A follow up to Hat Etiquette for Men

I received a comment on my post about the etiquette of hat wearing by men. This man has been in the habit of wearing a hat in a Christian Church and a “friend” had sent him a link to my blog post.

First of all, I did not make up these rules and they have developed over time. Yes I know it was different way back when, when everyone wore hats. Please do not shoot the messenger. The contents of the post were drawn from a variety of sources and best efforts were used to represent the etiquette faithfully. Some customs do not really have a logical explanation especially in the context of our current environment.

It is really difficult when some religions call for men’s heads to be covered as a sign of respect (but the type of head covering may be prescribed). Other religious sects require removal of hats as a sign of respect.

In the case of the Christian religion it is my understanding that men are expected to remove their hats (except for the clergy who wear special head gear and the military on duty perhaps and perhaps police at a funeral for a slain officer). This removal of hats is considered to be a sign of respect. Please check out the discussion thread on this Christian site.

http://christianblogs.christianet.com/1192726704.htm

There is apparently some scripture based logic for this position. It is difficult to translate the customs and practices of 2,000 + years ago into today but this does not seem to stop the fundamentalists of many religious faiths who often take a literal position. I am not going to debate the merits of this but merely point out these views.

Yes practices can and do develop. I have noticed that young men are wearing hats indoors – especially entertainers – it seems to be the new cool. I actually like this as long as it is not a baseball cap. Better that than no hat at all I say!! Please Michael Moore take note and also please no wearing a baseball hat backwards.

When someone joins a church they give up some of their freedoms. If the congregation interprets custom and scripture to require removal of hats in church this is the rule. An exception might be made for medical purposes. In the final analysis one needs to observe the practices of others in the congregation. Check with your Priest or Minister to see if they are offended by men wearing hats in church.

Women are allowed generally to wear hats in Church. African American women in the USA have developed this practice into an art form – you got to love it! The Catholic Church had required head gear from the Middle Ages but no longer require women to wear hats in Church. Is a baseball cap a Church Hat? I would like to say not! I am no theologian perhaps though the religious sects may want it to be easier to join the congregation rather than be custom bound.

Please weigh in everybody and let me have your views.

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

Hat wearing etiquette for women

There are a lot fewer rules for hat wearing by women than for men. See my previous post on hat wearing by men.  One thing is for sure a woman never doffs (tips) her hat to anyone. If she did this it would certainly be considered strange. Even stranger if any woman were to take off her hat like a man. Perhaps such thing can be seen in stage performances? Of course women in the military would follow the same rules regarding their “cover” as for men (or so I would imagine – can anyone be more specific here?).

The different rules for women developed in the heady days when everyone wore hats. The hats worn by women were an integral part of their outfits and were never removed. Would you ever take off your dress in public? Women would be naked without their hats. In any case removal of one’s best hat would be impracticable in most circumstances as the hat may have been fastened to the hair severely by a series of hat pins. This was certainly the case in Victorian and Edwardian times.

As women dress more in the style of men some might say they should observe rules for men, or at least some of them when wearing such hats. Such occasions would include funeral processions, the display of the Flag, Prayer (depending on the faith), and the playing of the National Anthem.

In the Middle Ages the Catholic Church ordained the wearing of headgear in Church. In those early days these hats were large and elaborate for the upper classes with large cones. It must have been difficult to see over them in Church but still no matter. From the 1960s on the practice of hat wearing in Church has waned somewhat. In Christian Churches the wearing of a proper hat is acceptable and even de rigueur for some. In the USA many African American ladies proudly wear their Church Hats.

The Village Hat Shop refers to the 1963 book by Amy Vanderbilt New Complete Book of Etiquette. Women now have the choice about whether to wear hats for outdoor parties and weddings. In houses where weddings and funerals are conducted indoors the rules are the same as for churches. (There are special rules for different religions)

Women are typically permitted to wear hats that are part of the outfit indoors. But Emily Post advised that a hat should NOT be worn with an evening dress (to me this seems more of a style point than an etiquette point – why not experiment I say). The style mavens of the 1950s and 1960s advise that daytime hats with large brims not be worn inside in the evening. Smaller brim hats should be worn if any hat is worn. Some would say that any dress hat can be worn indoors without exception. (Personally I do not look as good with a small brimmed hat). After dinner is the appropriate time to remove your hat if so inclined. A woman would not normally wear her hat in her own home even in the old days.

Wearing hats at an upscale restaurant is acceptable especially for fancy luncheons and High Teas. Indeed many ladies get together for High Teas where hat wearing is mandatory and is a fun event. Some advise that the hat should be part of your street clothes – a nice dress for example. Perhaps it is not appropriate when wearing a jogging suit or your gardening clothes – but hey some people are eccentric!

In theaters and concerts women are permitted to wear hats. Hats should be removed if they obstruct the view of another patron.

Women should remove their personal hats at work. Of course special headgear for uniforms and protection or for some theatrical performance perhaps might be worn.

There is some debate relating to the wearing of dress hats at Wedding Receptions. Here it seems that one takes the cues from the mothers of the Bride and Groom. When they remove theirs then it is OK to remove yours. If your hat encumbers the service of food take it off.

Another word about baseball caps

If a woman wears a baseball cap can it properly be considered to be a woman’s hat? It is a unisex item I think. It is believed by many that these hats should be removed on solemn occasions and always removed indoors. Some say that for women anything goes and one can wear such hats or any hats indoors. But this is a losing battle I believe the practice of baseball hat wearing has become widespread and the hats are worn every place.

Oh I forgot to mention. Whether you are a man or a woman and you hold your hat in you hand or under your arm never expose the inside lining of the hat.

My final advice use good commonsense and observe the behavior of others unless you like to be a maverick hat wearer like me.

This article has been compiled from various sources and is accurate to the best of my knowledge and belief. Please let me have your clarifying comments. Or perhaps you have something to add?

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

A very Nifty Triangular Hat Box

This is a design for a shipping hat box from a patent (443,397) filed in 1890. It’s a great design. The advantages cited were:

• the fancy hat would not move around in any position – saving packing. and
• more of these triangular boxes could be stored in the shipping room when compared with the rectangular variety.

This is great stuff to stimulate imagination. I do not know what the modern post office would do with such a packing container however.

I repeat this information on the legality of patents from my previous postings under the category Wacky Hatty Inventions.

If you are interested in patent protection you should visit the US Patent Office site. I did not research the patent laws as they applied in 1890. The bottom line is that provided you comply with certain conditions such as continuous filing with prescribed fees, under current laws you are protected for 10 years (twenty years prior to 1989). I am NOT a lawyer and I am definitely not giving you any legal advice. It’s complicated and before you assume you are in the clear you need to research similar patents that might be in force that “improve”on an earlier patent that may not be in force, such as the one in this post. In addition these patent and indeed,copyright (a different thing) laws are different even among the developed nations. So take care!

I present these inventions for amusement and education only.

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

Hatequette for Men

The days when every man and every woman wore a hat to go out are behind us at last for the time being. Perhaps universal hat wearing will return who knows? With universal hat wearing came a whole host of social conventions that developed over the years. These conventions developed out of politeness and respect. If you watch the old classic black and white movies as I do you can see many of the customs in action.

The first thing to note is that there are completely different rules for men and women. This post covers the rules relating to men and hat wearing.

In short the rules cover:

• When to remove your hat: and what to do with it when you remove it

• Tipping, or otherwise known as doffing, your hat

Removing Your Hat

When should men remove their hats?

As a general rule men should remove their hats when indoors, as follows (not necessarily comprehensive):

In a home (particularly in another’s home)

Indoors at work (especially in an office). This rule would not apply of course to protective headgear such as construction helmets.

At a movie or other indoor theatrical performance.

In a Christian Church (or perhaps in another place of worship depending on the rules applicable) except for the priests. There are different rules for different religions and they also relate to the type of headgear to be worn. For example, Jewish men wear a yarmulke, skull cap, as a sign of humility before God. Some Jewish  men wear the yarmulke all the time except for swimming or bathing at least.

In a court of law (wearing a hat has often been treated as a contempt of court).

In a restaurant ( sometimes it is deemed acceptable to keep a hat on while at the lunch counter of a diner or café).

When outdoors a man should remove his hat in the following circumstances:

When he is being introduced to someone.

When saying goodbye to a woman or elder (or someone of higher social status).

While talking with someone, especially a woman, an older man, or clergyman (talking man to man of same status one would generally keep the hat on – unless a woman passes by or some other event happens).

During prayer (Christian ceremony, or as another religion dictates) at an outside event.

While the National Anthem is being played or the flag is passing (this is especially true in the USA but likely true in other countries. It is good to check out local customs).

While at a funeral or in the presence of a funeral procession.

While a Catholic procession is passing where a crucifix is on display. This is an old one. In 1766 (error corrected) France a teen was sentenced to death for not removing his hat while a procession was passing. (There were other charges as well but hat wearing was specifically cited). There is no death penalty now (maybe in some countries?) but why take the risk?

When speaking to another about a virtuous woman or a dearly departed loved one (what if the woman was not virtuous I ask and how do you know?).

Sometimes when passing someone on the street who he knows, particularly a lady or a superior such as your boss (hat tipping could be used as a substitute but best be careful here)

There are exceptions to the rule of hat removal and hats can remain on in the following circumstances:

In some public buildings or public places such as railroad stations and post offices.

In the main parlor area of a saloon or general store (in Westerns you can see this hat wearing thing going on).

In the entrance halls and corridors of office buildings or hotels.

In the elevators of public or office buildings, unless a woman is present when hats are removed if it is practical – if you are carrying packages, parcels or bags and both hands are occupied you are excused).

If the man is an actor or performer and the hat is part of the costume.

There are special rules for the military as to when to remove their “cover”.

What do you do when you remove your hat?

In the old days a hat check area was big business and often it was outsourced and staffed by service companies. I have previously written about hat check girls. It was considered glamorous and not a job for men.

