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The cocked hat, also known as a tricorne or bicorne, was a popular hat style in the 18th century, worn by military officers, pirates, and civilians. It allowed for elaborate wig styles to be shown off and was often adorned with feathers, ribbons, and military insignia. The hat became a standard part of naval dress uniforms and was worn angled in different ways depending on fashion. It has largely disappeared from fashion but is still worn in official ceremonial dress and reenactor costumes.
A cocked hat is a brimless, triangular, or two-cornered silk, felt, or plush hat that was fashionable in the 18th century and lasted for approximately 100 years. It first appeared in history as a black, gray or tan hat with the brim pinned to create three points, also known as a tricorne. It commonly appears in 17th or 18th century portraits of knights, military officers or pirates.
This style of hat was popular in England between 1680 and 1780 because the sloping brim allowed the nobility to show off their elaborate wig styles. These tricornes were often worn with exotic bird feathers, braid, ribbons, embroidery, or military insignia to demonstrate political allegiances, and were worn angled one way or the other, up or down, depending on the fashion of the day. The hat became a standard part of naval dress uniforms around the world from 1790, when the British Army adopted it, until the end of World War II. This hat was worn by the military during the French and Indian War, and by civilians during the American Revolution. Famous portraits of George Washington and Blackbeard the Pirate show them wearing this distinctive cocked hat.
In general, the cocked hat became a two-cornered hat with a hump in the middle, also known as a bicorne. The French became known for wearing their cocked hats so that the tips sloped to the sides rather than from the nose to the neck, as was the style of the British navy. Napoleon, for example, is often depicted with his signature bicorne.
Some of these cocked hats were designed to be easily folded up and stored away. This unique variety was called chapeau-bras. The bicorne cocked hat became a symbol of the American Revolution because it gave colonists the opportunity to display their heads without wigs, a physical and symbolic contrast to the British. The Quakers also adopted a version of the tricorne, but kept the brims flared and wide to provide more shade from the sun.
In modern times, the cocked hat has generally disappeared from fashion. It generally survives only in the official ceremonial dress of high-ranking ambassadors and some schools, such as the Spanish Riding School in Vienna. Though once universally popular, the popularity of cocked hats now lives only in the reenactor costume trade, where genuine or handmade bicornes and tricornes can be expensive and are highly prized wardrobe items.
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