BABUSHKA ( bah boosh ka ) - Russian word for grandmother, A triangular shaped head shaped head scarf worn over the head and tied under the chin.

BABY STUART CAP - Close fitting, shirred lace infant's cap. From the 17c. portrait of the infant Stuart prince by Van Dyck.

BALMORAL ( bal mor al ) - The Scotch BLUEBONNET of the highlanders. Blue woolen beret cap with top projecting over a tartan band of Stuart colors, checkered design. In 1850, Queen Victoria and her Prince Consort made the Aberdeenshire, Scotland castle of Balmoral their summer residence, The Queen dressed the prince in the Highland costume and created a fashion.

BANDINO HAT - ( 1930's ) Woman's large-brimmed hat. Named for Luca della Robbia's 15c. renditions of the Christ Child.

BARBETTE - (late 12c.,13c. and early 14c. ) Linen chin band, pinned in position on top of the head. Illustration shows the FILLET, a stiffened band of linen, wound over the BARBETTE covered with a small veil.

BARBE - ( 14to 16c. ) A long piece of vertically pleated linen, worn under the chin and covering the chest. With a black hood and long black veil. The headdress of widows and mourners.

BARRET - Wide, flat cap worn during the Middle Ages by priests. Barret of velvet with embroidery and feathers shown in the 15c. and 16c. paintings by Holbein.

BASEBALL CAP - Gored cap with visor. Button on top

BASHLYK - ( Ancient ) Round-topped felt bonnet, with lappets.

BASQUE BERET - (bask ba ray ) Flat, round, woolen fabric cap worn by Basque peasants. Usually woven in one piece

BAVOLET ( ba vo lay ) - A cap worn by French peasant women. A 19c style called the CURTAIN BONNET, had a back ruffle, called a bavolet, that shaded the neck. In the 16c., the BAVOLETTE was a piece of fabric that was folded and attached to the cap, with the folds projecting over the forehead and hanging down in the back.

BEANIE - ( 20c., American ) Small, round skull-cap, cut in gores to make it fit the head. Also BEANY, DINK, DINKY. See CALOT.

BEAVER - A hat of various crown and brim shapes. Originally, in 14c., made of beaver skin. In 16c., made from felted beaver fur. In 17c., the tall top hat, made of silk in imitation of beaver.

BEEFEATER - The narrow-brimmed hat worn by the British Yeomen of the Guards and Warders of the Tower of London since the 16c. Hat consists of a flat-topped, medium-high crown gathered into a headband.

BEEHIVE - High, tapered crown, Shaped like a beehive. Hat usually has a narrow brim.

BELLBOY or BELLHOP - A small, stiff cap in pillbox shape, usually trimmed with braid or buttons, sometimes with a chin strap. Copy of a cap worn by hotel bellboys.

BERET ( ba ray ) - A cap with a round flat crown of varying widths. Made of felt, wool or other fabric. Forms of the beret have been found since Ancient Times. In 15c., HALO BERET. Also BASQUE BERET, PLUMED BERET, TAM O' SHANTER, PANCAKE BERET, MONTGOMERY BERET.

BERRETINO ( ber ret tee no ) - Square, scarlet skullcap with corners pinched in. As worn by Cardinals of the Catholic Church. See BIRETTA

BETHLEHEM HEADDRESS - Truncated, cone-shaped cap, decorated with gold and silver coins and jewels. Worn with a veil. Ancient Moslem headdress. Copied in the 1930's . Also TARBOOSH.

BIBI BONNET (bee bee bunneh ) - Appeared around 1830's as a smaller version of the POKE BONNET. At first it was fitted close to the sides of the head, later the brim flared upward and forward in front. In the late 19c., any small fanciful and elegant hat was called BIBI. In 1956, Sally Victor came out with a BIBI style.

BICORN or BICORNE - ( by corn ) A variation of the cocked hat, appearing around 1790, and supplanting the TRICORNE. The brim of the BICORNE is folded up in front and back. The BICORNE became the military dress hat of the British, American and French. The WELLINGTON was a version that had tassels. The NAPOLEON hat was a BICORNE with a tricolor cockade.

BIGGIN ( big in ) - ( der. Fr. BEGUINE, a cap worn by nuns ) A coif like cap, with ties under the chin, 16c. and 17c.

BIRCAGE - Hat of stiffened veiling, shaped like a birdcage.

BIRETTA ( bi ret ah ) - Since 17c., a square cap with three or four upright projections, radiating from the center crown . Worn by Roman Catholic clergy. Developed, since 13c., out of a cap formed like the modern beret. Also BERRETTA, BIRRETTA, BIRETUM, BARRET-CAP, BARETTE, BERET.

BLUEBONNET - Broad, slat cap of dark blue wool, woven in one piece. Narrow tartan headband. Colored tuft on top. Also BALMORAL.

BOATER - (British term ) A stiff, straight-brimmed, straw hat with a flat crown and a ribbon band. Also known as a SKIMMER or a SAILOR STRAW.  Introduced about 1864 for children, then worn by women. Worn by men from 1880 to 1930.

BONGRACE - ( 16c. and 17c. ) Oblong shaped, stiff material which dips over the forehead and drapes in back, worn over a coif.

BONNET - Until 16c., any masculine head covering other than a hood was a bonnet ( French ), cap ( English ). Scotchmen still call their caps BONNET. Since 19c., the term refers to a soft head covering for women that ties under the chin.

BOUDOIR CAP ( boo dwar ) - Softly shirred cap with a lace ruffle. In 19c., and 20c., a cap worn to cover undressed women's hair.

BOURRELET - Originally a twisted scarf or turban worn on the helmet. A 15c. term for the padded roll worn by both men and women as a base for a headdress.

BOWLER ( bole er ) - In 1850, William Bowler made a hard felt hat, designed by the London hatter, Lock, for Sir William Coke. It was created to protect the head while riding horseback. The hat has a low melon-shaped crown and a rounded brim that turns up at the sides. The hat shape was adapted for women and children, accepted for town wear by men until WW II. Also BILLYCOCK, DERBY.

BRETON SAILOR ( bret on ) - ( French, bretonh ) Woman's hat with a brim that turns up evenly all around.

BROADBRIM - Term is nickname for Quaker, Friend. See Quaker Hat.

BUBBLE - Melon shaped, pillbox cap.

BULBOUS - ( 16c., German ) BALZO, REBALZO (16c. Italian ) A large, dome shaped cap. This hat completely covered the hair.

BUMPER BRIM - Hat with a tubular shaped brim. Size of brim and crown varies. See KRIZIA CAP for 1970's version

BUSBY ( buz bi ) - A tall, cylindrical fur cap with regimental colored bag like ornament hanging form the top, over the right side. Brush on top of center front. Originally 15c. cavalry uniform of Hungarian Hussars.

BUSH HAT - Wide-brimmed man's felt hat, turned up brim at one side. Also SOUTH ARFICAN SAFARI HAT, CADDIE, CADDY, SLOUCH HAT.

BUTTERFLY HEADDRESS - ( 15c.) Variation of the HENNIN. Box like cap, wired and draped with sheer veiling so that it stands out like butterfly wings.

BYCOCKET, BYCOKET - ( by cock et ) High crowned hat with wide brim that is peaked in front and turned up in back . Middle Ages, 16c., Italian students in 20c.