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Hat

A hat is an item of clothing Clothing

Clothing is defined, in its broadest sense, as coverings for the torso and limbs as well as coverings fo... 

 which is worn on the head Head

In anatomy [i], the head of an animal [i] is the rostral [i] part that usually comprises the brain [i], ... 

  a kind of headgear Headgear

Headgear, headwear or headdress is the name given to any element of clothing [i] which is wo ... 

. Hats are differentiated from caps by being more elaborate; hats have a high crown, a brim, or both and are larger than caps. A hat may be either placed on the head or, in the case of some women's hats, secured with hat-pins . Many hats are intended only for men or for women, while other hats are fashionable on both sexes. Purveyors of men's hats are called hatters and purveyors of ladies' hats are called milliners.

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A hat is an item of clothing Clothing

Clothing is defined, in its broadest sense, as coverings for the torso and limbs as well as coverings fo... 

 which is worn on the head Head

In anatomy [i], the head of an animal [i] is the rostral [i] part that usually comprises the brain [i], ... 

 – a kind of headgear Headgear

Headgear, headwear or headdress is the name given to any element of clothing [i] which is wo ... 

. Hats are differentiated from caps by being more elaborate; hats have a high crown, a brim, or both and are larger than caps. A hat may be either placed on the head or, in the case of some women's hats, secured with hat-pins . Many hats are intended only for men or for women, while other hats are fashionable on both sexes. Purveyors of men's hats are called hatters and purveyors of ladies' hats are called milliners.

Physical attributes


Hats are made from a variety of materials, including wool Wool

Wool is the fibre derived from the fur [i] of animals of the Caprinae [i] family, principally sheep [i] ... 

, fur Fur

The term fur refers to the body hair [i] of non-human mammal [i]s also known as the pelage [i] . ... 

, felt Felt

History
Felt is a non-woven cloth that is produced by matting, condensing and pressing fibers.... 

, twill Twill

Twill is a type of fabric [i] woven [i] with a pattern of diagonal parallel ribs.
... 

, canvas, leather Leather

Leather is a material created through the tanning [i] of hide [i]s, pelt [i]s and skin [i]s of animal [i] ... 

 and straw Straw

Straw is an agricultural byproduct, the dry [i] of a cereal [i] plant, after the nutrient [i] ... 

. Fabric, leather and straw hats are specially constructed to be a certain shape. Most felt, straw, and some fabric hats differ only by cosmetics, determined by how the hat is blocked, or shaped by a mold or by hand. Blocking the hat shapes the crown by applying steam Steam

In physical chemistry [i], and in engineering [i], steam refers to vaporized water [i]. ... 

 to the material to soften the fabric and, once finished and dried, fix the shape of the hat. If the hat's material is strong enough, it often can be reblocked to another shape. They also come in many sizes.
Felt hats also vary by stiffness, depending on how much shellac Shellac

Shellac is a brittle or flaky secretion of the lac insect [i] Coccus lacca [i], found in the forests ... 

 is applied to the felt. Additionally, many soft wool felt hats are crushable or packable, meaning that the material can return to and hold its original shape even after being folded and put in a suitcase Suitcase

The French [i] variation of the word is Portmanteau [i].
... 

. Hats that are not explicitly advertised as such should never be folded as they may be permanently damaged. Some straw hats can also rolled up to fit in a tube. Such a rolling practice was done for unblocked Panama hats Panama hat

A Panama hat or just Panama is a traditional brimmed hat [i] that is made from the plaited leaves... 

, resulting in a distinctive crown with a narrow outward lengthwise crease.

Due to the round stiff nature of most hats, special hat boxes were created to store them when not in use. They are simple cylindrical cardboard Cardboard

Cardboard is a lay term used to describe a variety of heavy wood-based types of paper [i] notable for th ... 

 boxes with a fitted lid and are often covered in colored printed paper Paper

Paper is a thin, flat material produced by the amalgamation of plant fibre [i]s, which are subsequently ... 

. Several hats may be stacked upon each other if they are of similar sizes and styles. It is important to support the hat by the sweatband to prevent distortion of the brim by either stuffing the crown with tissue paper or using something to approximate a head.

A hat may also have a "snap" brim. In this case, the brim is constructed so that the front or back can be turned up or down or in alternate directions and hold this shape. Some hats may also feature a wire in the edge of the brim so that the wearer may shape the brim in any way possible.

