The Beret

            Ladies and gentlemen of the hebephrenic hatter, I’ve been contemplating life lately, and, as I let the light spring incandescence cascade over my corporeal being, I’ve come to realize that the importance of introspective philosophy lies within the mind of the poets and thespians of our time.  All of the throes of humanity have riddled my ephemeral existence with the sorrowful tribulations of life, and I need a median to express myself whether it been painting, sculpture, or music.  That’s right people I’ve come to understand the necessity of poetry, acting, and art.  Furthermore, my adoring public, I have initiated directives to revolutionize the throne of the hatter, and I need a hat that expresses my revolutionary mindset, something that says poet, thespian, and philosopher.  That’s it, I need a beret!

            While the beret has become the paragon of the pretentious artist in America, these guys seem to state that its origins are with the military of ancient Greece, and the beret definitely has militant connotations.  In the Second World War the French resistance (i.e. the Maquis) wore the Basque beret, because it was such a common hat they could organize their forces and still remain inconspicuous to their enemies.  The U.S. caught on to the covert connotations of the hat, and it quickly became a staple of the Special Forces attire in the military.  It is also common knowledge that Che Guevara popularized the beret as a revolutionary icon for guerilla warfare in modern day society.  In fact, the vigilante group The Guardian Angels wear red berets as they patrol the streets in major world cities.

 
Photo courtesy of biography.com

            This place here state that the beret, while mostly a European icon, has been embraced by intellectuals and artists alike throughout history.  Whether you are the creative type or the revolutionary, the beret is the hat for you.  So, men and women of the hat world, embrace your artistic side, and go out today and buy a beret.

The Baseball Cap

            Oh, loyal subjects of the hebephrenic hatter, today I went for a drive with the wind in my hat, the windows down, and the music blaring. Lo and behold, I’ve come to realize it’s spring.  Yes, that’s right, the sun is out, and the birds are chirping.  Everywhere it’s green, and that frost is slowly melting.  However, the advent of the sun comes with its drawbacks, and, with the great star in the sky in my eyes, I nearly drove, nose first, into a pond.  “Oh, cruel fate,” I lamented, “why hast thou given me a hat that does not cover mine eyes?  Why hast thou cursed me to suffer the rays of the sun?”  That’s when I realized that society has moved beyond the hats of the past, and I have in my possession one of the greatest hat innovations of modern times.  Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I am featuring the baseball cap.

            According to this place, it took years for professional baseball leagues to settle on a hegemonic style of headwear.  Interestingly enough, the first baseball team (i.e. the knickerbockers) wore straw hats, and from the 1840’s through 70’s baseball teams wore a variety of different hat styles.  Then in the 1860’s, the Brooklyn Excelsior wore the precursor to today’s baseball cap.  Yes, it was rounded and had a bill to keep the sun out of their eyes.  Furthermore, by the 1940’s we had the technology to create the baseball cap of today, and, when the mainstream public caught on, the hat made its way into one of America’s most prominent hats.  That’s right!  If baseball is America’s pastime, the baseball cap is America’s choice of hat, because, according to these people, the baseball cap is an American icon.

Photo Courtesy of americanaclassicvintage.com

            So if you haven’t incorporated the baseball cap as the de rigueur of your headwear fashion you might be a terrorist, because the cap is the turning point of American bourgeois and working class fashion.  I guess what I’m saying is: go out and get a baseball cap today or wreck your car in a ditch.  Well, fellow headwear enthusiasts, that’s it for today’s installment of the hebephrenic hatter.  Goodbye and good luck!

The Mortarboard

            It’s that time of year ladies and gentlemen; college students are being thrust out into the real world, high schools kids are being thrown into the ideologies of the academic world, and parents everywhere are proud.  Can you feel it?  Graduation is in the air, and for many it is a time for change.  For others it means having to find that elusive job thing you keep hearing about.  Can you see it?  Amassed groups of young educated people everywhere will be donning their ceremonial caps and gowns and receiving certification for their years of intellectual work.  This is why, ladies and gentlemen, we are featuring the mortarboard as the hat of accomplishment on the hebephrenic hatter.

            According to this place, the cap and gown tradition originated in the 12^th century.  Our medieval predecessors and accomplices in knowledge wore the garb as a religious practice.  They needed to signify their status of, or comparability to, clerics, and hoods were adopted later for warmth.  These guys claim that in the fifteenth century scholars adopted the cap (i.e. mortarboard), as many headwear innovations were conceived, to protect their heads, and the aristocracy are reported to have decorated their hats with strands of pearls and the like.  This, as you have guessed, could very well have been the first tassels used in graduation ceremonies.

Photo courtesy of math.byu.edu.

            So, depending on the school you go to or degree obtained, when you move your tassel form right to left or left to right remember you are a part of a proud tradition of scholars dating back to medieval times.  It is also important to keep in mind that, while you may be leaving school, you education will last a lifetime.  That’s it for today’s installment of the hebephrenic hatter, but stay tuned for more of your favorite hats.

The Bowler

     

        If you’re like me you probably spent your spring break scrounging around your local city in search of the crème de la crème of sophisticated headwear.  I know what you’re thinking: you want a hat that is rich in tradition but establishes a sense of originality, something eccentric yet familiar.  Well folks, I’ve been searching for that hat myself.  I’ve looked high and low for a local haberdashery in my home town; then the adjoining town; then, sadly ladies and gentlemen, I was forced to admit defeat.  Yes, folks, I feel your slightly perturbed empathy, because, as of now, I’ll have to wait to get my hands on a bowler hat.  That’s right, I couldn’t find a bowler or derby hat, and missed my long awaited chance to individualize my eclectic collection of gentlemen’s headwear.

