scottyrocks
I'll Lock Up
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- 9,178
- Location
- Isle of Langerhan, NY
One of the things I've noticed while looking at photos taken in the U.S. and Australia during the late-1800s is that the crowns of hats worn by working men often appear to be creased, at least in part, to minimize the amount of space between the the hat and the wearers' heads. Pure speculation on my part, but I think this was done to lessen the amount of air "trapped" under those crowns that could become superheated and make the wearer even less comfortable while working under the relentless sun. I also think this is why companies like Akubra and Stetson designed and produced hats with wider brims and lower tapered crowns--to meet the needs of those working men (and women, in some cases).
It has been my experience that a taller crown with more room underneath actually makes a hat cooler in hot weather and warmer in cold weather.
When a fabric lies right on my head, the sun heats it and the hot fabric, sitting on my head, roasts me.
When it is very cold, the cold fabric lies right on my head, and I feel the chill.
The air pocket alleviates both of these issues, for me, anyway. In cold weather, the cold fabric is off my head, while the heat from my head stays in the air pocket and keeps me warm. In hot weather, the air pocket keeps the hot fabric off my head. keeping it cooler. True, I can take the hat off in hot weather, but then I get burnt.