The Cap Faction

[jbucklin]

Failsworth: Harris Tweed hand-woven in the Outer Hebrides. Anyone here heard of them?

 

[Johnny J]

JBucklin, is this your first cap? It is a very stylish one! Congrats!

 

[jbucklin]

Actually, this was my first cap that that I just got last week. It's a linen Borsalino.

 

[Chepstow]

:eeek: OMG Jason, only when I started to think about a leather newsboy you put those pictures into my head..... :eusa_doh:

Jason, thanks. Indeed, some caps are nicely done!

 

[Chepstow]

J.B, Jason, looks good on you. Very nice caps!

 

[Adnamira]

My concern about Lawrence and Foster not sending me a confirmation email after I ordered that Bond cap from them was un-necessary, as the cap arrived today, just under four weeks, so that is pretty good. I can't post any photos of it, however, for Frank's wallets sake, because as a Jeeves and Wooster fan, he'll want one as soon as he sees it. The cap is fantastic. Probably the best cap I've bought so far, and I would dare say it's better than Bertie Woosters. Highly recommend Lawrence and Foster after recieving this cap.

 

[Adnamira]

nice herringbone cap, JB

 

[Adnamira]

What ho! Bit mishapen as it has just come out of the packet, and the crown is wider than it looks in this photo, but this is a bloody nice cap. I will take some photos of the cap by itself tonight to show you how well made this cap is. At 44 pound (shipped) on special, it's amongst the cheapest caps I've bought, but is probably the best quality. Highly recommended. I was a bit disappointed the eight dart style didn't suit me that well, so this might be the closest thing I get to getting a vintage style cap that suits me. It's intersting that this cap only has two vertical seams and no pleats in the back. I'm really liking it. I described my City Sport flat cap as being Grandpa glam; this bond cap is like Grandpa cap on Steroids. Lots of depth in the back, some width in the crown, but sits above the ears and huge brim.

Oops, forgot to take the wrap around sunglasses off, but if you take into account that one side is a bit squashed in from being mailed from merry old England to the antipodes, you can appreciate that this cap does have some width to it. This cap has good depth in the back, but the crown sits over your ears instead of on them, which I like a lot. You can also see that the lines in the windowpane tweed run true. The circular seam that runs right around the top of the cap is very nicely done, neat and doesn't attract the eye too much.

 

[Adnamira]

I think Bertie Wooster's cap was a little baggier with a smaller brim. I like the bigger brim on this bond cap though and the crown has ample room for my head. the join in the crossgrain sweatband is flush and doesn't irritate the back of my head, which is a problem with some caps. I don't know whether Lawrence and Foster would do a leather sweatband for those who like them; I can't see why they wouldn't be able to do that.

 

[Johnny J]

Adnamira, I like that style too, but I would make it more like this picture. What do you think if we could make a cap like this?

Indra Mützen Cardboard Stand Sign

 

[Baron Kurtz]

An old British brand.

Failsworth: Harris Tweed hand-woven in the Outer Hebrides. Anyone here heard of them?

 

[Adnamira]

That would be excellent, Johnny. I'm a bit broke for a couple of months now, but I would like to order a cap from you sometime. I think that cap in that photo is what I would refer to as a drivers cap. It actually reminds me a bit of a kangol hudson, but nicer. It doesn't have the seam right around the top, so I am assuming it is pleated at the back like an ivy or eight dart cap? I think having a snap on the brim, instead of being sewn down like a flat cap or bond cap, also gives that sit-up look more. It's a good shape. I think if you could get a fabric like in that photo it would be interesting too, it looks like a kind of rumply, looser style of weave, but quite structured. I am sure you have the ability, judging from what you have done with the eight dart, french style caps to get that sort of structure in a driver style cap.

 

[Adnamira]

I used to refer to the style of driver cap with the snap on the brim as a snap brim cap, but snap brims are a kind of trilby. I was thinking looking at that Indra picture, it would be a style of cap that would work well with a waffley or dimply kind of fabric... rather like this Goorin cap. I used to chase after the Hudson caps made by Kangol, because it was my favourite style in their caps, but paying $120 for a polyester cap with a token bit of wool in it annoyed me... but it is a good style. I think it is kind of a cap that works for a punk or 1970s funk look too, as well as for the 20s 30s look. I think these caps are one cap that it is good to have a snap on but which it is good unsnapped most of the time, gives that bottle-nose dolphin look. There you go, I just invented a name for this type of cap - bottlenose cap

This Goorin is too rounded in the back compared to the Indra style driver cap, but it has that bottlenose and sit up crown. I think they tend to be a trimmer style of crown than the bond cap - the volume is upwards.

