In Praise of Hats

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

presta

Legendary Member
For most of my life I've hated wearing hats, and haven't done so, but as I got older I found that I couldn't tolerate the cold any more without a woolly hat. 'Proper' sun hats are too hot in the sun, so I used to use a knotted hankie until I got fed up of tying the knots, then I made a sun hat from a sewn up hankie without the need for any knots. I have a couple of woolly balaclavas which I cycled in when the weather was really cold.
 
I'm limited on hats because of a large head (66cm). Beanies in winter aren't too difficult to find to fit. In summer sun, in recent years I too have worn a Tilley hat as on page 1 of this thread. My daughter recommended it because they do a proper range of sizes, at least in some designs.
 
In this weather without a beenie, my last 2 braincells would freeze.
I also have baseball caps for summer to.keep the sun out of my eyes and stop those 2 braincells melting. I did have a fedora but the washing machine killed it. I still have an Aussie leather bush hat (without the conkers) for days when it's slashing down or outdoors walking.
Me likes hats ^_^

It's usually corks not conkers designed to chase flies when you turn your head.
 
OP
OP
simongt

simongt

Guru
Location
Norwich
Okay, in my wee collection; three einheitfeldmutzen, one bergmutze, two trilbys, one straw trilby, two billycocks, one purple topper, one dressage, one GDR ushanka and one Russian ushanka. :laugh:
 
Is your surname Merrick, perchance?
No. Large heads inevitably exist, because heads come in different sizes and so clearly some will be on the extreme ends. And most manufacturers will naturally make for the middle 95%, on economic grounds.

When I was a student, I came across a rider from Exeter University who had a similar issue with foot size. He rode one student championship on rubber pedals, having trained himself to do everything including hiking in bare feet. As a student, he couldn't afford hand-made shoes.
 

PeteXXX

Cake or ice cream? The choice is endless ...
Location
Hamtun
PC310122-1.JPG


Left to right.. Bonnie ~ ice cream ~ Tilley 👍
 
OP
OP
simongt

simongt

Guru
Location
Norwich
Check the Hat Historian on YouTube.
Not many 'items of world headwear' he hasn't covered yet and he goes into intriguing detail about the various backgrounds & origins of said headwear that he discusses.
Definitely worth a look if you like hats - ! :okay:
 
I generally wear some kind of cap or hat outside my flat; I don't really understand why the practice isn't so widespread; they're very helpful keeping sun or rain out of my face and eyes. I expect it's because people generally travel in cars, so they have a sort of wheeled roof over their heads. I suspect this is also why I destroy normal shoes: they're built to cross the car park to the office, not be used on a bike in all seathers. Anyway

Work hat is a variation on this. Green, brown black or grey usually:

arjha03101_castro,p_gpb0_frt1.jpg


If I'm not wearing that outside I'll be wearing a crushable waterproof Tilley, or if I have the bag space, or it's particularly bad weather, a leather Akubra.
 
Top Bottom