Pirate Hat

The Pirate Hat is a Party Favourite

No doubt most of us are familiar with the pirate hat worn by Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. Thanks to these movies the pirate themed party has made a huge comeback in the last few years leading to far more companies offering not only pirates hats but complete costumes so that you can attend in full pirate regalia right down to the infamous, every good pirate has one, eye patch.

The question one might ask though is exactly what a pirate hat is and what the history behind the hat is in the first place. Pirate hats are no more than the standard tricorne hat that was popular in the late 17th century and throughout the 18th century lasting until just before the French Revolution. During this time the tricorne was worn as part of military uniforms and as civilian attire with equal aplomb. One of the most distinguishing characteristics of the tricorne was that the turned up brims formed a gutter like shape that allowed both rainwater and seawater to run off the hat and down over the shoulders of the wearer.

This may be one of the biggest reasons that the tricorne became the favored pirate hat. For the most part the black leather pirate hat had a wide brim that was pinned or stitched up in place on both sides near the front and in the middle of the back. This gave the hat its unique triangular shape and also because it gave the hat three corners its unique name the tricorne.

Most of the time the hat was worn with the single point facing forward with the exception of some soldiers who preferred to wear it with the point towards the left. This was usually done when they rested their musket on their left shoulder to allow for better clearance. This style of hat also has a low crown unlike the steeple hat that was popular amongst the Puritans of the time or the 19th century top hat.

Many pirate captains made the hat their own as they add golden brocade and feathers to them for ornamentation, usually items that were found in the loot taken from ships they had plundered. Each captain had his own distinct style; some were lavish while others simply wore a plain functional pirate hat that kept the rain and the oceans waters at bay on a stormy day.

For those that like to cut loose and have a great time at a Halloween party or any other costume party for that matter there is nothing like putting on a pirates costume complete with hat and eye patch to get in the mood. You can create your own look or borrow a few fashion tips from Jack Sparrow as you set out to become the consummate swashbuckler for the night. Once you get into costume you will find it easy to let go and release your inner scallywag, steal a few kisses from the lovely ladies then grab a bottle of rum and let the fun carry on all night long.