Fraternity-Testvériség, 1963 (40. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1963-03-01 / 3. szám
FRATERNITY 9 hibited from wearing a cap of velvet. Ermine caps were reseved only for gentlemen with family coats of arms. According to the research library of the company that makes Adam hats, the caveman probably wore the first fur hats — for warmth, not beauty. Upon slaying a wolf, he tore the skin off the head of the animal and wrapped it around his own head. Thus, the traditionally popular fur hats got their start. Exactly when beaver fur was first used for hats is not known. But as early as 1368, Chaucer wrote of a “Flaundrish beaver hat.” The “beaver” became the fashionable headdress of the 17th century in Europe and America. Because of its high cost, it was valuable enough to be left among bequests in a will. “Beavers” were so greatly coveted that travelers were often waylaid and robbed of their hats, not their purses! Today, the most popular material for men’s hats is felt, made of wool and fur fibers matted into fabric by rolling and pressure. Because of its great abundance, rabbit fur is used most commonly. Credit for the discovery of felt dates back to the Middle Ages and the legend of St. Clement. While on a pilgrimage, St. Clement put some rabbit fur in his sandals to ease his travel-worn feet. At the
