Stiff Lower Lip

March 19, 2009 6:56 AM

I've occasionally seen police (or military personnel) wearing hats in such a way that the chin strap is hooked under the lower lip rather than the chin. Why?

This is something I've seen in many places throughout my life, and it makes no immediate sense. I found the practice mentioned in a news article here. And then today during some aimless browsing I spotted this example from an old photograph.

So where does this custom come from? What is the practical purpose?

posted by le morte de bea arthur to clothing, beauty, & fashion (10 comments total)

If the strap was under the chin, it would be easier for someone to pull the hat down (let's say, from behind, or during an altercation) and choke the person with the strap; a shorter strap prevents this.
posted by BozoBurgerBonanza at 7:16 AM on March 19

I don't know if I'm right or not, but I've always associated it with a more traditional uniform, especially bearskins.

I'd guess it's also more comfortable, and there's less chance of being choked, as BozoBurgerBonanza says.
posted by lucidium at 7:25 AM on March 19

I saw this a lot in drum corps, mainly from the drumline. My impression was that is was more habit-related than practical.
posted by cimbrog at 8:08 AM on March 19

I agree with cimbrog that it's not a practical application (at least anymore). As the comments on your second link point out, it only really appears in formal settings. All I can offer is that it doesn't seem to be specific to a particular culture. I've come across references to it in the UK, US, Japan, and Nepal, going back to the early 1900s.

If I had to guess as to the reason, I'd say it likely has something to do with the ease of removing the hat or helmet in front of ladies/officers/royalty/whatever.
posted by specialagentwebb at 8:18 AM on March 19 [1 favorite has favorites]

... then why have a strap at all?
posted by dmd at 10:01 AM on March 19

Seconding dmd.
posted by amtho at 10:12 AM on March 19

Wondering the same thing. Here's a great image from Wikipedia:

Face to Face
posted by zippy at 10:56 AM on March 19

Googling doesn't uncover much, though I'm still searching, but there's this gem: an article from the Telegraph about West Midlands Police chiefs banning chin straps because so many officers insisted on wearing them on their lower lips like that. Quoth one of them:

They seem to balance the chin strap on their lower lip. I think that they do it to make themselves look 'hard'. I really don't know what they would do if someone wants to talk to them. But they do look a complete mess nonetheless.
posted by koeselitz at 12:24 PM on March 19

Um.... koeselitz... (points upwards)
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 12:30 PM on March 19

I was a Metropolitan Police officer in London from the 1970s to the late 90s. I wore said helmet with chinstrap for many years. The "correct" position for the chinstrap, per force instructions, was between the bottom lip and the point of the chin. The strap had no practical function at all - it was purely decorative. As to why that was the correct position - well, it just was...

If I remember correctly, on a date in late spring the Commissioner would issue an "all stations" order to the effect that chinstraps would be worn up - inside the helmet - so that you didn't end the summer with a white strip down each cheek and across your chin. The order was reversed in the autumn as the days shortened.

After the Brixton riots of the early 80s, the Met improved the protective qualities of its uniform. New stronger helmets were issued with proper, four point chinstraps, only to be used if violence threatened and otherwise kept inside the helmet. The thin, decorative chinstrap, which was redundant anyway, was abandoned.

Other curiosities: we were still issued with whistles for summoning assistance, though the personal radio tended to be more effective. And we all carried a "box key", which as the name implies was for opening the door to police boxes (think Dr Who Tardis if you don't know what they are), even though there was, I believe, only one operational police box left in the whole of London by then.

Ah - tradition: it's the future.
posted by genesta at 3:00 PM on March 19 [11 favorites has favorites]