Peaky Blinders!

Peaky Blinders new series is back – Season 5 is here! If you’re looking for a Peaky Blinders hat we’ve got just the thing…

The names for Peaky Blinders hat include baker boy, newsboy, newsy or an 8 piece hat. Like other types of flat cap, the Peaky Blinders style cap has a stiff peak but is fuller and rounder in shape. Unlike the traditional flat cap, it is made from 8 pieces sewn together and has a button on the top.

The history of this type of hat is a long one – evidence of this style has been found in the late medieval period but it became a staple in the passing of the Cappers Act of 1571. This had the double result of protecting cap-making and stimulating the wool trade in England and Ireland. The act stated that men and boys over the age of 6 and below the rank of a gentleman should wear ‘a cap of wool, thickened and dressed in England’ on Sundays and holidays. Once the law was no longer a finable offence, the hat remained a staple for uniforms and working dress.

A practical style, it’s great in all weathers. It provides warmth in the winter and a peak for protection from the sun in the summer.

By the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the style was being worn by the upper classes. Both men and women wore the style for their leisure activities – golf and early motoring being among them. A perfect hat for country pursuits and touring, the hat style hasn’t altered even though they were now being made from much more fashionable tweeds and woven fabrics.

Our take on the Peaky Blinder hat – the newsy and baker boy are made from twool cloth by family milliners in Yorkshire, Lawrence and Foster.  Being made from twool cloth, our hats are hardy, forgiving and naturally sustainable.

You can view all of our hats here.

And while you’re waiting for the new series of Peaky Blinders, here’s the trailer: