Hat Help Please!

[Sabrina Black]

I want to make a flat cap for myself, and I have Simplicity pattern 4059, which is for a man's hat. Is there a difference in men and women's flat caps or is it ok to use this pattern for myself? Also, the pattern says to use chamois cloth (which I haven't used, but it's a type of leather right?). Can anyone recommend other fabrics I can use for this hat?

[Kate XXXXXX]

I can't see any reason why not, though you might want to make it smaller...

[amy]

I've never seen a difference in the flat caps worn by men and women.. I would certainly use the same pattern as long as it fits.   I have used ultra suede fabric instead of chamois cloth and it is so easy to work with and comes out looking great!   You can get it in almost any color imaginable.

[gem]

What they said. You might trace the band pattern onto another piece of paper (wrapping paper is good) and test the fit before you commit to it.

And you are free to use whatever fabric you like! The fabric guidelines on the pattern are only a starting point, to give you a sense of the weight of the fabric that will work best. I honestly don't know where I'd buy "chamois cloth" (which I'm guessing is faux chamois, not actual leather), but I'd use any of the following for a flat cap: microsuede like Amy recommended, cotton velveteen (probably not velvet, if you're a beginner, as it's fuss to work with), home dec fabrics, damask, tapestry, cotton twill, or corduroy. Those should all be really easy to find at your local fabric store.  

One of the merchants at our local fair uses their leftover bodice and doublet fabrics to make hats and pouches, so your options are wide open here! You could even use different fabrics for the brim and crown (not historically accurate, as far as I'm aware, but it can be a fun look)--a solid corduroy for the brim and a coordinating tapestry for the top, for example.

Do a Google image search for "Renaissance flat cap" to get ideas. Here's a picture, for instance, of two fabrics like I was just describing above!

Good luck!

ETA: Ok, I just Googled "chamois cloth," and apparently it's a really heavy cotton flannel. Which would work for a flat cap, but I think the other suggestions would be more fun!

[Sabrina Black]

Great! Thanks everyone, this is a huge help! This will be my first sewn hat so I'm really excited 

[bookwench]

I've made flat caps out of lots of different fabrics, quite often all in the same hat!  And flat caps were worn by both sexes, from all stations of life - just a matter of how fancy the fabrics were.

[Butch]

I recommend the 4059 pattern for the cap, and I have made at least four using this pattern.  I really like the results of the 4059 flat cap; however, I do not gather the crown material into the brim.  Instead, I knife pleat it evenly around the brim.  To me, it looks better.

You can use any fabric on this!  I use a sythetic black felt as an extra layer for the brim (for stiffness).

I'm actually going to make a more humble version of this cap, and reduce the brim's diameter by 1 inch (and likewise the crown).

Oh!  One last thing, be sure to make a liner for this cap, it helps with the look of the crown.

Good luck!