Hats??

[OakJon]

As I wait for my kilt, I have been looking at hats. I've seen Balmorals, Caubeens, and Tam O' Shanters.

However since most of the pictures I've seen are either a stack of caps laying flat on a table or a picture 3"x3". My question is what is the difference?

I tried wikipedia but most of the descriptions go along the lines of The caubeen is a headdress, similar to the Balmoral, Tam o' Shanter and beret worn in Scotland and Ireland. Which is as helpful as water is wet, fire is hot.

[Geoff Withnell]

As I wait for my kilt, I have been looking at hats. I've seen Balmorals, Caubeens, and Tam O' Shanters.

However since most of the pictures I've seen are either a stack of caps laying flat on a table or a picture 3"x3". My question is what is the difference?

I tried wikipedia but most of the descriptions go along the lines of The caubeen is a headdress, similar to the Balmoral, Tam o' Shanter and beret worn in Scotland and Ireland. Which is as helpful as water is wet, fire is hot.

J Byrous has some pictures on their site, here: http://www.jbyous.com/Headwear1.html

The caubeen isn't all that different, really, A bigger diameter, and a bit higher, (unless of course you've pulled it down).

Geoff Withnell

[denmcdough]

Also, look at the bottom of the home page for Dunadd Trading Co. Chris has top of the line balmorals and tams. Excellent products and top notch service!

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

The significant difference between a Balmoral bonnet and a Tam o'Shanter is the diameter of the hat itself. A Balmoral bonnet will average about 8 inches in diameter, while a Tam o'Shanter is considerably larger-- 10 to 12 inches in diameter measured across the top. Both hats are floppy, unlike the caubeen which is a formed and shaped hat and in size falls roughly between the other two.

Generally speaking most gentlemen seen at Scottish events will be wearing a Balmoral bonnet. Although the Tam o'Shanter enjoys some popularity, its size gives it a somewhat eccentric appearance and can impart to the wearer something of the look of a caricature of a Scotsman. The modern caubeen is a slightly scaled down version of the Kilmarnock bonnet worn by the Royal Company of Archers, The Queen's Body Guard in Scotland. It is also worn by pipers in the Irish Guards. It enjoys a degree of popularity, especially among the Irish segment of the kilt-wearing population. Again, to most ordinary kilt wearers, it does appear "different".

Some gentlemen prefer the look of a Glengarry, a fold-flat hat similar in appearance to an American military overseas cap. By and large these have become the standard head gear of pipers and pipe bands, although not exclusively so. A gentleman wearing a Glengarry may be thought by many to be a piper, but no one would consider his choice of hats to be in any way "outlandish".

[Jordan]

While reading this thread I realised that I have at least one of each hat, so ill dig them out and take some photos of them both on and off and out them up on here later.

Jordan

[bdkilted]

Don't forget the Glengarrys.

[Farlander]

Some great advice here! As already stated, the Balmoral bonnet is the 'standard' that you can not go wrong with.

What about for a more formal setting?
Would the answer be different for day verses evening wear?

[Jock Scot]

Some great advice here! As already stated, the Balmoral bonnet is the 'standard' that you can not go wrong with.

What about for a more formal setting?
Would the answer be different for day verses evening wear?

No.

[Zardoz]

You might look at one of our advertisers, J.Byous, they do a lot with headwear.

http://www.jbyous.com/Headwear1.html

[OakJon]

The significant difference between a Balmoral bonnet and a Tam o'Shanter is the diameter of the hat itself. A Balmoral bonnet will average about 8 inches in diameter, while a Tam o'Shanter is considerably larger-- 10 to 12 inches in diameter measured across the top. Both hats are floppy, unlike the caubeen which is a formed and shaped hat and in size falls roughly between the other two.

Generally speaking most gentlemen seen at Scottish events will be wearing a Balmoral bonnet. Although the Tam o'Shanter enjoys some popularity, its size gives it a somewhat eccentric appearance and can impart to the wearer something of the look of a caricature of a Scotsman. The modern caubeen is a slightly scaled down version of the Kilmarnock bonnet worn by the Royal Company of Archers, The Queen's Body Guard in Scotland. It is also worn by pipers in the Irish Guards. It enjoys a degree of popularity, especially among the Irish segment of the kilt-wearing population. Again, to most ordinary kilt wearers, it does appear "different".

Some gentlemen prefer the look of a Glengarry, a fold-flat hat similar in appearance to an American military overseas cap. By and large these have become the standard head gear of pipers and pipe bands, although not exclusively so. A gentleman wearing a Glengarry may be thought by many to be a piper, but no one would consider his choice of hats to be in any way "outlandish".

Thank you very much. That really does help me make sense of the photos I've seen.

Don't forget the Glengarrys.

A nice looking hat as well. I was mainly confused on the differnece between the other styles. Notice I didn't mention the F-words some people like to wear with their kilt and some think are abominations either

You might look at one of our advertisers, J.Byous, they do a lot with headwear.

http://www.jbyous.com/Headwear1.html

Actually it was looking at this site that got me trying to figure out the difference. He has some pictures of a sport Caubeen and Tam O' Shanter side by side where the difference seems to be a pom-pom on top. That got me looking at other sites trying to figure out what the differnce was.