Tricorne

TRICORNE, tri' kôrn (also tricorn) 1. adj (of a hat) having a brim turned up on three sides 2. n a hat of this kind (New Oxford American Dictionary)

The tricorne or tricorn is a style of hat that was popular during the 18th century, falling out of style by 1800. At the peak of its popularity, the tricorne was worn as civilian dress and as part of military and naval uniforms. Its distinguishing characteristic was a practical one: the turned-up portions of the brim formed gutters that directed rainwater away from the wearer’s face, depositing most of it over his shoulders. Before the invention of specialized rain gear, this was a distinct advantage.

The tricornes had a rather broad brim, pinned up on either side of the head and at the back, producing a triangular shape. The hat was typically worn with the point facing forward, though it was not at all unusual for soldiers, who would often rest a rifle or musket on their left shoulder, to wear the tricorne pointed to the left to allow better clearance. The crown is low, unlike the steeple hats worn by the Puritans or the top hat of the 19th century. Tricornes ranged from the very simple and cheap to the extravagant, occasionally incorporating gold or silver lace trimming and feathers. In addition, military and naval versions usually bore a cockade or other national emblem at the front.

The tricorne appeared as a result of the evolution of the broad brim round hat used by Spanish soldiers in Flanders during the 17th century. By pledging the brims, a triangular shape was obtained, and since the corners offered protection from the rainy Flemish weather, this shape was favored by Spanish soldiers. In 1667, war broke out between France and Spain in the Spanish Netherlands. During the subsequent military struggle, its use spread to the French armies. The style was brought back to France, where its usage spread to the French population and the royal court of King Louis XIV, who made it fashionable throughout Europe, both as civilian and military wear. By the end of the 17th century, the tricorne was popular in both civilian fashion and in military uniforms. It remained one of the predominant European styles of hat throughout the 18th century. The tricorne quickly declined in use at the end of the 18th century. It evolved into the bicorne, which was widely used by military officers in Europe from the 1790s until World War I, not completely fading out of style until World War II. (Wikipedia, Tricorne)

The three-cornered hat was almost universal throughout the [18th] century, although country people and scholars sometimes wore their hats uncocked. The usual practice was to turn up the brim and attach it to the low crown in such a way as to form a triangle. The brim was usually edged with braid, and a button or a jewel was sometimes fixed to the left cock. The appearance of the hat was naturally conditioned by the width of the brim. The so-called “Kevenhuller hat” had a wide brim, and was fashionable in the 1740s. The same is true of the Dettingen hat (called after the Battle of Dettingen in 1743). It aimed at an effect of military swagger. The usual colour of hats was black, although Beau Nash, “King of Bath”, made himself deliberately conspicuous by wearing a white hat. The material was beaver, a cheaper variety being made of rabbit fur. (Laver 137)

The stereotypical tricorn hat of the pirate captain was the standard headwear of gentlemen generally, but it lacked the skull and crossbones emblem of popular folklore; this was an embellishment invented by the writier J.M. Barrie in Peter Pan. (Pickering, Tricorn Hats)