The Greek fisherman's
cap is often associated with seamanship and marine situations. It has become popular amongst the public in general, rather than staying isolated as an occupational hat. One example of it being put in prominence of popular culture was when it was worn by
John Lennon. A
John Lennon hat (or
cap) is the informal name that was used in the mid 1960s to denote this style of cap.
History
During the
Beatles' first tour of the United States in 1964, John Lennon wore a black fisherman's cap which quickly became popularly known as a "John Lennon Hat." A similar style of headgear had already been worn by American singer and songwriter
Bob Dylan in 1962. Others to adopt the fashion were the Beatles' drummer
Ringo Starr and British
folk-rock artist
Donovan (for example, on the cover of his album
Catch the Wind). This style of hat was usually made of
denim, but also made of other fabrics such as
corduroy.
The satirical magazine
Private Eye noted the trend in its regular "spoof" journal, "
Mrs Wilson's Diary": "
Harold was standing by the map in his old Oxford duffle coat with Giles's Beatle-style George Lennon cap ..."
c. March 1967:
The Life and Times of Private Eye 1961-1971 (ed
Richard Ingrams, 1971)
Unisex accessory
The hat became an early example of a
unisex accessory. Female adherents included Lennon's first wife
Cynthia,
Princess Anne, actresses
Diana Rigg (as
Emma Peel in......
...
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