Good day to all you Hattingdon fans. For classic hat fans — Monday is your day.
Without further ado, we present this Monday’s selection: Deidre.
There is something so chic about the combination of black and white with a touch of red for drama. And the houndstooth on the brim . . . . rather unexpected and oh so handsome.
Just in case you are curious about houndstooth like we were, here is just a bit of background.
Houndstooth
“Houndstooth check is a two-toned textile pattern. At its beginnings it was a wool cloth weaving white sheep wool for the lighter checks and a darker wool for the contrasting black ones, usually from a naturally tinted wool weaving or simply from a black sheep.”
“Houndstooth, or as the French say pied de poule, is one of the most recognizable iconic prints.” writes SeeRoseGo. Houndstooth is right up there with Prince of Wales plaid, stripes and polka dots, and known for its black and white timeless appeal.
“It is made with alternating bands of four dark and four light threads in both warp and weft – two over and two under the warp created a sort of broken check or jagged shape giving the woven its name.”
“Because of the abstract four-pointed shape the pattern was referred to as “shepherd’s check,” ‘dogtooth’ and ‘puppytooth’, eventually being called, as it is today: houndstooth.”
According to “The Costume of Scotland” by John Telfer Dunbar it was worn by Scottish shepherd’s for protection, because from a distance, the pattern colors blend together making the figure appear afar. Chic camouflage!
See you again soon.
© Vivian J Grant
Hattingdon 