THE FLAT CAP AND NEWSBOY CAP

With the new series of Peaky Blinders, season 6, being released soon, I have written a piece about the popular cap that is worn in the series. The newsboy cap, also called the Newsie, the Cabbie, and even The Gatsby, is a panelled cap, with a front peak and often a button crown. It can be made of any fabric but is most commonly made in tweed wool, as seen on the BBC TV program, Peaky Blinders.

Throughout the series, the main cast are shown wearing predominantly two types of hats that were popular at that time: the Peaky Blinders wearing the newsboy cap and then the Billy Boys wearing the flat cap. People often call newsboy caps a flat cap, but they are in fact a derivative of the flat cap.

History

Flat caps are rounded hats with a small stiff brim in front and are considered a culturally historic item of clothing. The origins of the flat cap can be traced back to Britain in 1571, when Parliament ordered all non-noblemen, and boys over the age of six to cover their heads with wool caps on Sundays and holidays. Those who didn’t would be at risk of a fine of three farthings (close to a penny)! Immigrants took them over to America, where they were popular among young boys. They then began to take on other names such as driving caps, duffer caps, golf caps, scally caps, cabbie caps, and most commonly, newsboy caps.

The newsboy cap has a similar overall shape and stiff peak (visor) in front like a flat cap, but the body of the cap is rounder, made of eight pieces, fuller, and panelled with a button on top, and often with a button attaching the front to the brim (as the flat cap sometimes has).

This style became popular in the early 20th century among both boys and adult men. As the name suggests, it was at the time associated with newspaper boys. This gives rise to a misunderstanding. It is true that many newspaper boys and other working boys at the time, wore flat caps along with other styles. This style was not, however, worn only by boys. A great many photographs of the period show these caps worn not only by newsboys, but also by dockworkers, steel

workers, shipwrights, farmers, beggars, bandits, artisans, and tradesmen of many types. This is also well attested to in novels and films of this period and just after.

The eight-piece style caps are essentially an offshoot of a one piece Scottish tam o’shanter. While they were worn by boys and men of all social classes, they were also worn by the ‘upper’ classes, primarily for leisure activities, and thus, the style became associated with well-to-do country sportsmen, drivers and wealthy golfers.

Women wearing a Newsboy cap

Although traditionally a man’s cap, it has recently seen a resurgence, becoming popular with affluent women and fashion houses in the 2000s. It has also become popular among the hipster subculture. For summer, many girls and women are choosing soft cotton options as the brim offers sun protection. In winter, wool blend newsboy hats are a popular option for those who want to wear a natural material. In 2011, floral cottons were the trend, following a renewed interest in home sewing.

The photos of the Newsboy caps below are made by www.Kerrydelphine.com

I spent some time creating the eight-panel piece pattern, for a range of children and adult head sizes.