Tam cap

Last updated
Mabel Normand wearing a tam design in 1921 MabelNormand1921ChairHatA.jpg
Mabel Normand wearing a tam design in 1921

The tam is a millinery design for women based on the tam o' shanter military cap and the beret. Sometimes it is also known as a tam cap or the traditional term tam o'shanter might also be used. [1] The tam became popular in the early 1920s, when it followed the prevailing trends for closer-fitting hats that suited shorter hairstyles and for borrowing from men's fashion; other traditional men's hats that rose to popularity in women's fashion during this period included the top hat and bowler. [2] In the British Isles, the tam cap is often used as a headcovering by Christian women during church services.

Contents

History

Priscilla Dean wearing a tam with side draping Priscilla Dean - Photoplay Jan 1921 Page 21.jpg
Priscilla Dean wearing a tam with side draping

The tam has a draped design that comes in a variety of shapes and fabrics. Often it had a stiffened and close-fitting inner cap, over which fabric could be draped in a variety of ways. [3]

Along with other headgear formerly reserved for men – including the top hat and bowler – it was popular by the 1920s, suiting the fashion for shorter hairstyles. A 1920 article in The Guardian described the prevalence of closer fitting designs based on the tam' o shanter in combination with more ornate blouses and neater hairstyles, noting: "Since the majority of blouses follow Greek or quasi-Greek lines, it is natural for the hat worn with them to follow also the Greek type of headgear". The article noted that its versatility was another reason for current popularity: "it can be twisted and folded into the close-fitting shapes that are so remarkably becoming...it lends itself admirably to...all kinds of embroidery or needlework stitched apparently at random over it". [4]

A year later, The Guardian reported that the tam was: "dominating the small-hat system" in women's fashion. Describing this ubiquitous millinery design in more detail, it added: "Nor are the present tams by any means tam-like in shape. They are elongated or heightened or squared or triangularised...The tam is merely a sort of envelope which can be pulled about over an under-structure, the shape of which is all important". [3] The article went on to provide tips on how to create a tam successfully at home, advising the creation of a small peak or small brim on the inner cap to create a more becoming effect. [3]

Trimmings included applique, as with this ornate design worn by Katherine MacDonald Katherine MacDonald 1922.jpg
Trimmings included appliqué, as with this ornate design worn by Katherine MacDonald
Lupe Velez in co-ordinated outfit and tam for the 1934 film Laughing Boy Lupe Velez in Laughing Boy trailer.jpg
Lupe Vélez in co-ordinated outfit and tam for the 1934 film Laughing Boy

Fabrics and variations

The tam can be made in a variety of fabrics, but typically drapeable materials such as felt, velvet, or silk have been used. Trimmings might include embroidery or appliqué or it might have the addition of a buckle or brooch. Tassels and feathers were sometimes added. [2] [5] Some varieties might also be made of fur, or have a fur brim. [6]

By the late 1920s, less voluminous versions – similar in design to a toque – were in fashion in materials such as velour, a correspondent for The Times noted, adding that these simple hats were generally worn with ornate dresses. [5]

By the early 1930s, there was a revival of the tam in checks and plaids, alongside the fez and cloche-brimmed designs. [7] In the same year, new macramé (knotted form of weave similar to crochet) designs appeared, some being worn with matching collar and cuffs. [8]

Tam designs continued to be fashionable throughout the 1930s; The Times highlighted an outfit for Royal Ascot in 1938 comprising dress and bolero jacket with matching black velvet tam with high corners in the style of a mortar board hat. [9]

In the British Isles, the tam cap is often used as a headcovering by Christian women during church services.

Graduation tam

A graduation tam is an headwear item of academic regalia in some institutions. They take the place of a mortarboard and are made of black velvet with a soft top.

Graduation tams are prescribed for those who have graduated with a master's or doctoral degree, and can have four, six, or eight sides, depending on the degree. Master's degree candidates could elect to wear a four, six, or eight sided tam; doctorate candidates always wear eight-sided tam as part of their regalia although university faculty also wears that same tam that doctorates use.

See also

Related Research Articles

Bonnet (headgear) Large semicircular head covering framing the face; alternatively, a brimless hat or cap

Bonnet has been used as the name for a wide variety of headgear for both sexes—more often female—from the Middle Ages to the present. As with "hat" and "cap", it is impossible to generalize as to the styles for which the word has been used, but there is for both sexes a tendency to use the word for pop styles in soft material and lacking a brim, or at least one all the way round, rather than just at the front. Yet the term has also been used, for example, for steel helmets. This was from Scotland, where the term has long been especially popular.

Hood (headgear) Type of headgear

A hood is a kind of headgear that covers most of the head and neck, and sometimes the face. Hoods that cover mainly the sides and top of the head, and leave the face mostly or partly open may be worn for protection from the environment, for fashion, as a form of traditional dress or uniform, or in the case of knights, an armoured hood is used for protection against bladed weapons. In some cases, hoods are used to prevent the wearer from seeing where they are going. Hoods with eye holes may be used for religious purposes to prevent the wearer from being seen. In the case of Ku Klux Klan members, terrorists, or criminals such as robbers, a hood with eye holes helps prevent identification.

Tam o shanter (cap) Traditional Celtic headgear

A tam o' shanter, or "tammie" is a name given to the traditional Scottish bonnet worn by men. The name derives from Tam o' Shanter, the eponymous hero of the 1790 Robert Burns poem.

1840s in Western fashion Costume and fashion of the 1840s

1840s fashion in European and European-influenced clothing is characterized by a narrow, natural shoulder line following the exaggerated puffed sleeves of the later 1820s and 1830s. The narrower shoulder was accompanied by a lower waistline for both men and women.

1930–1945 in Western fashion Costume and fashion from the 1930s to the end of World War II

The most characteristic North American fashion trend from the 1930s to 1945 was attention at the shoulder, with butterfly sleeves and banjo sleeves, and exaggerated shoulder pads for both men and women by the 1940s. The period also saw the first widespread use of man-made fibers, especially rayon for dresses and viscose for linings and lingerie, and synthetic nylon stockings. The zipper became widely used. These essentially U.S. developments were echoed, in varying degrees, in Britain and Europe. Suntans became fashionable in the early 1930s, along with travel to the resorts along the Mediterranean, in the Bahamas, and on the east coast of Florida where one can acquire a tan, leading to new categories of clothes: white dinner jackets for men and beach pajamas, halter tops, and bare midriffs for women.

1920s in Western fashion Clothing in the 1920s

Western fashion in the 1920s underwent a modernization. For women, fashion had continued to change away from the extravagant and restrictive styles of the Victorian and Edwardian periods, and towards looser clothing which revealed more of the arms and legs, that had begun at least a decade prior with the rising of hemlines to the ankle and the movement from the S-bend corset to the columnar silhouette of the 1910s. Men also began to wear less formal daily attire and athletic clothing or 'Sportswear' became a part of mainstream fashion for the first time. The 1920s are characterized by two distinct periods of fashion: in the early part of the decade, change was slower, and there was more reluctance to wear the new, revealing popular styles. From 1925, the public more passionately embraced the styles now typically associated with the Roaring Twenties. These styles continued to characterize fashion until the worldwide depression worsened in 1931.

1900s in Western fashion Costume and fashion in the decade 1900–1909

Fashion in the period 1900–1909 in the Western world continued the severe, long and elegant lines of the late 1890s. Tall, stiff collars characterize the period, as do women's broad hats and full "Gibson Girl" hairstyles. A new, columnar silhouette introduced by the couturiers of Paris late in the decade signaled the approaching abandonment of the corset as an indispensable garment.

Cloche hat Close-fitting hats with a bell-shaped crown

The cloche hat or simply cloche is a fitted, bell-shaped hat for women that was invented in 1908 by milliner Caroline Reboux. They were especially popular from about 1922 to 1933. Its name is derived from cloche, the French word for "bell".

Headgear Any covering for the head; element of clothing which is worn on ones head

Headgear, headwear, or headdress is the name given to any element of clothing which is worn on one's head, including hats, helmets, turbans and many other types. Headgear is worn for many purposes, including protection against the elements, decoration, or for religious or cultural reasons, including social conventions.

Picture hat

A picture hat or Gainsborough hat is an elaborate woman's hat with a wide brim. It has been suggested that the name may be derived from the way the broad brim frames the face to create a "picture".

Draped turban Type of headwear

A draped turban or turban hat is a millinery design in which fabric is draped to create headwear closely moulded to the head. Sometimes it may be stiffened or padded, although simpler versions may just comprise wound fabric that is knotted or stitched. It may include a peak, feather or other details to add height. It generally covers most or all of the hair.

Halo hat

A halo hat is a millinery design in which the headgear acts as a circular frame for the face, creating a halo effect. The design is said to date back to the late 19th century, when it was known as the aureole hat; this name is sometimes still used. It may also be known as the angel hat or bambini – the latter said to derive from Italian for terracotta plaques depicting the infant Christ.

Cartwheel hat

A cartwheel hat is a hat with a wide-brimmed circular or saucer-shaped design. It may be made in a variety of materials, including straw or felt and usually has a low crown. It may be similar to the picture hat and halo-brimmed hat in shape. Typically, it is worn at an angle to show off the curve of the brim, rather than being worn at the back of the head in the manner of a halo hat.

Half hat

A half hat is a millinery design in which the hat covers part of the head. Generally, the design is close-fitting, in the manner of the cloche, and frames the head, usually stopping just above the ears. It may be similar to a halo hat in the way that it frames the face and can be worn straight or at an angle.

Mushroom hat

A mushroom hat is a millinery style in which the brim of the hat tilts downwards, resembling the shape of a mushroom. It is a style that first emerged in the 1870s and 1880s, when it was usually made of straw. It became fashionable again from around 1907 to the late 1920s; these versions featured a distinctly downturned brim although the size and shape of the crown varied according to prevailing fashions.

Lampshade hat

A lampshade hat is a millinery design in which the hat has a small circular crown – typically flat, but sometimes rounded – and flares outwards to create a cone-like profile. In shape, it may have some similarities to the pillbox and bucket hat, both of which were popular at around the same time, although the classic lampshade design is longer and more flared than a pillbox and is generally made of stiffer material than a bucket hat.

Peach basket hat

A peach basket hat is a millinery design that resembles an upturned country basket of the style typically used to collect fruit. Generally it is made of straw or similar material and it often has a trimming of flowers and ribbons. Some models may also feature a veil or draped fabric covering. It was introduced in around 1908 and caused some controversy over the succeeding year due to its extreme dimensions and decorations. It had revivals – designs were at this stage more modest – in the 1930s and 1950s.

Salvation Army bonnet

The Salvation Army bonnet was a millinery design worn by female members of the Salvation Army. It was introduced in 1880 in the UK and was worn as headgear by most female officers in western countries. It began to be phased out from the late 1960s.

Bumper brim

A bumper brim is a millinery feature in which the hat brim is tubular in design, making it a prominent feature of the hat. In order to achieve this effect, the brim may be rolled, stiffened or padded. A bumper brim can be added to a variety of hat designs, from small to large.

References

  1. Brooks Picken, Mary (2010). A Dictionary of Costume and Fashion: Historic and Modern (1999 ed.). United States: Dover Publications. p. 168. ISBN   978-0486402949 . Retrieved 3 April 2015.
  2. 1 2 "In the Fashion of Hampstead Heath: Hats Borrowed from Men". The Guardian. 24 September 1923.
  3. 1 2 3 "The Eternal Tam: How to Make and Wear It". The Guardian. 27 April 1921.
  4. H., M. (29 November 1920). "Blouses and Hats: How They Consider Each Other". The Guardian.
  5. 1 2 "Paris Fashions for North and South". The Times. No. 44708. 10 October 1927.
  6. "The Woman's View: London Fashions". The Times. No. 42867. 2 November 1921.
  7. "Paris Fashions: Spring and Summer Hats". The Times. No. 46403. 27 March 1933.
  8. "London Fashions: Blouses and Jumpers". The Times. No. 46412. 6 April 1933.
  9. "Round the Shops: Last-Minute Choices for Ascot". The Times. No. 48019. 13 June 1938.