Fractured Hats Trivia Quiz

Answer: Panama

A panama is a straw hat traditionally made in Ecuador. These were once woven from the leaves of the jipijapa or toquilla palms. This makes them particularly suitable to be worn in warmer climates because of their lightness and "breathability". This is one fashion that has stood the test of time, as panama hats date back to the 1600s in this part of the world.

When President Theodore Roosevelt visited the site of the Panama Canal in the early 1900s, photographers captured him wearing a panama, and this did more for the sale of these hats in the wider world than any paid advertising campaign could have done.

Answer: Mitre

A mitre is a head covering worn by bishops from several Christian churches of the western world - normally those of the Catholic and Anglican faiths, but occasionally those from the Lutheran faith as well. Bishops from the Eastern Orthodox church also wear mitres but these are of a different design and colour.

In the western world, mitres, which are an essential part of a bishop's vestments (and sometimes those of an abbot as well) normally feature a base white colour, to which gold or silver trim has often been added. To give you an idea of the shape of a typical mitre from the western world, just take a look at your bishop chess piece. That ecumenical fellow comes adorned with one.

Answer: Balmoral Bonnet

A Balmoral bonnet is a formal Scottish hat that is part of traditional highland dress. Also known as a Kilmarnock bonnet (aren't you glad that wasn't requested for the answer?), the Balmoral bonnet is knitted from dark coloured wool, and is similar in appearance to the famous Scots Tam o'Shanter caps and Glengarry bonnets.

The Balmoral bonnet is usually worn with a ribbon hanging from the back and with an associated regimental bade pinned to the left hand side. It also comes with a small red pom-pom affixed to the centre top.

This is known as a toorie. There's something ever so appealing about a Scotsman in full traditional dress - especially if he plays the beautiful haunting sound of the bagpipes as well. My Celtic heart goes all a-flutter.

Answer: Beanie

A beanie is normally a brimless knitted cap, but one that, with a visor attached to the front, was once a very traditional head covering worn by blazer clad school boys attending posh education establishments. Other styles worn out of school hours sometimes came with a small propeller attached to the back, an image that is ever so slightly amusing. Criminals are often pictured wearing beanies pulled down low on their foreheads.

A propeller would quite detract from their menacing appearance, don't you think? Beanies are now worn by women as well as men, particularly in the winter months, and, with a knitted scarf around the neck, really do keep the head area lovely and warm - especially when playing trivia.

Answer: Bowler

Bowlers are hard felt hats with narrow brims and rounded crowns that have become popularly linked with the idea of the middle-class, umbrella and briefcase carrying British business man setting off to and from work via the train every day in that rainy, lovely green country. Bowler hats originated with the upper classes though, when either the 1st or 2nd Earl of Leicester (history debates which one) got tired of seeing the top hats worn by his gamekeepers being constantly knocked off by low growing branches as they accompanied him on the hunt. "It held up the chase, gadzooks, when the fellows had to dismount to retrieve them, old boy, what".

It is said that when the Earl went to inspect the trial hat he ordered in 1849, he stomped on it to see if the crown was firm enough, and when it proved to be so, he paid for it on the spot. Twelve shillings if you please. That was a lot of money in those days, roughly equivalent to forty-eight British pounds, or eighty Australian dollars in 2017 - and much dearer than the price of a standard top hot at that time.

Answer: Fedora

Commonly perceived today as a man's hat, the fedora is a brimmed hat with a crease down the centre of its crown. This is then pinched in on either side at the front. A typical example of one can be seen in many older photographs of Frank Sinatra. He was fond of them and always wore one at the same jaunty angle as the ones worn by my father - who spent ages every morning in front of the mirror getting his at that precise rakish tilt. Though now considered the domain of male fashion attire, the fedora was originally made popular by women.

They adopted it after it was worn by the great actress Sarah Bernhardt in an 1882 play in which she starred - so much so that it became a symbol for the women's rights movement of the time.

Answer: Montera

The montera is a cloth, crocheted or fur hat, lined with velvet, that is traditionally worn by Spanish or Portuguese bullfighters. Today's montera is usually covered with fur, and often has an image of a saint attached to the inner lining. This is to bring good luck to the bullfighter. The bulging sides on either side of the montera are meant to represent the horns of a bull.

Answer: Ushanka

A ushanka is a Russian fur cap that comes with long warm ear flaps that can either be worn down and fastened around the chin in super chilly weather, or, to allow for visibility, tied back to the crown or back of the head. These look so lovely and snug. Ushankas are usually made from sheepskin, or the fur from rabbits or muskrats. Somewhat peculiarly, if these hats are made from artificial fur, this material is referred to as "fish fur" instead. Ah, the inscrutable Russian mind.

In very cold areas of Russia, mink fur is used to make ushankas, so you can, if caught in a terrible blizzard, die adorned in luxury.

Answer: Sombrero

The sombrero is a hat traditionally associated today with Mexico. It has a very wide brim and a somewhat pointed high crown. The edges of the brim are quite often worn turned up slightly, presumably to allow the wearer to see where he is going, and, because that wide brim practically begs for the hat to be blown off in the slightest breeze, it comes with chin strings attached to keep it fixed securely to the wearer's head.

The word "Arriba" used as the hint for this question is commonly associated with the animated character Speedy Gonzales, and translates to fast or speedy.

Answer: Yarmulke

Also known as a kippah, a yarmulke is a small, brimless, traditional Jewish skullcap that is usually worn by Jewish men during prayer time. Some women even wear this cap during prayers as well, although this is somewhat unusual, and some Jewish men wear the yarmulke all the time.

There is much ongoing debate in the Jewish community as to whether the yarmulke should be worn constantly, or only during prayers. Generally speaking though, this skullcap fulfills the requirement that the head must be covered during prayer as it represents the protective covering of God. Gosh, this is daring: Some yarmulkes, particularly in the United States, are being manufactured in football colours in more recent times, to allow Jewish fans to not only support their favourite teams but to hint that the Lord does as well. That is rather like inviting trouble, to be honest, and almost verging on the sacrilegious.