These days one leaves a hat in the checkroom or cloakroom. Due to labor costs these areas are often unattended. There are obvious risks even in the attended checkrooms. If you leave your smart trilby on the top rack someone might crush it with a briefcase or gym bag – ouch! Better to keep it with you unless you are certain that your prized hat will get the TLC it deserves.

So what if you have to hold your hat after temporarily removing it? There are actually rules here too. On no account should you show the inside lining of your hat. This was considered a sign of disrespect. I am not sure how this all came to pass but if anyone knows please let me know.

Doffing Your Hat

In some cases a man will tip or “doff” his hat. This can be a gentle touching of the brim or it can be gently lifting the hat off the forehead. This is a lost art I am thinking.

Some say that this doffing of the hat dates back to the medieval days when a knight would tip the visor of his helmet as a sign of respect. (Truth or Urban Legend?)

Here are some of the circumstances when a man would doff his hat:

When passing a lady you know (or someone of higher status) on the street (the hat is sometimes totally removed at the discretion of the hat wearer).

Any time that a lady who is a stranger thanks you for a service or assistance

Any time that a stranger (man or woman) shows courtesy to a woman you are accompanying, such as picking up a dropped item or opening a door.

When asking a woman or elderly man for directions.

When in close quarters with a woman stranger This includes accidental jostling or passing between people conversing. It accompanies an apology.

CAUTION
In general great care should be taken in removing your hat or tipping your hat to another man except in special circumstances discussed above. It will be taken as an insult.

Whoa all this is a lot to remember and is generally contextual to the day of widespread hat wearing . Who is not to say that modern practices cannot be developed? Some practices such as hat removal during the playing of the National Anthem would still continue. Just use commonsense and be respectful and all should fall into place.

A word about baseball caps

To some referring to baseball caps as “hats” is an insult to the whole genre of hats. Marion Horvat in her article “Getting the ball rolling on hats” says the following:

The rules of distinction were thrown out with the baseball cap. It does not lend itself to protocol. No one lifts the baseball cap to a passing lady. In fact, today the young man may well see a similar cap on the head of a passing lady. It is found today on youth in homes, classrooms, even in fine restaurants. Regardless of its other consequences, this is a breach against civility. A civilized man should avoid this mania

Others would add especially do NOT wear your baseball cap backwards.

Some celebrities have made the wearing of baseball caps as a signature – Michael Moore for example is usually seen in interviews wearing some kind of baseball cap even indoors. Just look at Michael Moore’s website!

The Horvat article is well worth looking at – - it has some great illustrations.

Oh yes I almost forgot to say never, never wear an unkempt hat that is particularly shabby that would be a real faux pas.

This article has been compiled by looking at a whole host of references. If you believe I am incorrect please let me know please also let me know if you have anything to add to the discussion. Other than the Horvat article I am particularly indebted to www.bcvc.net which had quite a comprehensive listing (the site does not seem to be currently  active). I have expanded on the references however.

Hat wearing for women will be covered in a later post.

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

First Ever National Hat Day in the UK

 I just got my newsletter from how2hats. In this issue they announce the first ever UK National Hat Day all centred around Royal Ascot on June 16. Hats are very special indeed at Ascot. Men will wear their elegant top hats and sometimes bowlers and women try one up womanish (just coined this) in very elegant and creative hats. Very often these hats are for effect and not practical. How can you forget the Ascot scene in “My Fair Lady”? Audrey Hepburn was absolutely smashing in the oversize black and white hat. Arguably the scene makes the movie the best hat movie ever. However I was also impressed by the opening scene in Gigi. But of course Cecil Beaton was the designer for both movies. I will post about the My Fair Lady Hat closer to Ascot time.

 How2hats quotes Jennie Prest of www.queens-hat.com who says, A hat is as traditional in Britain as strawberries and cream. During the summer hats are everywhere, from catwalk couture to bonnets and beanies. More and more ladies choose a hat to complete their outfit and there is no better occasion than Royal Ascot to showcase the Great British Hat. Therefore, we declare Wednesday June 16th to be National Hat Day.

Image:Hat by Hélène de Saint Lager – French milliner

It is very appropo to reference the Queen today since it was her birthday today (when I am writing the article). Bless her heart and she is a great hat wearing ambassador. Every Year queens-hat.com speculate on the colour and style of The Queen’s Hat at Ascot. They note:

Fashions come and go, but Her Majesty’s style remains timeless. The rest of us may try and outdo her but we all know that, come the Royal Parade on each day of the festival, we can’t touch her for taste, sophistication and enduring elegance

So what do you do on National Hat Day? Here are a few ideas from how2hats

• Wear your hat to work, school or around town
• Plan a local hat show or hat charity fundraising event
• Host a special high tea or cocktail party – hats required!
• Get together with other hat lovers for an afternoon of hat making

They are looking for other ideas. Please post your comments on this blog and I will pass them on to how2hats.

Wearing your hat to work, school or around town should be a daily event you do not need a special event as an excuse in my opinion. The other ideas are a good start though.

Incidently January 15 is National Hat Day in the USA. See the previous post here.

How2hats suggests that June 16 be celebrated as International Hat Day. That’s a good idea since every day should be hat day in any case. I would be interested in your views on other candidates for International Hat Day. How about St Catherine’s Day in November as another candidate for International Hat Day? St Catherines is the patron saint of milliners among other things. Please drop a note here with your suggestions.

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

Hat Check Girl Episode Two

The movies and TV

The Hat Check Girl was the girl who checked men’s hats and often did double duty as the cloakroom attendant. Your fedora was your prize possession to be placed in safe custody in a cubby hole. It was actually considered a sexy profession, one step above cigarette girl who walked around in the club scantily dressed selling cigarettes from a tray.

In the movies the hat check girl was a common foil for men to flirt with. Often they were in roles where they went from rags to riches through contact with rich men. Sometimes they were a straight person in a comedy part. The famous entrance of Mae West in a  night spot in the gangster movie Night after Night is a case in point. Mae West enters dripping with Diamonds:

Hat Check Girl Exclaims:    Goodness! What beautiful Diamonds!!

Mae West Retorts:        Goodness had nothing to do with it dearie!

Mae West stole the show from George Raft in the entire movie much to his dismay. Mae West went on to be famous for one liners.

In episode one of these hat check girl posts Charlie Chaplin had an encounter with a hat check girl and her suitors.

There were at least three movies where the hat check girl had more than a cameo role

Hat Check Girl 1932

Sally Eilers plays Gerry Marsh, a nice Brooklyn girl who has to work part time as a hat check girl to support her Mother and a ne’er do well brother. This all takes place at the Embassy Club. Gerry gets an invitation to a party where she is asked to sell liquor illegally. There are a series of unfortunate events but she meets a rich man and eventually all works out. (Hey it was the depression and people were looking for good rags to riches stories). Ginger Rogers steals the show somewhat as the best friend of the main character. This was before her leap to fame only a few years later.

The Stork Club 1945

The hat check girl at the Stork Club, played by Betty Hutton saves a millionaire from drowning. The millionaire was so grateful that he anonymously gave her a luxury apartment, money and a charge account. Then the fund begins naturally Betty’s GI boyfriend thinks there is monkey business going on.

Here is the trailer of the movie courtesy of Turner Classic Movies (how I love those black and white movies form the thirties and forties so hatty).

www.youtube.com/watch?v=fClUAac4jww

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fClUAac4jww

There was talk that the then famous Stork Club had financed the production but I could find no evidence of that. In the 1980s the movie slipped into the Public Domain and has become a favorite late night classic movie. You can download the movie or just watch it for free on the Internet Archive site. It’s a cute movie but dated, the quality of the production is not good. It needs someone to lovingly restore it.

There’s no business like show business 1954

This was a poorly written movie musical that lost money but got a lot of attention. One of the stars was Marilyn Monroe who we see first at the 30 minute mark. She is a show business singer who is working as a hat check girl waiting for her lucky break. I just loved her French Maid hat check outfit – great for Halloween.

On TV

There was a show called What’s my Line? This show ran from 1950 to 1968 and in a revival again until 1975. There were other versions that appeared in other countries. The main object of the show was for a panel of celebrities (mostly the B list) who would try to guess a contestant’s job or profession. This was done through yes or no questions. Ten nos and the contestant won. On the very first show the first contestant was Hat Check Girl Pat Finch. The panel guessed before the ten nos but Pat won $25 for her trouble. Wow that’s 100 tips! You can search You Tube where there are some uploads of this episode but I am not sure how authorized they are so I will leave that up to you.

Please let me know of any other hat check girl movies.

More on in the Hat Check Girl Episode three.

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

Charlie’s Recreation
Starring Charlie Chaplin
From the Internet Archive and in the Public Domain from 1914

If the movie does not play please click here for the link to the movie.

Charlie is asked to check his hat and the fun begins. Did you catch the lovely Edwardian hats on the ladies?

More Hat Check Girl discussion to follow in a series of posts about the hat check girl.

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

How to Crochet a Cup Cake Hat

www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vpiZ9hiKVI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vpiZ9hiKVI

These are from the Art of Crochet by Teresa.

Teresa has a great blog on crochet and a great set of videos on You Tube.

You can find the written instructions by clicking here.

Please click below for a list of videos on how to crochet hats.

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=203DB010F79C5E97

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

Check out the Headwear Association (THA)

The Headwear Association in the USA is located in New York City and has been around since 1908, over one hundred years. Originally it was an industry fraternity association but the objectives have been broadened.

The mission today is to promote hat wearing and the headwear industry throughout the world and foster goodwill and fellowship among those engaged in the headwear industry.

Each year THA has a dinner that all can attend. The dinner is a great way to meet and greet your headwear comrades and learn some new things. .. everyone will be there – retailers, wholesalers, hat lovers, hat makers and anyone else who enjoys hat talk. It will be held in New York City this year on March 18.

