive seen hot chicks rock the hell out of a beret and I would definitely say that it was the correct answer!

kungfuramone said...

Hmm. Yes. Well...hot chicks are like 400 pound gorillas. They can do/wear whatever they want. And, like 400 pound gorillas, they look good while they do it.

Dolce Vita said...

Young S can occasionally be coaxed into a beret-style hat. Cuteness!

I enjoy wearing hats too (I may have previously mentioned that I entrapped my sweetie through the wearing of hats). The one problem with wearing them is hat head. You can't take them off. (Unless they're loose-fitting which then requires a hat pin something that adds another challenging level to hat-wearing - though one that is useful for warding off the random masher-on-the-street.)

kungfuramone said...

Yes. It is true. You'd think that being chauve comme un'oeuf (bald as an egg) would prevent hat head for me, but I get these annoying hat lines around my scalp, especially with certain hats. But I'm afraid hat head is just the price you pay for looking awesome.