Tricorne

A tricorne is a special hat.

It has a shape like a triangle. People made them from wool or hair. They folded the sides up to make the shape. This made the hat small. It was easy to tuck under an arm.

Some hats had gold lace or feathers. Soldiers and kings wore them. People still wear these hats for special parades today.

A tricorne is a hat with a triangular shape.

People made them from wool or beaver hair. They folded the brim up on three sides. They used pins, laces, or buttons to hold it. This made the hat smaller than a round hat. A man could easily tuck it under his arm.

This was helpful when going inside a building.

Many people wore these hats in the 1700s. Rich people wore them to show off their wigs. Soldiers also wore them in armies and navies. Some hats had fancy gold lace or feathers. Soldiers often wore the point to the left. This helped them carry a rifle on their shoulder.

In the United States, early presidents like George Washington wore them. The style changed to the bicorne hat later on. Today, people still wear tricornes for special events. The Spanish Guardia Civil wear a version called a tricornio. In the UK, the Lord Mayor wears a black feathered one. Some women in the French Navy still wear them too.

A tricorne is a special style of hat with a triangular shape.

During the 18th century, this hat was very popular across Europe. People often called them "cocked hats" back then. The hat was made by turning up three sides of the brim. These sides were held in place with pins, laces, or buttons. This created a shape that wrapped around the low crown. This style was useful for many different people. It was worn by wealthy citizens and common people alike. It was also a standard part of military and naval uniforms.

There were many practical reasons to wear a tricorne. The folded brim made the hat much smaller than a round hat. This allowed a gentleman to tuck it under his arm easily. This was helpful when entering buildings where etiquette required removing a hat. Some hats had laces on the sides. A person could loosen these laces to drop the brim down. This provided better protection from the sun or the rain. Soldiers also found the shape helpful for their work. They often wore the point to the left. This gave them more room to rest a rifle on their shoulder.

The history of the tricorne began with the broad-brimmed round hats. Spanish soldiers in Flanders used these hats during the 17th century. They folded the brims to make them easier to use with muskets. During a war in 1667, the style spread to French armies. King Louis XIV of France later made the hat very fashionable. It spread through his royal court to all of Europe. By the end of the 1600s, it was a common sight. The hat stayed popular through the whole 1700s. It eventually changed into the bicorne hat by the late 1700s.

Many famous people and groups are linked to the tricorne. In the United States, the first five presidents wore them. This included George Washington and James Monroe. Monroe was even called "The Last Cocked Hat" because of his style. In 1917, the Women's Royal Naval Service used a modern version. Later, a hat maker named John Boyd made a pink version. This famous design for Princess Diana was called the "Lady Di." Today, the Spanish Guardia Civil wear a version called a tricornio. It is used for their special parades and ceremonies.

You can still see the tricorne in many places today. It is part of the ceremonial dress for the Chelsea Pensioners in the UK. The Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps in the US also use them. In the UK, the Lord Mayor wears a black feathered version. In Canada, the hat is used by Supreme Court justices. Some people in France still wear them for formal church duties. Even sports fans use the hat to remember history. Fans of the New England Patriots or the Revolution might wear them. It is a lasting symbol of the past.

The tricorne, also known as a tricorn, is a distinctive style of hat defined by its triangular shape.

This headwear became a dominant fashion across Europe during the 18th century. While the term "tricorne" did not become widely used until the mid-19th century, people in the 1700s usually referred to them as "cocked hats." The hat was worn by a wide variety of people, including the aristocracy, common civilians, and members of military and naval forces. Its popularity was driven by both its aesthetic appeal and its practical functions in daily life.

To create the signature shape, the wearer or maker would fold up three sides of the hat's broad brim. These sides were then secured in place using pins, laces, or buttons to form a triangle around a low crown. The material used often depended on the owner's wealth. More expensive versions were crafted from beaver-hair felt, while less expensive models were made from wool felt. Some tricornes featured decorative elements like gold or silver lace trimming and feathers. In military contexts, the hat often displayed a cockade, which is a knot of ribbons, or a national emblem to show allegiance.

The design of the cocked hat offered several advantages for the wearer. First, the folded brim made the hat much smaller than a traditional round-brimmed hat. This allowed gentlemen to easily tuck the hat under their arm when entering buildings, following the social etiquette of the time. Second, the hat served as a way to display social status by showcasing the wearer's fashionable wigs. Some hats were even designed with laces that could be loosened. This allowed the wearer to drop the brim down for better protection against rain or sun.

Military utility also influenced the shape and wearing style of the tricorne. Spanish soldiers in Flanders used broad-brimmed round hats during the 17th century. They began binding the brims to make it easier to carry muskets at their shoulders without hitting the hat. This practice spread to French armies during a war in 1667. The style eventually reached the royal court of King Louis XIV, who helped make it a fashion throughout Europe. Soldiers often wore the tricorne with one point facing to the left. This specific orientation provided better clearance for resting a rifle or musket on the right shoulder.

The tricorne remained a predominant style throughout the 18th century and across many European-influenced regions. In the United States, the first five presidents—from George Washington to James Monroe—wore this style. James Monroe was even nicknamed "The Last Cocked Hat" due to his adherence to this fashion. However, the style began to decline toward the end of the 1700s. It eventually evolved into the bicorne, which military officers wore until World War I. For common soldiers, the tricorne was replaced by the shako, a tall cylindrical hat, around the year 1800. At the same time, the top hat became the new standard for civilian men.

Despite its decline in daily use, the tricorne maintains a significant legacy in ceremonial and formal settings. In the United Kingdom, the black feathered tricorne is part of the ceremonial dress for most Lord Mayors. The Spanish Guardia Civil wears a version called a "tricornio" for parades and ceremonies. In Canada, the hat is used by Supreme Court justices and Speakers in various legislatures. Even in France, synagogue officiants wear the tricorne on formal occasions. The hat also remains a part of the academic dress at the University of Minho in Portugal.

The tricorne continues to appear in modern culture through various symbolic connections. In the United States, it is closely associated with the American Revolution and the Continental Army. Because of this, the hat is used as an icon by the Tea Party movement and by fans of sports teams with Revolutionary names, such as the New England Patriots. Interestingly, the style saw a brief modern revival in 1981. A milliner named John Boyd created a pink tricorne for Princess Diana. This specific look became known globally as the "Lady Di" design.