            The bowler is thought to have been commissioned by Edward Coke (i.e. William Coke’s little brother[1]) or possibly William himself.  That hat was, according to this place, designed as a form of hard hat for William Coke’s game warden.  They needed a hat they could wear while patrolling his property on horseback, a hat that could protect them from low hanging branches and foliage.  The legend states that when Coke was first presented with his custom made hat he immediately threw it to the floor and trampled it underfoot to test its durability.  Then he quickly placed it on his head, and he left the haberdashery most likely pleased with the hats rugged design.  The bowler was created by some hatters who had the last name bowler, but the bowler hat has many names; it’s called a derby in the United States because derby riders wore it, the Coke hat due to the contributions of either William or Edward[2] Coke, and the, more traditional term, the bowler due to the hatters that created it.

            Sadly I’ll probably miss the re-propagation of the bowler as it makes its way back into mainstream fashion, because, according to these guys, the bowler hat is making its way back into British mainstream fashion, and, before you know it, the unique hat design will begin to proliferate throughout America.  I guess I’ll have to lag behind on this trend.

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[1] That is to say William Coke as in the Second Earl of Leicester.

[2] There is, however, a point of contention as to whether William or Edward commissioned it, and triangulating the source seems bring about further disputations.

 

The Pope's Hat

So, white smoke has ascended the stack, you know what that means people; the world has a new pope!  Along with his new promotion, he’ll be moving out of that metaphorical cubicle to a new office in the Vatican, which means he’ll have to relocate for work.  This shouldn’t be a problem when you’re the freaking pope, right?  I didn’t think so, but with great responsibility comes a great hat.  Which is why, on The  Hebephrenic Hatter, we’re featuring the Mitre.

According to these guys, the pontifical Mitre (pronounced Miter) can be traced back to Rome, but tradition states that it was used in the time of the apostles.  In fact, a derivative of the Mitre (i.e. the camelaucum) can be dated back to the early 8^th century, and, according to this place, “the word mitre derives from the Greek mitra, which signifies a headband or diadem.”  Which, as we all know, a diadem is a form of crown.  This use of a sacramental crown for the pope symbolizes his authority in the church, so not everyone can wear a Mitre.  Tradition dictates that you have to be at least a bishop to wear the sacred hat, which makes the hat all the more authoritative.

With great power comes a powerful hat which is why the Pope’s Mitre can and will be deemed the most powerful hat in the world on this blog.  Its biblical origins are with the story of Moses, but, as is the case with all great hats, it has evolved over time.  So, when you see Francis ascending the throne, keep in mind his hat is all powerful.

The Top Hat

                So you’ve done it; you’ve finally been invited to one of those swanky black tie affairs downtown.   Congratulations, you’ll get to rub elbows and talk politics with those ritzy socialites in some posh building with (dare I say) hors d’oeuvres, but, with the night approaching with every anxious breath, you’re not sure what to wear.  Don’t worry fellow hatters, today on the hebephrenic hatter we’re featuring the top hat, so, rest assured, those polished patricians and debutantes will know you’re no dilettante to style.

                The top hat was invented in 1797 by hatter John Hetherington, and, despite its all but subtle appearance, it didn’t gain mainstream popularity until the depletion of the American beaver created a necessity for a more economical hat.  In fact, the top hat came from all but subtle beginnings.  According to several websites when John Hetherington wore is first top hat it caused quite the stir; women fainted, children panicked, a boy was trampled by a mob and subsequently broke his arm, and our humble protagonist John Hetherington was arrested for what police might label to today as disturbing the peace.  According to Ms. Lou Carver a newspaper retelling of the event states that Hetherington was arrested for wearing “a tall structure having a shining luster calculated to frighten timid people” (Carver www.victoriana.com).   As you’ve guess the top hat created quite the commotion.

                So, as you dress for your night on the town, remember, that if you want to cause a stir, the top hat is your hat.  From disturbing the peace to clothing the aristocracy, the top hat is the hat for your upper class night on the town.

The Beanie

Today on the hebephrenic hatter we’re moving away from the hats your grandfather wore, away from styles of the unrepentant bourgeoisie, and away from the headwear of the capitalist moonshine community of yore.  No!  Ladies and gentlemen today we need a blue collar hat.  We need the kind of hat you’d want when you’re bivouacked on the edge of the desert with a hole in your radiator, and your thinking about getting into that psychotropic looking fungus that hitch hiker gave you thirty miles back.  You know the stuff; that indistinguishable powder ominously lurking in your glove box.

I see it now.  You’re on the edge of the desert, and it’s getting cold people (not to mention the fact that colors are getting brighter and your inhibition has gone out the window with that cup of water you so desperately need now).  So what’s the hat you reach for to get you through that cold, cold night?  Of course, it’s the beanie!

While the origins of the beanie are unknown and somewhat ambiguous, according to the Wikipedia sphere, a variation of the skullcap (i.e. the beanie) became popular a long time ago among blue collar workers.[1]  Welders, mechanics, and the like used the beanie as a form of hair net to keep those lushes locks out of the way while working with heavy machinery.  Despite its functional use, the beanie had a falling out in the 1940’s due to the fact that a derivative of the beanie started to gain popularity.  That derivative is known today as the baseball cap.  However, the beanie remained strong, and in the fifties it was used to haze college freshmen, and the rest is history folks.  The beanie gained popularity amongst the American youth for years to come.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beanie_(North_America)

http://digitalbrandgroup.hubpages.com/hub/Beanie_history

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[1] As stated earlier the beanie originated as a variation of the skullcap at an unspecified date, but the origins of the hat could probably be traced back to the early 20^th century.