Nicholson's performance as the devil in the white bucket hat in the 1987 horror comedy "The Witches of Eastwick" is still unforgettable today and has become a cult author. For Hunter S. Thompson, the bucket hat is as much a personal trademark as Gonzo's fist. Both the legendary American writer and many actors have created a monument to him: the bucket hat.
It is said that the fisherman's hat originated in Ireland . Fishermen and sailors are said to have first put the hat over their heads at the beginning of the 20th century to protect themselves from the harsh winter, cold wind and heavy rain that accompanied their daily work. Bucket hats were originally made from materials such as wool felt and tweed, so they were quite strong and the lanolin from the unwashed raw wool made these hats naturally waterproof. The original colors were navy blue and yellow, and the design was plain and simple: a round hat with a short brim and inner lining that easily covers the head. In addition to fishermen and sailors, farmers and harvest workers soon also appreciated the hat for protection from rain, sun and wind. Over time, the upper classes of the British aristocracy also began to take a liking to the fisherman's hat, which proved to be a useful aid when hiking in the countryside, hunting and fishing, and which was made of linen or cotton - rather than solid felt - and could be folded up and put into any coat pocket.
In the period between the two world wars, the "Irish hiking hat" quickly spread internationally because of its ease of care . A wet sponge was often enough to clean it of mud. The durable and practical properties of this piece of clothing eventually led the US armed forces to gradually make the fisherman's hat a permanent part of their troops' equipment. On the one hand, it was intended to protect soldiers from heat and sun, but on the other hand it was also intended to help shield them from annoying glare when shooting . As a "boonie hat", it was widely used by the American armed forces during the Vietnam War. The Special Forces troops in particular had the hats made by local tailors in the tiger stripe camouflage pattern. Steel helmets proved uncomfortable in hot climates, and peaked caps offered too little protection from rain and sun on the sides and neck . So the GIs preferred to use the boonie.
To this day, the headgear, which was originally based on the fisherman's hat, is a common piece of equipment in many armies around the world and an alternative to the field cap. In the Australian army, it is known as the "giggle hat". Down Under, many gardeners also swear by the country's typical variant with a wider and stiffer brim . And the German Bundeswehr, or more precisely the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support, also uses the "brimmed hat" - the official name in a 25 (!) page manual - for operations in warmer regions.
There is also a very special version among sailors: the so-called sou'wester, which is made of oilcloth or synthetic material as the outer material and sometimes cotton as the lining. In contrast to the classic fisherman's hat, the sou'wester has a wider brim, which also hangs far over the back so that no rainwater can run into the clothing. According to the story, the name "southwester" became common among Norwegian sailors because the rain usually came from the direction "Sydvest". In the early days of the sou'wester, the hats were still made of fabric, usually linen, and made waterproof with waxes or oils. From the middle of the 19th century, they were also sealed with vulcanized rubber. This made the sou'wester more waterproof than its predecessors made of fabric with oil impregnation, but at the same time it was heavier and more sensitive to grease, oil and UV radiation. That is why, from the 20th century onwards, sou'westers were made from waterproof PVC, which provides optimal protection against rain and storms and is also robust and very light. Today, the sou'wester is still often worn by fishermen and sailors in combination with the classic, usually yellow oilskins, as it is still the perfect hat to protect yourself from the sometimes harsh weather conditions at sea.
The fisherman's hat is so versatile that it has been given many different names around the world over the years: In Denmark it has been known as the "bøllehat" (troublemaker's hat) since the 1880s . Back then, a group of wild young lads made a joke of taking a Sunday trip to Bøllemosen near Jægersborg, just outside Copenhagen, where there was a popular dance hall. There, the lads would cheekily steal the hats of the assembled ladies. In Bulgaria, the hat is known as the "Idiotka", which can be loosely translated as "idiot's hat"; the Argentinians call it the "Sombrero Piluso", the South Africans call it the "Ispoti", the French call it the "Bob" - and in 2018 in Germany a right-wing extremist demonstrator wearing a fisherman's hat in the colors of the German flag became known as the Dresden "Hutbürger ".
After the “Mods” subculture discovered the bucket hat for themselves in the 1960s and made it street-ready, it was seen more and more often in films and on actors, and thus found its way into popular culture: just how popular the old Irish tweed hiking hat was up until the 1970s was demonstrated by Sean Connery as Dr. Henry Jones in “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade”. And who doesn’t remember the slightly goofy Inspector Clouseau, played by Peter Sellers in the British film series “The Pink Panther”? Or Detective Lieutenant Louie Provenza, played by George William Bailey , in the US television series “The Closer” and “Major Crimes”? Johnny Depp finally helped the casual hat in 1998 through the adventure comedy “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas”. to a revival.
The bucket hat is an old hat in hip hop culture. Alongside veterans like LL Cool J, it was the pioneers of Run-DMC who made it popular in the late 1980s and brought it from its original, more middle-class milieu into street wear . Ravers and boy bands in the 1990s also discovered the hat for themselves. The numerous song lyrics in which the term appears also demonstrate how much bucket hats have become a part of the hip hop movement. At the beginning of the 2000s, the hat was somewhat forgotten, but since superstar Rihanna has recently been seen in public wearing a bucket hat, the singer has contributed to its renewed popularity.
The old hat is being rediscovered again and again. In addition to traditional versions in wool and felt, there are now versions made of corduroy and faux fur, patent leather and leather, plush or polyester. It is now an indispensable part of magazine covers, fashion shows and expensive fashion houses. In the FC Bayern fan shop, the fisherman's hat is available for just a few euros, while luxury designers such as Prada and Louis Vuitton charge a thousand euros or more. Even if some people think the fisherman's hat is hilarious, while others think it's the latest thing, the advantages are clear to see and to the head: a fisherman's hat offers optimal protection from rain and sun. Whether on the tennis court or on the surfing beach. It can be pulled over the head casually or worn low over the face. And one thing it is definitely not: a head covering that makes the wearer look stiff. Quite the opposite - worn with a suit, a bucket hat looks at least as cool as it does on Hunter S. Thompson. And he was considered the “epitome of coolness” until his voluntary death.
Author • René Haenig
Photo • Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, United Archives GmbH / Alamy Stock Photo
Published in Heritage Post No. 46