There will be an awards ceremony,  Annual Hat Retailer of the Year will go to Martin Mann of Hats Plus in Chicago and the Ben Rosenthal Award will be awarded to S. H. Baik of Young An. The outgoing president of the THA, David Goldman will also be honored.

Recently THA started a Headwear Hall of Fame™ to recognize the positive influence of famous hat wearers – who routinely wear (wore)a hat in their daily life for fashion, fun or function (not in a role or performance). This year Brad Pitt was singled out as Hat Person of the Year. The inductees were Humphrey Bogart, Brad Pitt, Frank Sinatra, Sarah Jessica Parker, Audrey Hepburn, and Jennifer Lopez. More people will be added each year.

The Association is a leader in the promotion of hat wearing to protect against the harmful effects of the sun. THA also has Charity Event to distribute hats for the homeless. Last year 6,000 cold weather hats were donated.

An individual can join the Association for an annual fee of $25.

Read more about The Headwear Association on their website.

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

Many Hatty Returns adds email Subscription Opt In

Over the weekend I added a VIP Insider subscription box to the blog.

Subscribing is Free!

You will be able to get your updates through that email in groups of 3 or so posts to avoid email congestion. If you are currently subscribed to the Feedburner email list it will still work but you will NOT be getting additional stuff from me. Please unsubscribe from the Feedburner email and subscribe to this list.

If you prefer to get the blog through a feed reader you need not unsubscribe to the feed but please consider subscribing to my VIP Subscription list on the blog as a value added add on.

In addition to the posts I will be giving out thank you premiums and news from time to time. If you have anything to offer or have any suggestions on what you are looking for please let me know at the Contact Box on this blog.

When you sign up I am making one of the pictures in my Antique Picture collection available as a download in high resolution copyright free to use in your projects.

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

A picture of the enemy – the clothes moth
Tinea Pellionella
This was republished due to coding causing problems in Internet Explorer – my apologies
Please visit Wikimedia Commons

This is an illustration from a 19th century text obtained from Wikimedia Commons
A is the head of the beast

B are the eggs on the weave they are very tiny and hard to see

C is the worm emerging from the egg

D is the larvae the stage at which the moth eats your clothes

Beware of the vicious hat eating moths
Why do clothes moths eat clothes?
People are very aware of termites eating wood much to the devastation of houses and other buildings. In their case it is the cellulose in wood that they are looking for. In the case of clothes moths it is an ingredient called keratin. (Not to be confused of course with carotene from carrots this is a good thing). Keratin is the protein ingredient in skin, hair and fingernails in humans. In the animal world it is contained in horns, hoofs, and in the hat materials such as fur and feathers, and hair (including wool).

The ability to consume keratin is rare in the insect world or so I have read. In the USA and Canada we have two common clothes moth species and some carpet beetles that have this “ability”. Getting itchy yet? Some other species chew fabric as collateral damage if they are actually after residue of human oil, food stains and other unmentionable things.

It is mostly natural products containing keratin that the clothes moths target. You should be careful that your precious clothes (including your hats) made of synthetic fibers are stored clean of residues that may be attractive to a variety of bugs. They will eat the residue and chew on your clothes, including hats, to get what they want. Too gross to contemplate eh?

Only the children of clothes moths eat clothes.
Just like a butterfly the clothes moth goes through a complete metamorphosis – from egg to larvae to pupa and then to adult. The feeding takes place at the larvae stage. They are cream colored with brown heads.

Identification of clothes moths
Not all moths species eat clothes. It is only certain moths that will eat your clothes. If you have a passion for entomology, you might like to consult this Wikipedia entry in the first instance.

Clothes moths are generally very small with a wingspan of less than ½ inch (approximately 2.5 centimeters). They are very difficult to spot unless you disturb them. They are shy and cowardly creatures, certainly nocturnal in habit. They hide in dark places such as attics and closets and the folds of old fabric. They are rarely seen flying about. Obviously if you see one it is a call to action to make sure your stuff is stored appropriately since these may not be eating your clothes but they certainly lay eggs yuck!

It is the larvae that do the eating as I noted. These are cream colored with brown heads. You can see one in the illustration above. It may be too late but you will be able to take steps to protect other hats or other clothes. You might spot the pupa which looks like a silk bundle. Of course the pupa you spot may not be a clothes moth but do you love bugs that much? Perhaps you do and then you can investigate further. For my part I prefer not to take any chances.

To learn more about identification of clothes moths and there various incarnations you can go read Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet. The illustration above is one of the clothes moth species.

How do you protect yourself from clothes moths?
Numero Uno is good housekeeping practices. This sounds good if you are a Martha Stewart type sadly many of us are not. Nevertheless we should make an effort lest our precious items fall prey to these pests. Keep your closets clean and tidy. Do not leave your clothes in a neglected pile. Launder clothes prior to storing. Make sure your hat is clean before storing, such cleaning depending on the fabric. Check out nooks and crannies such as between carpet and baseboard (these pests are also partial to your wool or silk carpets). Keep those rugs and carpets clean especially next to the baseboard.

Most damage is often done to stuff that is left for long periods of time. You must inspect these items periodically and if you wear them a few times they are less likely to attack. Perhaps you should send your old items to a thrift store?

By the way be VERY careful will stuff purchased from thrift stores. Ensure they are clean before putting with other items. Inspect those vintage hats very carefully and clean them well according to the type of hat. Take particular care by storing them in tight boxes. If there is an infestation in the item you do not spot at least you will be somewhat protected from infection of other items. This is not a guarantee and you must accept the risk. Perhaps you store the items in a separate area of your home?

Inspect potential problem areas of your home periodically, looking for larvae and pupa. Y0u may need to use a flashlight and nail file in the baseboard area.

Some people urge proper climate control in your home and avoid humidity, the insects friend. Other measures include illumination of closets and the use of tight fitting doors and drapes.

In my great aunt’s day (she was born in the late 1800s) there was a great fondness for moth balls. When her closet and drawers were emptied there were enough moth balls to fill a hardware store. These kill the moths and larvae but have a negative effect on you hats and other clothes and may make these unwearable. Baron hats refer to the two chemicals naphthalene and paradichlorobenzene as being very toxic to hats. Well their very names suggest they be handled with care. They can damage delicate stuff like hats by close contact and there is a significant transfer of fumes to the item. Best to avoid these chemicals at least for hats and many other clothing items.

How to store your hats
In the words of Baron Hats you do not want your hat to look like something that resembles more like something SpongeBob SquarePants would wear! Or, it will make a great spaghetti strainer

Baron Hats provide some useful pointers on this subject of protection from moth damage.

First of all do not use moth balls (see above). I certainly agree with their advice on this point.

Barons suggest using cedar as moth ball substitute. Perhaps cedar shavings used in hamster care and available from the pet store could be employed as part of the packing process? You must keep the cedar away from contact with your hat. Wrap the hat accordingly using tissue. I would look at some plastic barrier in addition provided the hat is not tightly wrapped. It is the aroma of the cedar, pleasant to humans, but unpleasant to moths, that is the protection but only effective in a container that is tightly sealed. Hopefully your hat box sits snugly You could also employ cedar blocks around the area of your hat storage as an additional countermeasure Barons suggests.

In addition to the excellent advice from Baron Hats please note the general precautions I have found in my research. Be very careful of the neighboring area of your hat storage. I would avoid damp dark basements or attics or less used areas. If you must use such areas clean and inspect them frequently is my advice. You must inspect your hats periodically to make sure all is well.

What do you do in case of infestation?
Even if you follow this advice you may well still get infected. It may be time to call a professional exterminator – it probably is.

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

Bowler Hat Day in the City of London England is February 11, 2010

Bowler Hat Day in the City of London celebrates the age old tradition of white collar workers wearing a Bowler in the City. There are still Bowler Hat wearers today but I do not believe that the practice is as prevalent as it used to be. It was the custom for even lower level workers to wear bowler hats even if there was only a packed lunch and newspaper in the briefcase. It was a kind of uniform. (The man in the picture seems to have left his briefcase at the office? Perhaps one takes a laptop computer there now – to play games over lunch perhaps? But I digress. Of course they are all hard working men.)

Bowler Hat Day is organised to raise money for SOS Children’s Villages, who care for orphaned children, during World Orphan Week. The focus this year is of course the dreadful situation in Haiti but even under “usual” circumstances the Charity notes that
Every 2.2 seconds a child loses a parent.

So what happens on Bowler Hat Day? Felt and Plastic Bowler hats are offered for sale with proceeds going to the charity. You can also buy a pin if you wish. The festivities take place in Leadenhall Market in the City. This year the a choral sensation Eschoir will be performing along with a great jazz band and everybody will be having fun with plenty of games and activities. There are a number of other events also. For more information please visit the Bowler Hat Day website. Sounds like a fun event if you are in the City of London on February 11. And such a good cause too – you can of course donate even if you are unable to get to the City of London.

You may wonder where the Bowler Hat was invented. Word is that it was devised in 1849 by the London hat makers Thomas and William Bowler to fulfill an order placed by the firm of hatters Lock & Co. of St James’s. Lock & Co. had been commissioned by a customer to design a close-fitting, low-crowned hat to protect his gamekeepers’ heads from low-hanging branches while on horseback. The keepers had previously worn top hats, which were easily knocked off and damaged. (From Wikipedia). The firm of Lock & Co is still in the hat business today and has been since 1676.

(Props to How2Hats for the lead on this story)

Image Credit

From Wikimedia Commons

under GNU Free Documentation Licence – with attribution

Photographer Fredrik Tersmeden

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

I want to run a series of blog posts about religious headcoverings. This could be approached by my doing the research and writing and finding suitable illustrations. If I did this I would not be comprehensive enough likely and I would certainly be missing the soul and passion about the particular headcovering.

I want to cover the major religions and various sects. What do the clerics wear and what do the followers of the religion or sect wear? I would need to know the history of the particular headgear and if it was associated with a particular historical individual.

Could you provide me with some thoughts on this, including some contacts who might be willing to contribute a guest article? There is no pay – just exposure and understanding. Anything I can do to foster understanding among religious groups would be a joy to me. I want to make it informative and respectful.