Hat Sizes

When a hat is made, it is also blocked to a certain hat size. Generally, less expensive hats will be a named size such as small, medium, large, and extra large. Finer hats are more strictly fitted to a person's head and have a numerical size.

Metric hat sizes are simply the distance around the persons head measured in centimeters, usually rounded up to the next centimeter if the measurement falls between the centimeter marks.

American hat sizes are similar, but the distance is measured in inches and then divided by pi Pi

The mathematical constant [i] p is an irrational [i] real number [i], approximately eq ... 

. More specifically: the American numerical hat size is merely the average diameter Diameter

n geometry [i], a diameter of a circle [i] is any straight line segment [i] that passes through the cen ... 

 of the head, determined by measuring the circumference of a person's head about 1/2 inch Inch

An inch is the name of a unit [i] of length [i] in a number of different systems, ... 

  above the ears, dividing by pi Pi

The mathematical constant [i] p is an irrational [i] real number [i], approximately eq ... 

, and rounding to the nearest centimeter or eighth inch. Also note that in the UK United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a country and sovereign state [i] tha ... 

, an equivalent hat size is an eighth inch smaller than in the US United States

The United States of America, also known as the United States, the U.S., the U.S.A., a... 

. Some hats will stretch a size or two, but this can not be depended on for sizing purposes unless previous experience with the model of hat in question indicates that it will stretch.

Hat Size Shapes


The hat is also formed to be a specific shape. This is just as important as the size, as heads vary in length, width, and lumps! Some people have round heads, other elongated ovals. The shape can only truly be measured using specialised tools such as a conformateur. Shapes can include:

  • Round oval
  • Regular oval
  • Long oval
  • X-Long oval
  • XX-Long oval
  • XXX-Long oval

Parts of a hat

  • Crown - the portion of a hat covering the top of the head.
  • Brim - a projection of stiff material from the bottom of the hat's crown horizontally all around the circumference of the hat
  • Sweatband - the inside part of the hat, this is the part which touches the top of the wearer's head
  • Hatband - a leather Leather

    Leather is a material created through the tanning [i] of hide [i]s, pelt [i]s and skin [i]s of animal [i] ... 

     strip, ribbon Ribbon

    A ribbon is a thin band of flexible material, typically cloth [i] but also plastic [i] or sometimes metal [i] ... 

    , or string at the intersection of the crown and brim to hold the hat's size.
  • Peak or visor - A projection of stiff material on the front of some hats to shade the eyes.

Maintenance

As with any other form of clothing, hats inevitably get dirty. Soft cotton or canvas hats can be cleaned as if they were regular clothing. Leather must be cleaned with special leather cleaning compounds. Straw hats can be cleaned with a mild detergent Detergent

[i], or a mixture of compounds, intended to assist [[cleaning]... 

 and water Water

Water is a taste [i]less, odor [i]less substance that is essential to all known forms of life [i] and i ... 

. Felt hats can be cleaned with a soft hat brush Brush

The term brush refers to a variety of devices mainly with bristle [i]s, wire or other filament of any po ... 

 for dust Dust

Dust is a general name for minute solid [i] particles with diameter [i] less than 500 micrometers [i] ... 

, a damp towel Towel

A towel is a piece of [i] fabric [i] or paper [i] used for drying o ... 

 for dirt, or ginger use of very fine sandpaper Sandpaper

Sandpaper is a form of paper [i] where an abrasive [i] material has been fixed to its surface; it is par ... 

 for persistent stains. Note that excessive use of sandpaper will permanently damage the hat.

Major hat styles


  • Cowboy hat Stetson

    Stetson hats or Stetsons are often known as cowboy hat [i]s. ... 

    : Though thought of as a consistent style, cowboy hats are simply highly rugged and utilitarian hats. Made of felt or straw, they feature large brims to protect against rain and sun and some are even designed to hold water in the crown. Common styles include a safari style brim or a brim sharply curved up on either side. The last brim style has the effect of lowering the front of the brim to better protect the wearers eyes from the sun.
  • Sun hat: Generally made from straw, cloth, or both and featuring an excessively large downturned brim, this style is simply designed to keep off the sun for gardening, yard work, or lounging.


