Has anyone ever wondered why a flat cap, the one with a small visor and a soft crown, is found everywhere: from historical films about English workers to shots with Lev Yashin at the gates, from Italian streets to Georgian feasts? This headdress has an amazing fate, and its beginning was forced: in the 16th century, the British were required to wear caps, with the law mandating it at the legislative level and imposing fines for violation. But what was first imposed by force later developed into a worldwide love: she was favored by aristocrats and then by hooligans from the “Sharp Visors” gang.
How royal law forced the whole of England to wear caps
In 1571, the English Parliament passed a strange-looking law that stated that all men over the age of six were required to wear flat woolen caps on Sundays and public holidays. Exceptions were made only to the nobility and government officials of higher positions. The decree could probably be taken as a joke if the penalty for violating it was not a fine of 3 farthings (0.75 pennies) for each time.
The explanation was hidden in the economy and the continuation of the ban on luxury. For a hundred years, England has been struggling with imported expensive goods and imposed bans on the use of gold fabric, sables, velvet, brocade, satin, and other materials, and the decline of its own economy has led to the introduction of more drastic measures. The government decided to support its manufacturers by force: to force people to buy wool hats. The law prescribed that the headdress should be locally made and no imports. The cap became part of the British wardrobe and spread to other countries, as desired by the government, in order to improve the economy; sales increased.
So, thanks to a compulsory measure, a cap from Northern England, practical tweed, with a rain visor has become part of every Briton’s daily wear for several decades. The law lasted for almost 30 years, until the end of the 16th century, but it managed to do its job; the cap took root in the wardrobe.
The work cap: a habit that has become a convenience
A flat wool cap became an ideal headdress for a working man: it protected him from the weather, shielding his eyes from dust and the sun. Visit. A F R I N I K . C O M . For the full article. This was facilitated by rapid industrialization, and the number of factories increased; along with them, the number of workers who needed comfortable clothes. Caps have become part of the work uniform.
Her qualities were especially appreciated by the workers, who were hampered in their work by hats with brims. For mechanics, locksmiths, welders, and builders, it became a convenient accessory: it covered the head without interfering with the process. Caps have even become a distinctive feature of these professions. But interestingly, it was borrowed by the aristocracy. Caps were preferred not for official receptions but for everyday life and recreation. So she turned from an ordinary worker into a symbol of informal elegance, a kind of “country gentleman”. At the beginning of the 20th century, the cap became a part of school clothes for boys and a fashionable accessory for young dudes who loved to ride a fancy car at speed.
A cap as a weapon: a gang of “Sharp visors”
The cap also has a criminal history. At the end of the 19th century, against the background of an unstable economy and a difficult life of hard workers, a group of young people formed who engaged in robbery and robberies. They chose certain clothes for themselves, which became their distinctive feature: coats with lapels, jackets and vests, bell-bottomed trousers, silk scarves, leather shoes, and flat caps, which are associated with the name of the group. There is a version that they sewed shaving blades into the visors of the cap and used them as weapons in fights: when they hit the visor in the face, it cut the skin and blinded the opponent.
The series based on this story added popularity to the flat cap, after which it became incredibly fashionable. Sales of tweed caps have increased worldwide. People wanted to be like Thomas Shelby, stylish, dangerous, and charismatic, and the cap played a major role here. From a working accessory, it has become a symbol of brutality and style.
Football cap: legendary goalkeeper Lev Yashin
In the Soviet Union, a flat cap was very rare in men’s wardrobes, because it was considered a Western capitalist piece of clothing and was more often associated with aristocrats, that is, capitalists, according to Communist leaders. In some cases, people copied samples of European caps and sewed them themselves, but this was accepted as a “Western whim.”
Lev Yashin is a unique and popular goalkeeper. Despite the unflattering attitude of Soviet fashion towards the cap, he wore it constantly to football matches after it was presented at the end of a friendly match in the Czech Republic in 1953. Yashin became his mascot and calling card, and he liked to say, “As long as I have the cap on, everything will be fine.” And as if to confirm these words, he had no equal among goalkeepers, and because of his uniform, a black cap and a black suit, he received the nicknames “black panther” and “black spider”.
But in 1960, there was a drama. After the European Cup final in Paris, where the USSR national team became the champion, fans flooded onto the field. In the confusion, someone stole Yashin’s cap right out of the gate. According to one version, the cap was returned by the French police; according to another, it was never found. Yashin was very upset, but he didn’t want to wear another one, so after 1960, he played without a headdress. And the cap has always remained in memory as a symbol of the great goalkeeper, so the winners of the Lev Yashin tournaments are awarded a cap.
The flat cap has conquered the world: for survival and style
In Italy, the flat cap has taken root in its own way – it is called “berretto” or “cozzo”. Italian workers, farmers, and scooter drivers have worn it for decades. But the main thing is that the cap has become part of the image of the Italian mafia from old movies. Take, for example, Al Pacino in “The Godfather” or Robert De Niro, the image of a gangster in a flat cap has become a classic.
In Canada and the northern United States, a flat cap is a “kerry” (or “kerry cap”). It was worn by Irish and Scottish immigrants according to their national tradition. In Newfoundland, the cap has become so popular that it is still called the “Newfoundland cap.” Where it’s cold and windy, a tweed cap is the perfect protection.
In Russia, the flat cap has its own special destiny. To begin with, it was worn by Lenin himself, and it became part of the image of the leader of the world proletariat. This is no coincidence: the cap was associated with the working class, with ordinary people, for whom the Bolsheviks fought.
Later, in the Soviet years, the flat cap became a symbol of gopnik. In the 1970s and 80s, it was worn by hooligans from the working-class suburbs. The “eight-link” cap (also known as “Leningrad” or “Moscow”) became part of the image of a guy from the district: a tracksuit, a cap askew, and sunflower seeds created a colorful image of “his boyfriend.”
A separate story is the cap in Georgia and the Caucasus, where it is still worn with great dignity from the young to the elderly and respected elders. The flat cap in Georgia has become an element of the national style and an integral part of the image of the Georgian man: wine, feast, toast, and cap.
A simple flat cap has come a long way from being enforced by law in England to a fashionable accessory that is worn all over the world. Now it’s back in fashion, it’s worn by both stars and ordinary people. Just because it’s beautiful, comfortable, and stylish, and it all started when 450 years ago, some English official decided to raise the country’s economy from its knees.