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

I wondered why there is a craze of wearing baseball caps back to front and did a bit of research on this. Well here are five answers to get us started:

• To play catcher in a baseball game.

• If you are applying for the position of Umpire in baseball.

• You are making a gesture of defiance (perhaps a gang member?).

• You want to shade the back of your neck and do not have a French Foreign Legion Kepi handy.

• You are taking a photograph and do not want the peak to block the lens.

All these reasons have been put forward as reasons why people (young men in particular) wear baseball caps backward. I have even seen caps worn to the side. You might suggest that the wearing of caps in this manner is considered hip. So many young men are wearing caps this way that it has become the norm. If you wear hats the “right” way are you considered to be a geek I wonder?

You can see some great photos of young men with baseball caps in various positions in the latest edition of LifeStyle fitted magazine

I have even seen a baseball style cap with two peaks. It was design against the two perils of sun and rain. The particular cap was for golf and not baseball. We know that golfers like, dare I mention, Tiger Woods wear baseball caps when golfing.

Nobody really knows for sure how this practice of wearing baseball caps backwards actually began. It might have been observed originally on baseball catchers (so that their line of vision is not impaired). Now it seems to be hip and is associated with urban “punk” type gangs. They may not mean to be malicious but even so the wearing of caps this was is banned in some schools I hear.

The back to front habit should not be confused with the inside out practice during a baseball game when your team has fallen behind and nears cheerleading to come back.In this case a more radical approach of turning the cap inside out seems to be employed. This is called the rally cap.

I would like to hear from you. Do you have any ideas about why baseball caps are worn back to front?

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

Photo from Wikimedia Commons Public Domain  – by Wenzel Hollar

Happy St. Catherine’s Day!

Find out more at my previous post:

http://www.manyhattyreturns.com/2009/03/08/who-is-the-patron-saint-of-milliners/

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

You can find out the answer at this link to one of my previous posts.

It’s not his unpolished shoes!!

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

This is a cartoon showing what if there were an all women jury in late Victorian/Edwardian times. As far as I know women did not sit on Juries at that time since the qualification was, I believe, that you had to be an elector and women did not have the vote at that time. It is quite a strata of society represented and the only woman without a hat is the obvious pauper. There is even a very butch woman wearing a man’s hat. How times have changed since it has become very common as many of you know for women to wear hats such as the trilby adapted for female wear and you do not have to be butch to wear them.

The cartoon is by Charles Dana Gibson and is in the Public Domain. Charles Gibson was an illustrator and came up with the famous Gibson Girl series for a 20 year period straddling the Late Victorian/ Edwardian period arrount the turn of the 19th century to the 20th century.

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

I Have  changed my username on Twitter to @darlasycamore.

If you were following me on Twitter prior to the name change you do NOT need to do anything since the previous follower/following lists remain intact. If you wish to follow me from now on please go to the new account.

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

Hat Life Hat Lover Award

Hat Life the headwear industry bible, has added a new category to their annual Hatty Awards for people who are passionate about hats. This award recognizes the customers who support the business of hat making. Up until now the award was only for headwear designers, manufacturers and suppliers.

“We realized that without the consumer buying and collecting hats, there would be no retail headwear business. And despite the economic downturn, headwear sales continue to soar,” said Hat Life Editor, Diane Feen.

The first ever Hatty Awards for the trade were given out in 2008 and were met with great enthusiasm and tremendous success. Headwear Industry leaders (and newcomers) who strive for excellence took home Hatty Awards for 2008. Winners included KOKIN (hatter to the stars), Mainland Headwear Holdings, designer and hat instructor Eia Radosavljevic, Legendary Headwear, New York hatter Ellen Christine, Lisa Battaglia, Lina Stein and others.

But this year Hat Life decided to add a new category to honor hat lovers and headwear enthusiasts (of all ages) who not only love wearing hats, but find the act of buying hats a thrill. “Some of our readers have confessed that they have as many as 500 hats in their hat collection,” adds Feen.

To win a Hatty Award, nominees must submit complete the entry form (with pictures) by October 15, 2009. Winners will be profiled in the Annual Hat Life Book, a 350-page headwear resource and trend guide with articles about all aspects of the headwear industry (as well as a list of thousands of retail and wholesale resources).

You can nominate yourself or another company or individual. You should get your nominations submitted by October 15 2009.

The winners will be included in Hat Life’s media campaign and profiled in the 2010 Hat Life book. Watch for the announcement of winners on December 15, 2009

Fill out the questionnaire and send photos – Get your application at:
http://www.hatlife.com/hatty_awards.php

If you have questions please contact the Hat Life people at support@hatlife.com or call 877.428.5433.

Are you subscribed to the Hat Life Newsletter and are you getting your copy of the Hat life annual directory? This has been published for 137 years so they must be doing something right. It is full of useful reference information. Among the many uses are to:

• Find potential buyers for your products and services
• Find fabric, trimming, manufacturers, suppliers, knitters, domestic and overseas production and importers in the headwear industry
• Get contact information of hat retailers around the world

It is an indispensible resource for all players in the hat business worldwide.

Get your free subscription to the Hat Life Newsletter and stay current on happenings in the hat industry. Click below

POST SCRIPT
I interviewed Lisa Battaglia one of the winners of an award last year and I am in the editing phase – please stay tuned for a discussion of her creative process of making hats.

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

Top Hat Man One

Top Hat Man 2

What is the appropriate way to rest a top hat when not in use?

The two pictures of gentlemen above circa the 1860s 0r 1870s from CDVs give you the answer. Men were proud of their top hats and wanted them in the picture with them. These men knew how to put a top hat down correctly. By the way in other pictures of men in the period the subject might be be holding their hat rather than placing it close by. The rule was that when holding a hat only the outside was to be shown – no display of linings in photos or in polite company.

The definitive answer is provided by Baron Hats in Hollywood who have the following to say on how to put a hat down:

Never rest a hat on its brim for any length of time, particularly a light-weight fabric hat, and particularly if the hat is wet. Weight on the hat will cause the brim to flatten out. Make it a habit (especially with “cowboy hat” styles!), to place your hat on a wall rack, or if on a table or smooth surface, place it CROWN DOWN, with the brim sticking up. This is also very true of our silk top hats! (Emphasis Added)

By the way Baron’s top hats are great – check out the exact replica of Abraham Lincoln’s Stove Pipe top hat available from them. It was made from measurements of the original in the Smithsonian Museum.

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

Above pictures are Lisa Shaub in her creations

All rights reserved by Lisa

This is part 2 of an interview with New York Milliner Lisa Shaub. Part one was posted last week – please be sure to check it out.

In this part Lisa tells about when Britney Spears came to her store you wont want to miss it!

Please right click to download the mp3 file.

You can find more information about Lisa at her Website. You can also go on a virtual tour of her store on this link.

Lisa mentioned the Milliners Guild. This is a group of Milliners concerned with the sustainability of the practice of Millinery. Their mission:

The Milliners Guild is an organization of small millinery business owners and milliners who specialize in the design, production and promotion of handmade headwear.

The group is committed to increasing the public profile of millinery as well as the public’s awareness and interest in millinery products.

The Guild is dedicated to working together to maintain and expand resources in order to ensure a steady flow of raw materials.

Through a collective website, special events and educational seminars,the guild will provide consistent communication about this thriving and contemporary industry to the public, press and students of the craft

Need I say it, you can check out Britney Spears at her Website.

Thanks to Lisa and calling others to participate

Thanks to Lisa for being my first interview. I am new to this and I plan on doing more broadcasting.

Would you like to be interviewed?

Are you a hat designer?

Do you have a hat business?

Are you are supplier to the hat trade?

Do you have a skill such as crochet that can be applied to Millinery?

Are you a performer that uses hats as a part of establishing your profile/branding?

Are you a power hat wearer and want to talk about it?

Do you have a friend or relative past or present that wears (wore) hats proudly?

Do you have an interesting hat story to tell?

Please help me get the hat wearing story out there so we can encourage more to participate in the growing hat revolution.

Please Contact me on the Contact box on this blog and start the discussion on how you can be involved.

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

This is the first podcast interview in what I hope will be a continuing series. Lisa Shaub a New York Milliner was kind enough to give me her time and discuss some aspects of the hat business and her background and business in particular.

The interview is presented in two parts and here is the first part.

Please right click here to download the mp3 file to your computer

Part 2 of the interview can be found in a later post here

The introduction and exit music is called Mornington Crescent and is Royalty Free Music purchased from Shockwave Sound. You can purchase a variety of music for you projects at their website.

In the first part of the interview goes into what it takes to be a successful milliner and how she got into the business. Also find out the craziest hat she ever made.

You can find more information about Lisa at her Website. You can also go on a virtual tour of her store on this link.

Here is a picture of the storefront of her New York Store, Lisa Shaub Fine Millinery.

Notes and references made during this part.

The Fashion Institute of Technology New York New York (FIT)

This is where Lisa received some of her Millinery training.

Ann Albrizio was one of Lisa’s instructors at FIT. This lady recently passed away earlier this year at a ripe old age. Albrizio co-authored a book on Millinery (now appears to be out of print but can be obtained second hand) entitled Classic Millinery Techniques: A guide to Making & Designing Today’s Hats (December 2001).

According to the description:

Take basic sewing skills, add half a yard of fabric, and make one of 15 custom hats designed by an award-winning milliner. More than 250 illustrations guide you from drafting patterns to creating classic, head-turning hats. Start with a shirred beret, move on to a cloche, pillbox, or sailor hat.

A couple of other Designers were referenced in the discussion.

More information about Stephen Jones can be found on his website. Here is information on where you can find Gabriella Ligenza. Examples of Ligenza’s work can be found on Pebbles Hats site.

Part 2 of this interview will be published here very shortly – please check in and stay tuned.

