Bicorne
The bicorne is a two-pointed hat, usually seen in portraits of Bonaparte, or Wellington, or Admiral Lord Nelson, during the time of the Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815).
Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons
It is still seen in ceremonial dress, though usually in fore-and-aft fashion, whereas Bonaparte et al wore theirs side-to-side, or ‘athwart.’
By the beginning of the nineteenth century, the practice of wearing bicornes fore-and-aft became more popular. It was more practical, because there was reduced wind resistance, when marching or riding, and a smaller likelihood of interference with weapons. There was also less chance of it being knocked off!
Napoleon famously continued to wear his athwart, while Wellington, according to the author Simon Scarrow, altered his from athwart to fore-and-aft to indicate that he was on active duty.
I'd always wondered why Napoleon wore his sideways.
ReplyDeleteFore and aft would be better for keeping the rain off, I think.
ReplyDeleteInteresting 😀 x
ReplyDeleteAlison in Devon x
Very interesting. I had noticed that both Wellington and Napolean wore similar hats, though in different ways. And there is Princess Anne too. An impressive sort of headwear hpwever it's worn.
ReplyDeleteYou do come up with a most fascinating variety of topics.
Who knew how much a hat would indicate?
ReplyDeleteThis is a fabulous post. A bit of history that I didn't know about. Thank you.
ReplyDelete