 The Welsh hat worn
by women as part of Welsh
national
costume is a
tall stovepipe-style
hat.
It is still worn by women,
and particularly schoolgirls,
in Wales on St David's Day,
but rarely on other occasions.
It is a legacy of 18th century
dress. The hat is normally
worn with a
lace
cap underneath, showing
under the brim, or may have
lace attached to the brim.
The covering is usually
of black
felt.
Legend has it that the women's
hats were a deciding factor
in terminating the attempted
invasion of Britain by Napoleonic
forces in 1797. The French
soldiers are said to have
mistaken the women, seen
at a distance in their red
shawls and Welsh hats, for
a detatchment of British "redcoats",
whose uniform included tall
black hats.
There is an "alternative"
women's hat for those who
consider the traditional
Welsh hat unflattering,
in the form of a "cocklewoman's
hat", a flat straw
hat tied with ribbons.
A derived meaning of
Welsh hat is an ancillary
stack, usually black in
color and slightly conical,
attached to the funnel of
a
ship
to ensure cleaner disposal
of exhaust from the engines.
This arrangement was used
in several passenger
liners
by the Orient Line in the
1950s.
Baseball Caps
Cap
Definition
Coif
Definition
Yarmulke
Clothing Definition
Headwear
Hats
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