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

I just obtained this very interesting and delightful image of a group of friends posing in hats. From the sleeves on the women’s dresses I believe the date is around the mid 1890s but I may be wrong. It has a late Victorian rather than an Edwardian feel to it.

Take a close look at the person in the centre of the picture who is dressed up in male attire. I have looked at it fairly closely and believe that this may be a woman dressed up as a man. This was quite a lark in Victorian times and did not necessarily mean that the woman was gay. It was just a statement – you know it was “a man’s world” at the time. Author George Elliot who died in 1880 was actually a woman. Probably quite a trip for ladies to dress up in men’s clothes and drink port – a kind of Victorian parody. Most of the talk about homosexuallity was around men and not women and transgender was not part of the vocabulary. The 1890s was the “Gay Nineties” but then it meant something different – a bit like the 1920s partying period.

Why do I think the person appears female?

• The facial features are very smooth and the person appears to be beyond puberty.
• Hands are quite small.
• There is a feminine looking ring on the left hand – looks like an engagement ring.
• The bowler (derby) hat sits very high on the head rather than just above the ears as it should sit (Bolivian women style). Probably this is due to the hat sitting on top of masses of hair as worn by women in the age.
• The figure is shot straight on but appears to have no side burns – they were quite common in men during the period.
• Eye brows appear plucked.
• The Jacket appears way too oversized and sits uncomfortably on the person.

There is no clue on the writing on the back of the picture taken in London, Ontario Canada. It says “Amy Skill and friends”. Is Amy the figure in the middle?

In any event is a fun image. We do think that stuff like cross dressing is quite recent but actually that’s not true and as I say it did not indicate an LBGT tendency necessariy. Kind of a cool lark I think in this case.

Any thoughts about this?

I love the hats on the two people each side of the male figure. The hats are well pinned and perched on top of enormous bee hive type hair styles. It must have taken hours to comb out the hair.

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

Meaning of “Hattie”- the name

Did you know that the girl’s name “Hattie”is a variant of Harriet and Henrietta? Both of the names are originally German. Hattie is quite popular as a first name but very rare as a surname.

The name “Hatty” is rare both as a first name and a surname.

The actual meaning of “Hattie” is Home Ruler . This conjures images of a picture of a Dominatrix wearing a very large brim PVC hat. But I digress.

Hattie was their name

First let’s speak about the Queen of women named Hattie, at least in my mind. Hattie McDaniel (1895 – 1952) was an African American woman. At the time this politically correct description had not been thought of. Other descriptions were made of black people and you know how offensive they were – I shall not repeat them here. It was a difficult time for racial minorities of all kinds and particularly women.

Hattie McDaniel was the first African American to sing on the radio and the first African American to win an Academy Award. She won the award for the world famous portrayal of Mammy in Gone with the Wind. Before going to Hollywood she played the part of Queenie in the Musical Show Boat. She reprised that role in a 1936 version of Show Boat. Sadly her career consisted almost entirely of playing stereotypical maids and other servants. If you are a fan of classic movies as I am (I love looking at the hats – they are a joy) you will notice that African Americans were usually portrayed as subservient. This was true even in such egalitarian movies as You Can’t Take it With You. In that particular movie they preached poor is OK and even good yet the household had an African American maid! Well I digress. I take my hat off to this Hattie for being a pioneer. Well done Hattie you will live in our hearts for ever!

Now to a couple of other women who we renamed or nicknamed as Hattie as their first name and the name stuck with them. Indeed they are not known by their “real”names.

I grew up watching Hattie Jacques (her stage name). Really she was Josephine Edwina Jaques (1922 – 1980). She performed mainly in the UK, in British movies but some of her performances may be known by old timers”in the US and Canada – certainly by Brit Ex Pats such as me. She was best known for her fourteen Carry On movies. You just add the word after Carry On … Doctor, Regardless etc. The best of British comedy at that time – full of dialogues with double saucy meanings – a kind of moving saucy British Seaside Postcard such as produced by Bamforth. Hattie Jacques was a portly woman who was often portrayed as a Matron. The Carry On movies were released from 1958 to 1974 during a time of somewhat lesser “political correctness”they are quite dated. RIP Hattie Jacques you gave me many a smile/laugh.

I am quite a fan of the next Hattie, Hattie Carnegie. Just to set the record straight Hattie Carnegie was not related to Andrew Carnegie the well known Industrialist. Hattie’s father was an artist and a tailor – quite a humble beginning really. Her father was thought to have introduced Hattie to fashion – good job!

Hattie became known as Hattie through her earlier involvement with hats. She was born Henrietta Kanengeiser (1889 – 1956). Not sure where the “Carnegie”came from – there’s a story there perhaps?

Hattie was originally a milliner as I said. The shop was called Carnegie – Ladies Hatter and was based in New York on East Tenth Street.

It was not long before Hattie became a fashion maven She opened a dress shop near the current location of Saks Fifth Avenue. She ventured into this new field with little formal training. No doubt though her father would have given her quite a bit of training in the field. She developed her own Couture line and sold this along with creations from the likes of Chanel and Dior. She was the first to introduce ready to wear in the high end fashion market.

Hattie also developed a costume jewelry business, a cosmetic line and if that is not enough a line of chocolate products. Obviously there was no shortage of confidence and chutzpah. Her jewelry items are much sought after by collectors.The “book pieces” (featured listings in books about costume jewelry) can fetch hundreds of dollars.

She had many name clients such as Joan Crawford and the Duchess of Windsor.

Well this leads us to the most infamous and scary “Hattie”of all and yet “she” was not a real person.

Hurricane Hattie was a category 5 hurricane that hit Central America during Halloween 1961 and killed 275 people. Read about it here.

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

Would you like to turn your bicycle helmet into a stylish hat and stay protected?  In our modern times we quite rightly have laws requiring head protection. Such laws were not in effect years ago and falls on the head lead to serious injury and even death. If you are a macho Sportsman you might think that a helmet is cool. Perhaps you are interested in making the look more feminine?

I was at the One of a Kind show in Toronto today and of course I was looking for interesting Milliners to follow. There are many possibilities going forward.

I came across Snug as a Bug. It’s a store that has cool clothing for kids and some cool stuff for adults as well. They have the coolest bicycle helmet covers – very funky.

Here are a couple of the covers (reproduced by permission).

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

The new edition of the Hat Life Newsletter is just out. There is a very good article in the newsletter about the John B. Stetson Company. The Stetson Company has been getting into various promotions to jazz up their image. (See Stetson’s Hat tricks by Laurie Burkett)

There have been many new initiatives from the new chief executive of the company, Pamela Fields,who was brought on board in January 2008.

According to the article:

Fields, who worked as a consultant specializing in brand revamps before she joined Stetson full time, is pushing Stetson as “Made of America,” something that it plays up on in-store ads, logos and hanging tags. This consistency is new for licensees.

One promotion is with the military. Stetson products will be on offer in many military bases across the USA.

A military calendar is in the works as is a contest for submission of videos by the military to enter a contest to win Stetson products.

Other promotions were directed to the younger set on Face book. Actually a 50 year old won the contest. Well 5o IS the younger set when compared with an 80 year old or even a 60 year old.

Another promotion was the “Hat for Obama”. You can access the videos at my previous post here. I did not know that the people were hired by the Stetson Company but hey anything that gets Obama to wear a hat is fair ball. By the way they did get through the Obama security net (or so it appeared in the last video of the series) – no hat wearing by Obama then! I have also featured the Goorin hat promotion of a hat for Obama.

There have also been promotions directed to the Latino population.

The final note in the article was:

From head to toe, singer Jon Wolfe is already decked out in his Stetson gear. He’s been meeting with designers, picking out jean jackets and shirts that he says look like Ralph Lauren at a rodeo. His album will be out this fall, and although he won’t reveal any song titles or lyrics, he says fans can expect a tune or two about his hat.

Woow Jon Wolfe is one heck of a handsome young cowboy.

I wish Stetson all the best in their promotion of hat wearing!! You can see an old piece of letterhead from Stetson here in this blog.

I have spoken about Hat Life before. It’s a great site for resources in the Millinery Industry.

They Publish a very useful Annual Directory:
“Commonly called the Encyclopedia of the Headwear Industry, The Hat Life Directory is the world’s most popular headwear reference. This full color directory lists thousands of wholesalers, suppliers and retailers. For over 137 years it has been the must-have resource offering complete information on hat wholesaling, manufacturing, retailing, supplying, emerging trends, upcoming events and new product releases. Directory purchasers receive the printed directory PLUS online access.

I take my hat off to them for being in business for 137 years. That’s a compliment from me who rarely goes without a hat, at least when outside of the home.

You can find out more about the Hat Life Directory and its great resources by clicking on the banner at the end of this post. You will be able to sign up for a free newsletter. Please check it out. (Yes its an affiliate link but hey I have to eat LOL)

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

Happy Saint Patricks Day to you all!

Oh well yes in two days time on March 17

More information on the grand day can be found here. The parades are often held on other days on the nearest weekend. For instance the Saint Patrick’s Day Parade in Toronto is TODAY March 15.

Here is a selection of very hatty St Patricks cards. Top of the Mornin’to you all.

They are produced for fun and not for further reproduction. Nothing to stop you forwarding this post to others as a kind of Saint Patrick’s Day Card.  (You can click on the image for a better view and right click on the resulting image to enable you to read the words on the cards).

Although I am actually from England originally I find St Paddy’s day very fun. One year I dressed in Costume and went to a bar with my face painted green. On the train going home a kid remarked “Look Mommy – a leprechaun! ”

Not really funny to be a girl leprechaun – but they are fairies that like to do mischief so the moniker sort of fits (it’s a really good disguise!!!) (Leprechauns are generally portrayed as very small (dwarf) wrinkly old men – not the look I really want to have for every day – all in good fun though).

