From The Alps: Tyrolean Hats
Have you ever seen the movie, The Sound of Music? Most people have, I'm sure. The setting is in the beautiful and majestic Austrian Alps. Do you remember the kind of hats that the men of that region wear? The kind that are made of felt, with a cord or band wrapped around, with what looks like a little shaving brush (sometimes a feather) sewn on the side? Those are Tyrolean hats -- and they are a very cool, very masculine type of headgear.
Tyrolean hats are named for the province of Tyrol, located in Western Austria. This area is right in the middle of several other nations: Germany, Switzerland and Italy. It is for the most part located in the Alps. The capital of Tyrol is a famous town -- Innsbruck, the same place where the Winter Olympics were located a few years back.
Since Tyrolean hats are usually made of felt (often green felt), a few words about the care of a felt hat are in order. First of all, do not pick up any type of Tyrolean hat by the crown (where it has a fold). If you pick up a Tyrolean hat by the crown, you will be pinching the fabric there, and eventually it will crack and you will have a hole.
If you need to clean dust from a felt hat, you can dust off your felt Tyrolean hat with a soft brush. If it is soiled you can try cleaning it with a warm damp cloth. Other types of blemishes can often be steamed off -- but if you don't think you have the proper know-how, you can just take your Tyrolean hat to a hatter (someone who specializes in the sale, repair and cleaning of men's hats). They will know what must be done. A fur felt Tyrolean hat that has shrunk over time can usually be stretched -- but only if you take the hat to a hatter. In addition, a reputable hatter can 're-block' your Tyrolean hat if it has lost it's shape. Unless you have been properly trained by someone in the hat business, don't try to stretch or re-block your Tyrolean hat -- you could damage it permanently. Felt hats are particularly susceptible to dirt and oils from your hands, so don't handle your Tyrolean hat with soiled, greasy or oily hands.
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