Angle of a Cap or Hat Brim. Term for it?
March 2, 2016 7:48 PM Subscribe
Is there a term that defines the angle of a brim with respect to the front of the hat or cap? One extreme would be the brim on the cloth caps competing bicyclists wore: straight up, essentially lying flush against the front of the hat. In the middle would be the brim of a French policeman's kepi or the cap worn by the stuntman in "A Man and a Woman": straight out, at a 90° angle from the front. At the other extreme would be straight down, like the brim of the 19th-century Marine pill-box cap.
Corto Maltese, a comics strips adventurer created by Hugo Pratt, wore a distinctive cap with a brim that angled about 150° from the front. But when a replica was made for sale (and sold out) the angle was about 110°. A replica? And then, when the US Marines were considering a new design for a "cover" (cap), they "emulated" the design of the cover they issued in the 1890s, most famously worn by Dan Daly, a Marine hero. But Dan's brim practically rested against his forehead, while the new "Dan Daly" had the same brim as the now-current cover. Could no one see the gross difference in the designs? The brim on the cap the "Little Princess"'s father wore; the brims on the guard's caps in Branaugh's "Hamlet"; the brims on Nazi officers' caps; the brims on the caps of the (live) soldiers that serve at Arlington Cemetery -- I think they're cool. Why isn't there a term I can Google to find a cap like that?
Corto Maltese, a comics strips adventurer created by Hugo Pratt, wore a distinctive cap with a brim that angled about 150° from the front. But when a replica was made for sale (and sold out) the angle was about 110°. A replica? And then, when the US Marines were considering a new design for a "cover" (cap), they "emulated" the design of the cover they issued in the 1890s, most famously worn by Dan Daly, a Marine hero. But Dan's brim practically rested against his forehead, while the new "Dan Daly" had the same brim as the now-current cover. Could no one see the gross difference in the designs? The brim on the cap the "Little Princess"'s father wore; the brims on the guard's caps in Branaugh's "Hamlet"; the brims on Nazi officers' caps; the brims on the caps of the (live) soldiers that serve at Arlington Cemetery -- I think they're cool. Why isn't there a term I can Google to find a cap like that?
An idea: Google around where you live for a "vintage society" or other vintage-wear, swing-dance, or other retro-style community. Or even just a good hat shop. These organizations are reservoirs of this sort of information and could give you personalized answers.
posted by Miko at 9:34 PM on March 2, 2016
posted by Miko at 9:34 PM on March 2, 2016
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Why isn't there a term I can Google to find a cap like that?
Secret is, because most hats are custom styled, and in the peak hat-wearing decades people bought "straight" hats right off the shelf and then custom-styled their brims in whatever way they chose. It was vernacular, individual flair, not something manufactured. That's why a plain old Stetson looked different on Humphrey Bogart than it did on Jimmy Stewart. People individualized the brim styling, by working the brim for hours in their hands or by having their hats professionally steamed and shaped, and that's what created the variety. I don't know of any contemporary taxonomy that captures that.
posted by Miko at 9:32 PM on March 2, 2016 [1 favorite]