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

1. How much fluid does the “Ten Gallon Hat” (a kind of cowboy hat) from the John B. Stetson Company actually hold?
2. What comedian wore a “Yellow Zowie” in one of his movies?  Name that movie.
3. Who wore a “pork pie” hat in his movies? This was a vintage comedian who was most famous for his work in the silent movies but continued to appear in movies until the 1960s.
4. If you know the circumference of you head how do you calculate your hat size?
5. The “cloche”is a bell shaped hat popular in the flapper days of the 1920s. “Cloche”means “bell”in which language?
6. The Tam o’Shanter is named after a poem by which famous author?
7. Which famous person is well known for wearing a “stove pipe”top hat?
8. Why were swim caps hard to obtain during World War II?
9. Who was famous for wearing a “pill box” hat?
10. Who wrote the famous story “The Cat in the Hat”?

Answers

1. According to the Stetson site the 10 Gallon hat actually hold three quarts of liquid. Just imagine a hat had to die to find out this answer!
2. Jim Carrey wore a “Yellow Zowie”in the film “The Mask“. If you are out going you can get your very own bright Yellow Zowie on the Barons Hat site.
3. Buster Keaton wore a pork pie hat (it’s shaped like the famous pork pie out of the UK). It is said that he designed and made many of his hats. These type of hats are now being worn by women as well as men. Like many of the hat styles traditionally worn by men.
4. You divide by pi (3.14 approximately) and round up to the nearest 1/8″. Please see my post on finding your hat size. Yes it comes from the math formula you learned at school. Sometime high scholl learning is actually useful.
5. French
6. Robert Burns – please see my post on the “Scottish Hat” .
7. Abraham Lincoln – see this post.
8. Swim Caps were traditionally made of rubber – a commodity really needed in the war effort in a great number of ways.
9. Jackie Kennedy (see added the Onassis later when she married shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis).
10. Dr Seuss. (Theodor Seuss Giesel)

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

If you want to find out about this site and my sister site The IFRS Exorcist was constructed please visit my newbie blogger site Blogger in Wonderland. The IFRS Exorcist site was built using this site as a beta.

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

The new issue of the Hat Life Newsletter is just out.

• Did you know that feathers in hats have been a big thing in the UK and are now coming to North America – well the USA at least? (There is a great picture of a turban design with a huge feather motif  – it’s Poiret Flapper Design meets Edwardian extravagance!). (Did you know that the use of exotic feathers of some species in hats was banned during the Edwardian period – it was a big threat to some species – no joking)?

• Newcomer Molly Yestadt was featured in a Marc Jacobs show. (Her hats look “Pork Pie” inspired to me. Pork Pie Hats were made famous by vintage comedian Buster Keaton)

• Reuters recently reported that hats were heralded as a big deal on fashion runway shows for Fall 2009 clothing (wooooah)

• Hats can be a conversation piece (Would you wear a purse (handbag) on your head as designed by Isaac Mizrachi?  He has taken two of the most coveted female accessories and combined them).

I have spoken about Hat Life before. It’s a great site for resources in the Millinery Industry.

They Publish a very useful Annual Directory:
“Commonly called the Encyclopedia of the Headwear Industry, The Hat Life Directory is the world’s most popular headwear reference. This full color directory lists thousands of wholesalers, suppliers and retailers. For over 137 years it has been the must-have resource offering complete information on hat wholesaling, manufacturing, retailing, supplying, emerging trends, upcoming events and new product releases. Directory purchasers receive the printed directory PLUS online access.

I take my hat off to them for being in business for 137 years. That’s a compliment from me who rarely goes without a hat, at least when outside of the home.

You can find out more about the Hat Life Directory and its great resources by clicking on the banner at the end of this post. You will be able to sign up for a free newsletter. Please check it out. (Yes its an affiliate link but hey I have to eat LOL)

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

Finding your size for any article of clothing is a challenge and there is generally no easy way since manufacturer’s sizes vary. Standards in various countries differ also. For example, I find oriental clothing sizes are understated. A “Medium” size to a Chinese person can easily be a “small” in Canada, The USA and other parts of the world. This may also be true of other parts of the world such as in South America. I have also noticed that there is some “flexibility”in sizing when it comes to stated size for “mature” women. Well you get the idea!

Generally speaking once you have matured you can expect that your head size will stay more or less constant. The skull (cranium) is a very hard part of the skeleton for obvious reasons. All this assumes that you have not been caught by head shrinking natives, in an undiscovered part of the jungle. Of course, if this is the case finding the right hat will be least of your problems!

If you are a regular hat wearer like me you already know your hat size since you have already been in many hat shops and tried on several different hats. This is the best and funnest way to find out your hat size. You will discover that your size may be different in different styles and indeed you may wish to wear them in creative ways. The women of Bolivia wear bowler hats but they wear them too small on the top of their heads!

Very few, if any, people have perfectly circular heads. Harder hats are generally designed to allow for that. The exception would be the bowler hats used in Juggling (you see you never know which way round the hat will land on you head). You can observe varying head shapes by looking at people (don’t stare though). Different races will generally have different shape heads. On most men have larger craniums than most women and they are heavier and have a different shape. This is of course a gross oversimplification! What we seek is the “right”hat for the shape of a person’s head. This will be the subject of a future post. Indeed because people try to wear the wrong shape hat for their head they conclude that they are not hat people and cannot wear hats in general. This is erroneous.

If you really do not know your hat size the procedure is to measure the circumference of your head at its widest point. That is where will the hat sit on your head? If you have an accurate measure of the circumference of your head you should be able to find your hat size. The standard hat size in Canada and the USA is the diameter of the head.

Here is the procedure:

1. Obtain a cloth or paper tape measure (some hat stores may supply this. I was in a Tilley Store near my home and they had paper tape measures there to measure for hat sizes, in different languages yet!).
2. Measure at the largest part of the head. In the end the hat should not sit on the top of your head or over your ears. Unless of course this will be the desired effect. There is no accounting for taste!
3. The standard advice is that the measure should be approximately ½ inch (1.3 cm)  above the ears. People differ so be careful.
4. Start by sitting the tape measure at the middle of the fore head and carefully pass it around your head (you may need your honey to help you with this – or if there is no honey anybody will do!). Take care not to twist the tape measure or wind it too tight. If it is too tight you will have a lifetime of headaches! Just Joking!
5. Measure at least 3 times to make sure. (This is what they did before performing laser eye surgery on me – thank heaven!).
6. Then take down the measurement. An average size woman’s head is 22 ½ inches. Don’t freak if you have a big head – you can brag about your brains.
7. Calculate your hat size and/or look it up in tables on vendor sites.

To find your size you divide the circumference of your head by pi (Π). If you remember from your high school mathematics classes (they were a very long time ago for me) that the circumference of a circle is Πd (it is sometimes expressed as 2 Πr (where r = radius and of course the radius is one half of the diameter of the circle). Too much math already! All the on line hat vendors publish tables for hat sizes. You can find one  on Aaron’s hat site. (Go to their hat size chart on the site).

Be careful in using these tables. Manufacturers sizes do differ. It is best to consult with customer service before ordering your hat.

If this is all too much for you the Village Hat Shop has a video on its site demonstrating the measurement of hat size on a young man. He has no regular hats in his closet. He needs a hat to play in his band.

What if my hat size falls between 2 sizes?

Conventional wisdom is that you go one size up. If necessary Baron’s Hats advises that you stick some foam on the back of the sweat band inside your hat to make it fit snugly.

What if I am in Europe are the hat sizes similar?

In the UK they have their own hat sizes. We Brits do everything differently it seems! Their size is 1/8 inch smaller that the Canada/USA size. A size 7 1/8 will be a size 7 in the UK. Just go figure I do not have an explanation for this.

Elsewhere in Europe (by the way many British people still deny that they are part of “Europe”) the size is expressed in metric. A 7 1/8 would be a 57.

What if my hat is too small, what can I do about it?

If your hat is too small it may be possible to increase the size. You will have to be very careful not to stretch it out of shape. The process might be better done by professionals who have the right tools. If this was your grandmother’s favorite hat do not attempt it yourself, unless you are a milliner. I am not a milliner and I would not attempt it.

The theory is as follows. Felt hats can be stretched. Hard hats such as Derby’s and Top Hats have hard goss that can be melted to adjusted to conformateur (clearly a job for a professional!). Please be careful! Nobody, including myself will take responsibility for damage.

Just return the hat for a replacement with the right size if it is a purchase!

What if the hat is marked small, medium, large or extra large?

Hat suppliers publish useful tables that indicate what they mean by these descriptions. It is frustrating since it is really not standard for any type of clothing – if the truth is known. You have to work closely with your vendor and remember it could be different in different styles of hat. It is frustrating to be sure.

What is the “Punti System”?

The Punti size can be found by dividing the head circumference by pi + 1. This sizing system was used in Italy and England until the mid 20th century (the time when hat wearing went into a nosedive like our recent stock market crash). It was believed that the system was useful in determining the crown size for skull type hats. The mathematics are beyond me. If you know the background to this feel free to leave a comment with further information.

This information may be important if you collect vintage hats.

One manufacturer who was known to use the system was Borsalino in Italy.

……………………………………………………………

Barons Hats have been the supplier of hats to many personalities over the years. You can get the hat sizes of your favorite and not so favorite personality on their site.

Once again be careful and discuss your sizing issues with your on line vendors before ordering. Of course this is especially true for ordering custom hats where many measurements are required and you will have to work very closely with the hat maker!

The following sites were useful in doing this article:

http://baronhats.com/headsize.htm

http://www.thehatsite.com/measuring.html

http://www.hatsuk.com/hatsuk/hatsukhtml/bible/hatsize.htm

http://www.villagehatshop.com/head_size.html

http://www.hatlife.com/headsize.php

(All rights reserved)

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

Here is a list of the parts of a hat for reference. It is my first attempt and as you know I do not make hats, although my mother did make hats. Here we go The Anotomy of a Hat.

Bill

See Peak

Binding

A narrow ribbon sewn around the edge of the brim of a hat

Brim

The projection of material around the crown, often stiffened and usually horizontally around the circumference of the hat.

