Forage Caps With Capes

[Canadian]

Hi,

Does anybody have any opinion on wearing a forage cap with a cape? I mean a cap, with a bit of fabric that goes down the neck. Is this something which simply is phased out of being? I seem to recall Japanese troops in WWII using them, and definitely WWI by Commonwealth troops.

Reason I ask is that I just got back from an overnight trip to the desert and a peaked cap with a cape would have been very useful. But if I make my own, it looks affected unless there is historical basis. Right now, I'm running around in a red beret I bought at a beret store in Toronto. Or a Tilley hat knockoff if it's particularly warm.

Is this item no longer in existence due to the Tilley hat and the ballcap? You occasionally see people in ballcaps with a bandana hanging over their neck. Normally I don't give two hoots about modern fashion, but I really don't want to look silly. I think people walking around with nylon windbreakers and Keen walking sandals look a little silly, but does this item still exist? Can I make my own, with a surplus cap and just add some fabric?

Most importantly, can a civilian wear such an item if the forage cap is without insignia or is what we sometimes call a "fisherman's cap"? If I were to add my own cape, silk or cotton or merino? What makes most sense.

C.

 

[Zoukatron]

I think you should by all means make one. I'm pretty sure I've actually seen one being worn recently and in the current weather it just looks practical. As for material, I would say it depends on the material the rest of the cap is made from, which I'm going to guess will likely be cotton or linen.

 

[Edward]

Since t became the done thing to be very aware of the dangers of sun on kids' skin, I've seen a lot of kids running around with baseball caps with a 'tail' at the back to cover the neck.

In practical terms, I should think a deerstalker would be a good design for this - bill at the front to keep the sun off your face, and the one on the back to do the same for the back of your neck. Only drawback is that they tend to come in tweed and heavy wools, designed more for cold weather rather than the heat. Traditionally a style worn with (an Inverness) cape, though.

 

[HanauMan]

These types of hats are still produced (just type in 'desert hat' in your computer to see) by many civilian outdoor clothing manufacturers so you don't need to buy a military surplus hat. The best hats cover both the back of your neck and your ears. I certainly wouldn't wear a deerstalker in the summer (or anytime).

 

[MisterCairo]

Here is a UK site, safariquip.co.uk, with a link directly to one of their "legionnaire style" desert hats:

https://www.safariquip.co.uk/all-categories/sun-protection/sun-hats/craghoppers-nosilife-desert-hat/

 

[Edward]

That looks..... practical.

 

[Hal]

In practical terms, I should think a deerstalker would be a good design for this - bill at the front to keep the sun off your face, and the one on the back to do the same for the back of your neck.

The word "deerstalker" can mean either of two styles - one is the kind that I think Edward is referring to, often called the "fore-and-aft"; the second is the Sherlock Holmes style with ear-flaps, much more eccentric-looking these days.