  • Urban wear hat: Hats found in urban or suburban areas are intended to be more fashionable than functional. They have smaller brims of three or fewer inches and are flashy and made to stand out. A typical hat found in the city has an upturned back and downturned front, a wide grosgrain hatband, neatly tied, and an optional feather. The upturned back is an innovation to prevent the collar of the wearer's coat from hitting the hat.


Additionally, if the wearer often uses a rifle Rifle

A rifle is a firearm [i] with a stock and a barrel that has a spiral groove or grooves cut into its int ... 

, pickaxe Pickaxe

A pickaxe is a hand tool [i] with a hard head attached perpendicular [i] to the handle.
... 

, or shovel Shovel

A shovel is a tool [i] for lifting and moving loose material such as coal [i], gravel [i], snow [i], soil [i] ... 

, the side that the implement is used on will be folded up and pinned or clipped to the crown to avoid knocking one's hat off.

Types of hats



  • Anthony Eden hat
  • Akubra Akubra

    The Akubra hat [i] is a distinctive part of Australian culture [i]. ... 

  • Beret Beret

    A beret is a soft round cap [i], usually of wool felt [i], with a flat crown, which is worn by both men... 

  • Bonnet
  • Bicorne Bicorne

    The Bicorne is an archaic form of hat [i], or headgear [i], associated with the late 18th and early 19t ... 

  • Bowler hat Bowler hat

    -

||-
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The bowler hat is a hard [i] felt [i] hat [i] with a rounded crown created for Thomas Coke, 2nd Earl of Leicester of Holkham [i] ... 


  • Bucket hat Bucket hat

    A bucket hat is a soft cotton [i] hat [i] with a wide and downwards sloping brim which is worn by both m... 

  • Cocked hat Cocked hat

    [i], worn by certain civilian, [[Army|military]... 

  • Conical hat
  • Cowboy hat Stetson

    Stetson hats or Stetsons are often known as cowboy hat [i]s. ... 

  • Fedora Fedora (hat)

    The fedora is a soft felt [i] hat [i] that is creased lengthwise down the crown and pinched in the front ... 

  • Fez
  • Flat Cap Flat cap

    A flat cap, also variously called a cloth cap, 'bunnet, 'golf cap, 'scone bunnet, '... 

  • Homburg
  • Karakul
  • Kolpik Kolpik

    Kolpik is a type of traditional headgear worn in families of many Chassidic [i] Rebbes [i], by unmarried ... 

  • Pagg
  • Panama hat Panama hat

    A Panama hat or just Panama is a traditional brimmed hat [i] that is made from the plaited leaves... 

  • Pork pie hat Pork pie hat

    A pork pie hat or porkpie hat is a felt hat, similar to a Trilby [i], dating from the mid 19th century [i] ... 

  • Shtreimel Shtreimel

    A Shtreimel is a fur hat worn by many married Haredi Jewish [i] men, particularly members ... 

  • Spodik Spodik

    A spodik is a tall fur hat worn by some Haredi [i] Hasidic Jews [i], particularly member ... 

  • Sombrero Sombrero

    A sombrero is a type of hat [i] originating in Mexico [i]. ... 

  • Top hat
  • Tricorne Tricorne

    The tricorne is a style of hat [i] that was popular during the 18th century [i], falling out of style sh... 

  • Trilby Trilby

    A trilby or trilby hat is a soft felt [i] men's hat [i] with a narrow brim and a deeply indented c ... 

  • Ushanka Ushanka

    An ushanka is a Russian [i] fur [i] cap [i] with ear flaps that can be tied up to the crown [i] ... 

  • For more hats, see List of hats and headgear.

See also

  • Headgear Headgear

    Headgear, headwear or headdress is the name given to any element of clothing [i] which is wo ... 

     for more detail on motivations for wearing a hat and types of hats.
  • Tin-foil hat Tin-foil hat

    A tin-foil hat , also tinfoil hat, is a general term for a piece of headgear [i] made from one or ... 

  • Chapeaugraphy
  • Red hat Red Hat

    Red Hat, Inc. is one of the largest and most recognized companies dedicated to open source [i] software [i] ... 

  • Red Hat Society
  • The Theory of the Six Thinking Hats

External links

  • has a wide range of hat category
  • has a Hat Bible and other resources.
  • descriptions and histories of many popular hats.




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