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On the subject of hats

Started by Epona, March 27, 2015, 11:40:41 PM

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Epona

I'd like to get a felt hat for my garb, and was wondering what styles I should search for when looking outside "ren" sources that can be used or easily repurposed for use in garb.

isabelladangelo

#1
For women's hats:  I really like just wearing my coif and forehead cloth when I'm actually wearing a hat.  A bit more on coifs.  I wear the coif under any other hats I might have for the most part.  This is actually to protect the hat from any oils in my hair and it makes hats way easier to pin to the top of your head.  They are super easy to make and you can probably do it out of scrap material.  I buy up the linen remnants at Joanns all the time to make coifs - the remnants are almost always 50% off. 

For something specifically like you are looking for, there are also a lot of wool flat caps in the 16th Century.  You might be able to find a golfing hat that is similar to re-purpose.  It just needs to be round and the brim shouldn't extend beyond the cap's crown.  (The pictures will make more sense in the link)

Another option if you want to go away from the felt idea is straw hats.  Something without a bowl shaped crown (either flat or pointed) tends to be better but straw hats of any kind work well for lower class/middle class garb and are easy enough to find anywhere.  My thrift store has gazillion straw hats right now.  You want the big brimmed ones.  I have three or four for Renn garb alone.   Mainly there is always someone who thinks that they don't need sunscreen and end up needing to cover up as much as possible for the rest of the season after turning into a lobster. ;-)

Rowan MacD

#2
  I second the straw hat idea; it's like wearing a parasol.   Your face, neck, and chest will thank you.




   Now that it's almost summer, it's time for a reminder:  Some of the younger girls (and guys) are pretty careless about sunburn; you see dozens of severe bodice burns, and red,  peeling cheeks and foreheads.
  I don't know what these people see when they look in the mirror; but it's not attractive, cute or a 'badge of honor'.

  If you are a certain age (less than 30) this will probably fall on deaf ears;  but a bit of caution now will save you a bunch of grief once you are in your 30's and 40's and beyond.  Sunscreen AND a hat or parasol are needed if you are out in direct sunlight for longer than an hour TOTAL each day.
   Depending on your skin tone; the sun damage from your teens and 20's will start showing up on your skin, usually by age 30, as large freckles, wrinkles and leathery skin. (and not just on your face)  The damage is permanent, and no amount of creams or exfoliation will help much, once the skin had thickened and the melatonin in the exposed skin has permanently changed color.
   If you start protecting your skin (as I did) in your mid 20's you can minimize the damage, but the longer the exposure continues, the worse your skin will look later on. 
  Nearly everybody knows someone who is still in their 30's,  who tanned regularly, or allowed themselves to get well burned at least once per year, and now look like they are 2 decades older than they are.   
    Besides the very real risk of Melanoma-the sun can, and does seriously (and permanently) damage your youthful looks. **end public service announcement**
What doesn't kill me-had better run.
IWG wench #3139 
19.7% FaireFolk pure-80.3% FaireFolk corrupt

gem

...This is NOT on the subject of hats (Sorry, Epona!), but I now put on my sunscreen BEFORE getting dressed. It keeps it off the clothes, for one thing, but it's also easier just to cover everything, even if there's very little chance of sun exposure. It helps prevent things like... the time I wore this ensemble, which has no hat, and forgot to sunscreen my chest... on the very first weekend of fair.  :o That was a nice look, all the rest of that season.  ::)

***
Back on the subject of hats, I agree about coifs/cauls/snoods! They instantly make any ensemble look more period, and if you have a small head like I do, also make hats fit better.

Lady Kathleen of Olmsted

Isabella gives wonderful suggestions on Straw hats. Anything with a wider brim to curb some of the effects of the sun. Plus, they are versatile for Middle class wear.

I dress in Noble garb and am covered up from neck to toe. My hats have some brim on them, but I also carry along a parasol to keep the sun off me. A dab of sunscreen on my nose and around the eyes, but not too close.
"As with Art as in Life, nothing succeeds like excess.".....Oscar Wilde

Rowan MacD

 I dress as a noble;  and my chest stays covered to my chin, the same as Lady K.    I think I have a parasol in just about every color now. ;D   

   The low-cut  dresses, with lots of cleavage on display usually seen at faire, is the look I call 'noble wench'.   Emphasis on 'sexy' over 'noble'.
   Nothing wrong with dressing that way (if you're not on cast); but it's not the least bit period or accurate.  Even middle class and peasant women stayed mostly covered up in public during the middle ages.
What doesn't kill me-had better run.
IWG wench #3139 
19.7% FaireFolk pure-80.3% FaireFolk corrupt

Epona

Hehe, I use sunscreen AND coconut oil at faire ;)

Epona

Also, quick question. I see these metal cone bits everybody and my uncle's monkey has their feathers in on their hats. What are these and what are they called?

isabelladangelo


Hoowil

I generally use a wide brim felt hat, which I found at a faire locally. Price wise, it was about three times the price I've found straw hats new, which is something to consider. The other is the heat. The wide brim is great for keeping the sun off me, but it is quite literally like wrapping a wool blanket around the top of my head, and get very hot, and until I can get around to lining it, it gets a bit scratchy and smelly as I sweat, and the brim gets progressively soft as it heats, and can get a little floppy. If you do want the felt, look for hat blanks, they can have the brims trimmed to size, or you can add trim, or fold sides, etc. I act as a longbow archer, so I keep one side pinned up to clear the bowstring.

Aglets can be found at most fabric/craft stores, usually around the beeding stuff, or you can sometimes find bolo tie ends. They'll usually crimp or glue on.
Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy and taste good with catsup.

Rowan MacD

  I just remembered:
  Look in the craft supplies at Hobby Lobby for the big straw hats.  I found two blanks there one year for about $5.00 each. They last about one season, but that's good for the price....
What doesn't kill me-had better run.
IWG wench #3139 
19.7% FaireFolk pure-80.3% FaireFolk corrupt