 | ||
A bucket hat (also known as a session hat, fisherman's hat or Irish country hat ) is a headwear design with a wide and downwards sloping brim. Typically, the hat is made from heavy-duty cotton fabric such as denim or canvas, with two metal eyelets placed on each side of the hat for ventilation.
Contents
It was first adopted as a high fashion item in the 1960s, and with subsequent revivals in both street fashion and on the catwalk. It is popular festival gear in the present day, also known as a "session hat" and is favoured by fans of bands such as Sticky Fingers (band), The Stone Roses and Oasis.
Origins
The bucket hat or fishing hat emerged in 1900. Originally made from wool felt or tweed cloth, these hats were traditionally worn by Irish farmers and fishermen as protection from the rain, because the lanolin from the unwashed (raw) wool made these hats naturally waterproof. From the interwar years onwards, these "Irish walking hats" were quickly adopted internationally for country pursuits because, when folded, they could fit inside a coat pocket. If the hat fell in the mud, it could be easily cleaned with a damp sponge, and it could be reshaped using steam from a kettle. In the 1960s, it was widely seen in the TV series Gilligan's Island and was often worn by members of the Mod subculture.
The modern bucket hat is derived from a tropical hat made from olive drab cotton that was issued to the US Army during the Vietnam War. These lightweight hats became popular among civilians for use in sports such as fishing, and as sun protection.
Fashion accessory
In the 1960s, the bucket hat was adapted as a laming the pillbox, bakerboy, and cloche styles, suiting the fashion for more bouffant hair. Milliners such as Lilly Daché created designs in felt or other stiffer fabrics to capture the "mod" look. The older tweed Irish walking hat remained popular among professional men until the 1970s, and was notably worn by Sean Connery's character in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
The hat became popular with rappers in the 1980s and remained part of street fashion into the 1990s. More recently, it has re-emerged as a fashion catwalk item after being sported by celebrities such as Rihanna.
Regional names and variations
In popular culture
The fictional character Detective Lieutenant Louie Provenza of the television series The Closer and Major Crimes frequently wears a white bucket hat while at crime scenes.