A Scottish Tilt

The Vintage Hat Series: lilac wool felt 1940s tilt tamHat styles of the 1940s almost defy description, there was such a myriad of unusual and daring shapes, unlike the 1920s for example, when the cloche reigned supreme. The milliners of this later era were extraordinarily inventive, for of all women’s clothing, hats were not rationed during the war. In all that variety, one of the most common characteristics was the tilt: hats sat at a rakish, almost impossible angle on the head. They were supported by a band or strap that went around the head.

This lilac wool felt hat, trimmed on the sides with two bows, resembles a tam o’shanter, the traditional Scotsman’s bonnet; women’s versions are known as a tammy, or tam. The name comes from Robert Burn’s poem Tam o’ Shanter, after the eponymous hero.

The Vintage Hat Series: lilac wool felt 1940s tilt tam

… hats sat at a rakish, almost impossible angle on the head.

Doing away with the traditional pompom, the milliner cleverly conceptualises one with a circular woven section in the centre. The strap at the back forms a hole, through which I was able to pull my ponytail, although it was unlikely to be worn like that in the 1940s. It’s interesting that they didn’t try to hide the strap as milliners do nowadays, but rather made it a striking and integral feature of the design. It’s certainly not a hat for a wallflower!

Here is another, more traditional tam that I own.