Princes William and Harry have rejuvenated the Flat cap with the younger set, often been seen in Tweed Caps around the Polo fields.

The popularity of the flat cap remains strong with fans of English country clothing, the English ‘Country Set’.

The flat cap is really a year-round essential, warm in the winter and cooling in the summer. In summer, Laird make caps in linen, cotton and raw silk for cool breathability but also practical sun protection. Tweed flat caps are at the heart of the English country look and country style, and can also be made in wax cotton and cashmere. Laird have developed the ‘Sicilian’ cap, a version of the flat cap but with a more Mediterranean or Italian slant, creating a softer, more louche feel and fit developed from Michael Corleone’s cap in Godfather. The size of your cap denoted your place in the guild, with apprentices wearing a very small cap and Masters wearing ridiculously large Bond Caps. This version dates to around the 1850’s, and to the London Guilds. The earlier version of the Traditional Flat Cap, is the Bond cap, which is flat on top, but has a larger, very round crown, with a broad peak. Fashionable at the moment are the Long-Peaked Flat Cap, better known as a Shooting Cap or ‘Shooter’ which has a broad peak. While the shape of all of these caps is recognisable, the subtle differences are primarily the length of coverage at the back of the cap, the width and depth of the crown and the length of the peak. Practical as a Riding Cap, Driving Cap or ‘Golf Cap’, similar in form to the Bond Cap. Laird’s signature ‘Cut’ of flat cap is narrow to the peak, with a closely fitted crown giving a modern, slim fit over the head, sitting deep at the back with a scalloped profile.

How to make a flat cap