Rooster Feathers

[BoldHighlander]

I've heard those driving caps called a whole list of names, and I've never figured out what the "correct" name is. I've been wearing them most of my life though.

Hi Ted,
I really don't think there is any "correct" name for this style of hat. I think the more sleek/single panel version that it appears you sport is mainly known as a Driving Cap, but has other names for it.

The 6 & 8 panel version that I favor has many different names too.
It's mostly known as a Touring Cap/Hat but according to the gent' who is custom making one for me (and he's been wearing them since a deckhand on a salmon trawler in the 70's) this style is known by many regional names.
I know a popular name lately is Newsboy, though when I was a kid & we were all into Brando's flick "The Wild One", we knew this style as a stoker cap - as in "stow-ker" not "stock-er" - (many of Brando's "gang" wore this kind of hat).

Other names include:
Eight Panel, (Big) Apple, Button Top, Lundberg (Stetson), Gatsby, Fisherman's cap, Longshoreman's cap, etc.

Yeah, for years I wanted to get another one of these, but in a nice brownish tweed, and thanks to the gentlemen here who directed me to some links, I finally ordered one this weekend. It's a fine Herring Brown Tweed in tones of brown to cream w/ some olive green. I wish you could see the pictures I'm posting of it:



in a style that they call "Extra-Full Cut":

(that's not me in the pic).

I've always viewed the Eight Panel as the working class chap's cap, while I could see you Ted with yours blasting down the road in an MG with a white silk aviator's scarf trailing out behind you in the breeze

[Bugbear]

One of the reasons I started liking and wearing this general style of hat when I was a little kid was because of that cartoon movie "The Rescuers." The lead character... the mouse, wore a tartan hat of this style and a scarf if I remember correctly.

Bernard and Miss Bianca! I went and looked it up and "The Rescuers" came out in 1977, so I would have been four or five maybe.. Bernard was the mouse that wore the cap and scarf, and he even flew a dragonfly. They were cute. I think that tartan on Bernard's cap might have been Wallace... or at least it was red yellow and black.


My first one was a medium green, and I must have been very young when I got it. I've had dozens of them over the years, some of them leather. The way they are put together reminds me of the way a baseball is put together.

[J.B. Simpson]

One of the reasons I started liking and wearing this general style of hat when I was a little kid was because of that cartoon movie "The Rescuers." The lead character... the mouse, wore a tartan hat of this style and a scarf if I remember correctly.

Bernard and Miss Bianca! I went and looked it up and it came out in 1977. My first one was a medium green, and I must have been very young when I got it. I've had dozens of them over the years, som of them leather. The way they are put together reminds me of the way a baseball is put together.

His name was Bernard, and his female counterpart was Miss Bianca.

[Bugbear]

His name was Bernard, and his female counterpart was Miss Bianca.

We'll have to get a tartan ID on that hat, or if it is just something made up, then a tartan that is a little like it... Yep, that's where it all started.

Thanks J.B. .

I might snag that picture and find some thread to ask what that hat patern or tartan is.

[ChattanCat]

Another issue that I'm trying to deal with is that I don't particularly care for brogue shoes or wingtips of any sort. I Prefer the round toe type dress shoe.

I have a pare of shoes that are made from wool tweed, and they match that driving cap back there in the pic. The problem with them is that the sole is a little more like a sneaker. That is, the sole of the shoe has a lip that comes up from the bottom an inch or so. Other than that I like them as dressy casual shoes.

I guess I really don't know enough about shoes.

I believe you are refering to the Air Jordan Tweed:

[Bugbear]

I'm not sure exactly what those are, ChattanCat. I have some that are called "Castros" and they are slip on shoes. There are no laces. I've seen and owned plenty of leather dress shoes that are built exactly like these on the top of the shoe. The leather dress shoes often have a decrative buckel across the top, but the tweed Castros do not. It's the bottom of the shoe and the part that connects to the top of the shoe that is different from the dress shoes, and that is what's bothering me. I need to replace my leather dress shoes anyway.

If I get a minute, I will look on the web for a link to the castro shoes I'm trying to describe. I should probably brush up on shoe terms too.

[Bugbear]

His name was Bernard, and his female counterpart was Miss Bianca.

And if anyone can ID the tartan that mouse is wearing, if it is tartan, I would be thankful.

[J.B. Simpson]

Here are two more pics. that are a little closer.





Hope they help ye.

[Bugbear]

Here are two more pics. that are a little closer.





Hope they help ye.

Thank Ye! Thank Ye!

Someone in another thread said that was a tweed that he was wearing. I'll go plop those pics down too.

[BoldHighlander]

Hi Ted,
well in the posted pics the hat Bernard is wearing is solid colored, not tartan. In the last photo it almost looks saffron in color!