Etymology | Bobble hats

‘Bobble hat’ must be one of the most pleasing words in the English language, but what’s the meaning behind the bobble bit? 

The word ‘bobble’ has several meanings. It can mean a ‘mistake’ or fumble, so you might go to catch a ball and ‘bobble’ it. It can also refer to a ‘repeated, jerky movement’ as in ‘bobbing up and down’. We like to think the way it bobs up and down upon one’s head is what gives the bobble hat its name, but it probably comes from the third meaning - ‘a small ball of fabric used decoratively’. This can be as tiny as the little bobbles of wool on your jumper, which gives us the eternally useful verb ‘to de-bobble’, or as large as the biggest pom-pom you can imagine.

The word can be found as early as 1812 when the term ‘bob’ (as in up and down) first had the ‘le’ added to it to create the bobble as a verb. It’s first recorded as a noun in 1836. Bobble hats definitely existed before then with bobbles being used for centuries by both the military and the clergy to denote rank, but they were previously known as pompoms rather than bobbles - another splendid word. 

So as you’re bobbing along with your bobble bobbling up and down this winter, look where you’re going so you don’t miss your footing and bobble yourself onto the pavement. 

You can read about the history of the bobble hat on our ‘Wearing Well’ page in our January issue, which is in shops now.

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Miscellany | Hats of Note

A hat always adds an element of distinction. In our September issue, we visited the Bridport Hat Festival and photographed some of the most creative chapeaus we found there. As the festival opens again, we thought we would bring you a few facts about some well known hats and their wearers. 

Sherlock Holmes’ Deerstalker

Conan Doyle’s much-loved detective is known for his deerstalker hat, but in fact the author never described him wearing such a hat. Holmes himself would rarely have worn such as hat as it wasn’t city attire. The deerstalker was an addition by the illustrator Sydney Paget for a Holmes story that took place in the countryside (The Boscombe Valley Mystery) and the image became synonymous in our minds with the great detective himself. 

Indiana Jones’s Fedora

The fictional archaeologist’s hat was a central part of his character, often being grabbed in improbably dangerous manner as he narrowly escaped rolling boulders, closing doors and historical baddies. In fact, the purpose of the hat was to shade Harrison Ford’s face in order to make it easier to swap in a stunt man. 

Carmen Miranda’s Fruit Hat

Miranda’s fruit hats were inspired by the clothes worn by Afro Brazilian Baianas (street vendors) in colonial Brazil. For her song ‘What Does the Baiana Have?’ she wore a cloth turban and added an imitation basket of fruit in homage to the trays of fruit Baianas carried on their heads. While the look understandably caused controversy back in her home country of Brazil, it was a style that made Miranda an icon. 

Jacqueline Kennedy’s Pillbox Hat

Jackie O catapulted the pillbox to fame (or perhaps it catapulted her, who knows?). The pink pillbox she was wearing on the day of her husband’s assasination was to be beamed across the globe for all the wrong reasons. But it’s the pillbox she wore on the day of the Presidential inauguration that is perhaps the more interesting. Most people remember it as being a baby blue but in fact the hat, and the whole outfit, was a light faun shade. It’s thought that a shadow cast on her in the (very early colour) photos made it look as though it had a blue-ish hue. 

The Mad Hatter’s Silk Topper

Silk toppers had mostly replaced beaver fur top hats by 1865 when Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was published. But it’s the piece of paper stuck into the silk by illustrator Tenniel that made it famous. The paper reads 10/6 (ten shillings and sixpence), and was presumably a sign that the Hatter, high on the mercury used to stabilise wool for felting, was so forgetful he’d failed to remove the price when he plucked the hat from his shop’s shelf and headed to the tea party. 

If you’d like to see more hats like the one pictured above, you might enjoy our ‘modern eccentrics’ piece on the Bridport Hat Festival in our September issue. Photography by Jonathan Cherry.

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