Tricorne

The classical pirate has a peg leg, eye patch, great coat, parrot on their shoulder, hook for a hand, and a Tricorne hat.

Tricorne

The tricorne was the height of fashion during the late eighteenth century, for man of all rank and status. This happened to overlap with the height of the piracy era. The hat was a circular wide brimmed felt hat, the higher end models were made of beaver fur, sheep's wool felt was less expensive, and leather was the cheapest option. The hat has sides which were folded up and secured to form a triangular shape.

Black felt Tricorne 1790-1800 by Museum Rotterdam via Wikimedia

Man wearing tricorne hat by Clker-Free-Vector-Images via Pixabay

Bicorne

The tricorne evolved into the bicorne in the nineteenth century. And was basically the same hat but folded in two rather then three. But even though piracy still existed, the image of the tricorne hat as the typical pirate gear remained in place for the next two hundred years.

Decoration

The edge of the folded up rim was often decorated. Sometimes as simple as a painted edge or line, sewing on a coloured ribbon, all the way up to gold wire braid. Feathers where often added by those of higher rank or status, but feathers didn't do well in the marine enfirement.

Item type

Clothing / Accessory

Related Condition

Peg leg

Hat or no hat

When Rose had to attend The Victory Ball. The crew made her a ball gown fit for a pirate captain. All other navy peoples were wearing a head cover of some sorts with their uniform, but as the pirates did not have the resources on the Sunset Dawn to make such an item. Nor are they part of a navy obviously, they just wanted to show off their captain. Rose had tied her long brown hair back, so that it was out of her face, with a simple black ribbon tied in a bow. On the ends of the ribbon, two more small diamonds were placed, just to catch that sparkle.

Sunset Dawn

Out of the whole pirate crew it was only Jan de Jongh who hat a tricorne. He wore it regularly, but unfortunately his hat got lost with the sinking of the Dawn.

Pirate and Parrot by Tenor.com

In popular media

Often in artwork the pirate is pictures with a skull and cross bone figure on his hat, and the shape of the hat does not immediately recognise as a tricorne. But on a tricorne the sides are held up by laces, or buttons, and if they come loose and fold open partly they more artistic impression version of the hat can be seen. The artwork on it is fantasy though.

Modern version

One could argue that the sou'wester is the more modern version of the same hat. it has the same basic shape, a dome with a rim, one side folded up. The sou'wester is part of a sailor's foul weather gear, and is designed to keep the rain or sea water spray of one's head and the rim is shaped so that the water is drained over the back. Modern versions are often yellow, to aid in the visibility in the case a sailor is lost over board.