Crease

The indentation at the top of the crown in a hat like a fedora or cowboy hat

Crown

The portion of a hat covering the top of the head

Dent

Generally at both sides of a crown of a hat such as a fedora or cowboy hat (see the RCMP Hat)

Downturn Brim

A brim that is turned slightly down front and back while remaining straight on the sides

Eyelets

Small reinforced holes placed at the side crown of a hat (generally a stiff hat) for ventilation

Hat Band

A ribbon running around the bottom of the body of a hat around the crown

Peak

(British eng.) A stiff projection at the front of a hat to shade the wear from sun or rain

Pugaree

Used to refer to the band around a military hat (such as an Australian Slouch and the Pith Helmet)

Roll

The curature at the front of the brim of a cowboy hat

Veil

A netting (sometimes attached to a hat) used to cover the face or head of a woman (it can also be in cloth)

Visor

See also Bill, Peak

Please leave a comment if there is any other information you wish to add.

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

Here is a fun list of headgear around the alphabet. It is not comprehensive and it shows how vast is the topic of headgear. We will be dealing with many of these topics in future editions of the blog.

A.  Amish, Akubra, Ascot

B.  Beret, Bowler, Boater, Baseball cap, Billy Jack Hat, Bell Boy, Bucket, Bonnet, Bicorne

C.  Cap, Cloche, Crown, Clown Hat, Chef, Cocktail, Captain, Cavalry, Church Hat, Collapsible Hat, Cocked

D.  Dunce Cap, Derby, Deerstalker, Davy Crockey, Du-Rag

E.   Edwardian Hats, Engineer Cap, Easter Bonnet

F.   Fedora, Fez, Fisherman, Fascinator

G.  Gatsby Cap, Gaucho, Greek Fisherman, Ghutrah

H.  Homburg, Helmet, High Topper, Hard Hat, Hijab

I.   Indian Headdress

J.  James Top Hat, John Bull, Jester

K.  Kepi, Kings Crown

L.  Low Topper

M.  Mexican Sombrero, Morterboard, Mod Cap, Matador, Mushroom

N.  Newsboy Cap, Nightcap

O.  Old Navy

P.  Pork Pie, Panama Hat, Priest Hat, Pirate, Phygian, Pill Box

Q.  Quaker, Queen’s Crown, Quigley

R.  Round Top Derby, Robin Hood, RCMP

S.  Straw Hat, Ski Hat, Stove Pipe, Salem, Sir Walter, Santa, Slouch, Snood, Southwester rain hat, Sailor, Snowy River Hat, Smoking Hat, Smurf Hat

T.  Top Hat, Tam o’ Shanter, Trilby, Tricorn, Tiara, Tuque, Turban, Tyrolean, Tilley, Trucker,Trapper, Ten Gallon Hat

U.  Ushanka, U.K. Bobby Helmet

V.  Victorian Hats, Vaquero, Vuelto, Visor, Viking Helmet

W.  Wizard Hat, Witches Hat, Watch Cap, Wrap Hat, Western, Wimple, Whimsey

X.  Xmas Hats, Xian (Straw Hat)

Y.  Yarmulke, Yacht Cap

Z.  Zulu Headdress, Zuchetto, Zowie

Please send me additions to this list and I will update it from time to time.

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

Sybil Arundale (real name Sybil Kelly) born London, England  20 June 1879 & died London 5 Sep 1965. ( See link for source). Sybil was a sister of actress Grace Arundale & in 1893 the 2 girls appeared in music halls and were billed as The Sisters Arundale I found this photograph of her on a postally used postcard, mailed March 5, 1906. It is in the Milton Gossette series No 44. It was sent to Miss Ruth Mellor in Newsome, near Huddersfield England. The sender said the picture looked like her.

I was struck by the hat in the picture which seems to have been attached by two hair pins. It might be held in place with elastic to the back of the hair. Any opinions on this from professionals?  It is a design that someone could use as a basis for a design today. It is not as wild as some of the Edwardian Hats.

There have been some other postcards of Miss Sybil Arundale posted elsewhere on the Internet.

Here are a few other references: Here and here (as Dick Whittington)

No copyright of this picture is claimed. I believe it to be in the public domain,however, I am not a lawyer and can get it wrong. If you are the copyright owner please email me and I will take the image down.

I present the picture for educational purposes and in the greater interest of promoting hat wearing.

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

If you had one of those humongous Edwardian Hats it would have been a huge problem to protect it from the rain and snow. Here is an invention to do just that. It has the added bonus that you could have used it to protect from dust. I would be cautious about using an impermeable to store a hat with natural feathers. I am a believe in letting it breathe. You might also need protection from moths!

This is patent number 1,044,977 dated November 19, 1912. To quote from the application:

It is well known that nearly all kinds of trimmed hats such as are worn by ladies are liable to be more or less injured by exposure to the weather, and that it is desirable to have ready at hand some suitable means for covering such hats upon the coming up of a sudden shower.

This invention claims to be an improvement over previous designs. You have to be careful if you want to use ideas from these patents as it is very likely they have been improved upon and used in subsequent designs which would have then be newly patented. I am presenting this information for entertainment and information and NOT as legal advice (I am not a lawyer for one thing).

I repeat this information from my previous postings

If you are interested in patent protection you should visit the US Patent Office site. I did not research the patent laws as they applied in 1910. The bottom line is that provided you comply with certain conditions such as continuous filing with prescribed fees, under current laws you are protected for 10 years (twenty years prior to 1989). I am NOT a lawyer and I am definitely not giving you any legal advice. It’s complicated and before you assume you are in the clear you need to research similar patents that might be in force that “improve”on an earlier patent that may not be in force, such as the one in this post. In addition these patent and indeed, copyright (a different thing) laws are different even among the developed nations. So take care!

It is an interesting question as to whether hats can be worn in the rain or snow in general. I plan a future post on this question. Stay tuned.

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

This is a guest post from Susan Beausang who sells headwear she has designed for women with medical hair loss. Thanks for the contribution Susan – Great work on this worthy cause. Please check out her site.

Think they’re just for grandmothers in the Polish countryside? Think again. Head scarves are not only one of fashion’s most versatile accessories, they have timeless appeal.

The headscarf is an intimate, personal accessory with which you can create your own unique fashion statement.  Whether you want a polished and elegant look, a casual bohemian flair, or a stay-in-place exercise accessory, 4Women.com has a head scarf for you.  Called “BeauBeaus,”   they were designed by Susan Beausang in a determined effort to be re-establish her sense of style and dignity after losing all her hair due to Alopecia Universalis. Having always been fashion-conscious, she wanted to be noticed for her unique style, not her bald head.  Not only were wigs hot and uncomfortable, she felt like she was hiding under them.  Rather than hide her head and changing identity, Susan designed a scarf with which she could make a fashion statement.  As a result, BeauBeaus are a perfect accessory for any fashion-conscious woman looking to create a style that is truly her own.

Many women shy away from head scarves, thinking they’re difficult to tie or not going to stay put.  The BeauBeau is designed to address both of those issues.  They’re “pre-tied” with an elastic band.  Once on your head, they look like they’ve been tied and styled by a pro, when in fact they’re as easy to put on as a baseball cap.  They’re also designed with long flowing tails, for a feminine look, or gathered with the elastic scrunchie.  For those who like to change their look often, these scarves come with options.  Gather the fabric at the back of the neck or slightly at the side, a la Parisiene.  The BeauBeau never slips, needs no readjustments, and comes in a wide array of fabrics and patterns.  From “Color Me Classy,” soft charmeuse printed in rich brown, lavender and burgundy, to Black and Bloom, a smart classic black and white print.  There is a fabric, style and color combination for everyone and every occasion.  How about the Pampered Headwarmer, a luscious combination of cotton jersey and cashmere?  Going running?  Try the Aqua Power exercise scarf, a stylish lycra-blend scarf with just the right amount of stretch when working out.  You may want to simply complement your hair style with a Transitional scarf, a headband with the same great pre-tied design and available in the same beautiful fabrics.

It’s no wonder that celebrities and fashion icons continue to promote head scarves as a timeless must-have accessory.  While head scarves are NOT just for women with medical hair loss, it’s nice to know that there are stylish and comfortable headwear options for those of us who refuse to surrender our style and dignity along with our hair.

Medical hair loss in women is often poorly understood and misdiagnosed.  Even when the true cause is known, there is little acknowledgment of the deep emotional impacts on women.  Fortunately, women with medical hair loss are reaching out to each other and creating resource and support groups.  Some especially helpful resources and advice can be found at:

National Alopecia Areata Foundation www.naaf.org
Alopecia World  www.alopeciaworld.com
Her Alopecia www.heralopecia.com
Bald Girls do Lunch www.baldgirlsdolunch.org

Susan M. Beausang, President
The BeauBeau: “Beautiful Scarves for Beautiful Heads”
www.4women.com

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

The cloche hat is a fitted bell shaped hat. It is normally made of felt. “Cloche” is the French word for bell.

They were very popular in the 1920s and early 1930s. Quite a change from the very large flamboyant hats of the pre war Edwardian era.

Here are some fun period photographs from my local Antique market showing cloches.

Even the young children are wearing cloches. The men’s hats are stylish too but we will get to them another time. I spot the straw boater and the Homburg – very elegant.

The cloche was usually (an still is) worn low on the head but there is a variant style where the brim flares out. It is, of course, the signature flapper hat.

Caroline Reboux has been attributed as the designer of the cloche hat. By all accounts she was a well known and well respected milliner in the late 19 th century and early 20th century. Apparently she would measure the size of the felt hat on a custom basis to a customer’s head.

Madame Reboux was attributed as the first milliner to add a veil to a hat in the 1920s. I would have liked to have met her. A very stylish lady! One of her famous clients was a complete role model of mine – the one and only Marlene Dietrich. She apparently had her trade mark berets designed and made by the house of Reboux.

