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
[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 20th century.
Ha, I love beanies, and I own quite a few. The opening description reminded me of my nights bivouacking in the Mojave desert in a bivy, very cool and accurate! Most people don't know it's actually the freezing cold that kills unprepared people in the desert, not thirst. And I wasn't thirsty, I had a bottle of hooch to warm me up and knock me out. Nice blog again, looking forward to the next one and its monologue.
ReplyDeleteYou are too much, Great blog on beanies. I might just go knit one now. I enjoy how you pitch these hats at us, and as always you are quite hilarious. I didn't even know beanies went that far back! What was wrong with people in the 1940's. Nonetheless, I am glad the beanie has made it's way back to the top of our heads. Hooray! What hat will come next?!
ReplyDeleteI am very much enjoying this blog! I like the fact that you include the history behind each hat. It keeps me interested. I've always thought these hats as more of a style thing rather than a convenience so I like to hear that it's origins were actually helpful to people other than just a fashion statement. Can't wait to see your next hat post. I'm hoping for a crazy one!
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