 

[St. Valentine]

I say! Jason, that´s one mighty nice cap you´ve got yourself from ol´blighty! As I am lost to reckless consumerism anyway posting that photo doesn´t make things worse than they already are.
Even more so, I would grap that "Indra" cap from Johnny´s hands in an instant if he would copy it! Johnny, can you hear me? Seriously, the way the seams are running down the side, maybe the brim a tad longer, the Tweed fabric - perfect.

Ok Johnny, it´s time for hunting down fabrics again.....

 

[Adnamira]

Lawrence and Foster Bond Cap

Bond cap is different from other flat caps in that it has no pleats in the back, so windowpane and line patterns run parallel

I don't know whether these caps were only on special in this fabric was because they had a surplus supply of this fabric, and I am not sure I would have chosen it otherwise, as green is a tricky colour for me, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't, but this kind of goes with my eyes. I thought it was grey and blue in the photos, but it is almost turquoise

Blurry photo, but the L&F bond cap is rather sharp in profile, nice depth in the back, and note there is only one vertical seam on each side of this cap. I guess it is a bit like a cylinder with the front stitched to the brim. I think this style of cap is halfway between a rural and urban look - it's more rakish than a country flatcap but not as crisp as the city fashion style. If the circle of the crown was made bigger, however, you would get one of those fashionable pancake looking caps, I reckon - a Super Bond! Actually, I've heard of people on here refering to a one piece cap, but is that really possible? Those pancake caps would nearly have to be a larger diameter bond cap, or are they like a one piece beret with a brim, or a darted cap with extra long darts?

 

[Adnamira]

I say! Jason, that´s one mighty nice cap you´ve got yourself from ol´blighty! As I am lost to reckless consumerism anyway posting that photo doesn´t make things worse than they already are.
Even more so, I would grap that "Indra" cap from Johnny´s hands in an instant if he would copy it! Johnny, can you hear me? Seriously, the way the seams are running down the side, maybe the brim a tad longer, the Tweed fabric - perfect.

Ok Johnny, it´s time for hunting down fabrics again.....

When comparing my Wigens Cap with Bond Cap and City Sport Cap (it lacks the fullness in the crown but slopes up to the back of the cap), the difference I am noticing between the round backed style of driver or ivy cap and the ones that are more wedge shaped from the back is that the round back shaped driving caps have a rounded seam at the side, whereas the wedge shaped caps have a sharp, square seam at the side. You can see that also in the Indra cap - it's kind of a half bond cap, the seam doesn't go right around the top of the cap, but it has a square angle between the horizontal seam and the vertical seam - catch my drift? The modern driver style, like the Hudson and the Goorin cap, seem to have a panel that goes right to the pack of the cap, so it is more of a breadloaf look.

 

[Adnamira]

The Indra cap would nearly have to be pleated at the back, wouldn't it? You'd nearly have to take the side panels all the way to the back to make it a two vertical seam cap, unless there is a way of shaping the material that is beyond my very limited knowledge of tailoring. I am sure Johnny will work it out. Looking forward to seeing the Johnny Bottler cap!

I'll just clarify that - 'Bottler Bewty' is an Australian expression that comes from the saying: 'you are worth bottling'. You've got to be careful with slang and terms like that, because sometimes a friendly expression in Aussie can be a derogatory one in American. So, I am saying that I am sure that Johnny's bottle nose dolphin, driver fashion cap with be beautiful and that he should be bottled. Anyone would think I've been drinking. I don't suppose this L&F cap is made out of hemp.

 

[Chepstow]

Jason, nice Cap, nice shape, looks good on you!

Johnny, If you could copy that Indra Cap, that would be great!
If anyone can that, then you are it.

 

[Johnny J]

If you look at that Indra pic I think you can see the side seam, since the orange window pane pattern doesn't match up, so that helps me see how they made it. Anyway, thats how the inside linings are usually made for most caps: round piece on top, and two strips for the sides.
I can give it a shot for the near future.

 

[St. Valentine]

- catch my drift?

Errr.... no..... [huh] But that doesn´t have to be your fault neccessarily... I am at work and brain capacity is going strongly towards a buffer overflow.
I am not a huge fan of the Ivy-style caps but your´s and the Indra seem to intrigue me anyhow. I would love a cap that is a copy of the Indra for a change.