Cloches are very popular today. They actually flatter the faces of many people who feel that they cannot cannot wear hats generally since wide brims do not flatter their head shape. Here is a Betmar cloche, kind courtesy of Aaron Hats.

This is described in their catalogue as::

Elegant and chic Betmar’s newest Italian cloche trimmed with a thin patent band and patent covered buckle. The brim is a bit longer on one side adding to the allure. Easy to wear and perfect to flirt from beneath. Made in Italy.

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

If you are like me you have a huge collection of hats and are constantly on the look out for hat boxes. Hat boxes are often not found at milliners or hat shops. I bought a very expensive hat and it was given to me in a very flimsy box. Most hats are easily crushed and need proper protection. Please make sure you pack them securely with tissue paper.

The picture above shows some boxes that were not purchased from hat stores.

The red stripe box on the bottom was purchased from Indigo Books, a bookstore in Toronto. The middle brown box, marked “wreath box” was purchased at Winners, a sort of mini Wal Mart, in Toronto. The green box on top was purchased at Second Cup in Toronto. Second Cup is a chain of coffee shops.

The red striped box box is quite large at  15 3/4 inches in diameter and 8 inches in height. It holds a large hat. The box is from Indigo on sale and cost a little over $15 Canadian, on sale. Indigo also had smaller sizes.

The brown box is a medium sized box at 17 7/8 inches in diameter. But it is only 6 3/8 inches in height. It does hold a wide brim hat with a low profile. Remember it is intended to store a wreath. It was purchased from Winners store for around $15 Canadian

The green box comes from a coffee shop called Second Cup, it’s their large size. It cost around $12 Canadian. As hat boxes go it’s small. You can fit an average size military hat into the box. It measures 12 3/4 inches diameter and is 5 1/2 inches in height.

As you are hectically Christmas Shopping look for your hat boxes in all the strange places. You might get some bargain hat boxes in post-Christmas sales. Please let us know where you got your boxes. Were they called something else – like “wreath boxes”?  And please send us pictures and information.

You might get really lucky and get a gift packed in a hat box.

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

The Tam o’ Shanter is a Scottish bonnet  originally worn by men. However, women have adopted a form of this hat and it is often known as a “Tam” or a “Tammy”.

The hat is named after the Robbie Burns poem Tam o’  Shanter, written in 1790 and six pages long; this is regarded as a classic like many things by Burns. The poem is often illustrated by a character wearing a hat in this style. You can read the original and a translation on the Robert Burns UK site.

The hat is usually made of wool and has a pompon ( known as a toorie) in the centre. It is quite a floppy type of hat with the crown sometimes twice the diameter of the head. They are available in many colours and tartans. Originally they were dyed blue ( the famous “blue bonnets”), owing to the limitation of available dyes.

The Tam is referred to as a “bonnet” from old French ( and not as a “beret”) although it does not look like the very fashionable bonnet worn by ladies in the late 18th. and early 19th. centuries (reminiscent of Marie Antoinette) . A beret on the other hand refers to a rounder more tighter fitting hat. This is confusing – just call it a “Tam”.

The Scottish Tam o’Shanter is sometimes worn with a feather plume that is known as a “hackle”. This plume adornment is now mostly worn by bandsmen (or perhaps women as well?).

Here is a charming photograph of a baby wearing a Tam complete with hackle. It was originally a cabinet card from late Victorian vintage. The baby is posing in a lovely wicker baby carriage (“pram” as we called them in Britain). It’s a great image. Probably the baby carriage was a prop in the photographer’s studio. Of course, babies did not generally wear Tams complete with plume – that would be a bit unsafe don’t you think?

The Tam is very popular  in Scottish Regiments and was worn as battle dress in World War II. Of course, don’t confuse this with the beret made famous by Field Marshal (Monty) Montgomery. During the War they were plain khaki but now the dress Tams are more stylish.

I am obliged to various pages of the Wikipedia for some of the information in this posting. Their articles are interesting but vary in quality.

Women wear a form of Tam This one is made by Betmar, picture courtesy of Aaron hats.

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

Here is the translation of hat into many languages. I saved the file as an image rather than Word output. I hope that it works this time.

I obtained the translations from various free sources. I was surprised that the Japanese and Chinese characters came out the same but I checked it in other sources. Please let me know of errors. My word processor could not handle Hindi for some reason.

Open in a new window for better reading.

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

I found this great item at Aaron hats. They call it the “Hat Can”‘. Not very romantic but functional. It is a box to take your hat with you. If you have a great hat to wear to a wedding you do not want to get it crushed in transit. It reminds me of the nostalgic days of stagecoach travel when elegant ladies would pile hat box upon hat box. Hats were an essential part of daily wear. Let’s bring that back and soon. It takes a hat with a 4 inch brim. Don’t know what that is in metric.

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

The answers all relate to hats.

1. What is the expression for not divulging a secret?
2. Another way of saying collecting money for on on behalf of someone (not whip round!)?
3. Admiring someone for doing something?
4. Speaking nonsense?
5. Doing some thing on the slightest provocation or pretext?
6. Going to see some one humbly?
7. What is a “tile”?
8. To enter a race for a political office or contest?
9. A gesture of respect by a man to a woman.
10. What is the Cockney term meaning hat?
11. What is the Cockney term for outdoing or defeating?
12. What does the Cockney term Woolly hat and scarf mean?
13. When I do this I am being snobbish or aloof
14. Meaning to have many occupations or functions
15. A really confident way of expressing the confidence in a particular outcome
16. Meaning really old fashioned or outmoded
17. An expression warning someone of a big surprise
18. In Texas, an individual who talks a good game, but is suspect in terms of actually delivering on his promises is said to be…
19. What kind of a person is a “cocked hat” in Cockney Slang?
20. What is the expression for three goals in a soccer game?

Answers

1. “Keep it under your hat”
2. Passing the hat around – collecting money for someone for charity or at a performance
3. Take one’s hat off to someone – for an accomplishment – “Hats off to Larry” Del Shannon for example.
4. “Talking through your hat”
5. Doing it at “the drop of a (your) hat”
6. Going to someone “hat in hand”
7. A “tile” is a gentleman’s Hat – from the late 19th century early 20th century- thought to be a Top Hat from the song “Where did you get that hat, where did you get that Tile?”
8. To “Throw your hat into the ring”
9. To tip or briefly remove your hat as a gesture of respect
10. “Titfer” is slang for hat – tit for tat
11. “Knock into a cocked hat” – well a bit lost in translation!
12. Wooly hat and scarf is “laugh”
13. When I get on “My High Hat”I am being snobbish presumably referring to high class top hats in the 19th century.
14. To “wear many hats”.
15. If you say that you will “Eat your hat” if something does or does not happen you are sure since it would not be too appetizing.
16. “Old Hat”
17. “Hang or hold on to your hat if you are in for a big surprise”. This could refer to an Edwardian Lady who chose to wear her hat at a fun fair!
18. “All hat and no cattle” – do you know a Texan who is like that?
19. A “cocked hat”is a very untrustworthy person – an informer, a rat or a “grasser”
20. Three goals is a “hat trick” – it has been used in other arenas

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.

We are off to the races! I hope this is going to be the beginning of a beautiful friendship. If you have been following Hat Nostalgia welcome. Here is the place where it is OK (and even required) to wear many hats.

In this blog I will be looking at all aspects of hats. We will be going through basic information, history, fashion, millinery, personalities who wear hats well (now and in the past), great hat moments in the cinema and all kinds of stuff so stay tuned and do not miss a moment. Please sign up for e-mails and/or the RSS feed (see the top right hand corner of the home page).

I will not be transferring the Hat Nostalgia posts over to this blog. Over the next several months I will be including some of the old material, revamped where necessary. The old site will be kept alive with one post of a picture or video a week for at least three months. I want to give it time to become established.

Thank you for your patience everybody. I bit the bullet and brought the blog over to its own site. First of all I had to be convinced it is a good idea and secondly I had to learn the ropes. Thirdly I wanted to get off on a firm foundation and I did a lot of testing to see if everything was set up OK. In the beginning I just went out signed up for a Blogger account and started writing. I learned a lot of stuff as I went along and of course I had wished I had done certain things when I first started.

I will not go into the ins and outs of this process you probably just want to talk about hats. You may be wondering how this blog thing works anyway and is it possible sometime in the future to make some money from this writing. That’s a great goal in uncertain times. Frankly I am only just beginning and I am not able to retire on money from this blog or my other blog on accounting. I can see a time when there will be some cash flows. I am in the Blog Mastermind program presented by Yaro Starek. My first introduction to Yaro was through his free e-book. I signed on to his course, which includes a forum and other materials by the way. I am glad I did because I am getting increased confidence and invaluable knowledge and I am sharing this with the other members of Yaro’s program. If you are curious about blogging or you know someone who might be please follow the link below and download the free e-book. (You can share this posting by clicking “Share This”and selecting from the options. There is no obligation to buy anything and you will learn a great deal including why Yaro favours the free standing site like this one over Blogger (where my old site was hosted).

There is another resource on blogging that Yaro has started with his friend Gideon. These are videos on becoming a blogger and some very useful tips. The videos are dummy proof they have taught me such things as file transfer protocols. Whoaa. They show you things step by step. That’s what I like and I think so do all newbies. Too many resources on the internet do not take you through step by step. Also Gideon and Yaro are very honest about the work involved – yes it is a lot! This is no way to quick riches and you have to love (or a least be interested in) what you are writing about. You can take a free look at the introductory videos at this link
http://www.becomeablogger.com/go.php?offer=darla01&pid=3&u=http://www.becomeablogger.com/

WARNING: The program is in the first week and there is an excellent introductory rate. It will be over in a few days and the price will increase – really. So please check it out. These are excellent materials and Gideon and Yaro work their hearts out to put it together.

Well I hope you are all as excited as I am about the new site and things to come.

Please comment often and give me you ideas and suggestions.

©2012 Many Hatty Returns. All Rights Reserved.