What I don’t get is that those hats are obviously just for decoration and doesn’t serve a functional purpose. Why even have hats in the military besides helmets?
Impractical headgear is a longstanding tradition in the military.
example 1 - Deluxe Velvet Swashbuckler Hat with Ostrich Plume, or Deluxe Musketeer Cavalier Nylon Velvet Hat
example 2 - Hat Princess Cone
example 3 - medieval woman in strange hat (must scroll down)
example 4 - what the hell is that thing on his head? A hat? A hat with a built in scarf? A parachute?
example 5 - words fail me
Because the military has Dress Uniforms, that are used for ceremonial purposes, like escorting Emperors around and guarding Princesses. The intent is not just to be security, but to look fancy and ceremonial and fit the decor. Emperors and Princesses tend to want draperies and fancy colors and banners and flags everywhere, and they want their security staff in bright livery.
Actually, I have a theory about those conical “princess hats”. I don’t think they were impractical at all.
In the Dune universe, the bigger your outfit the more deadly stuff you can hide in it.
Unless you’re Feyd-Rautha, and just go for the old poison needle in the chainmail jockstrap gambit.
. . . ?
This being the Dope, of course we have a few choice threads on the subject:
Are Sardaukar hats demonstrably more silly than these hats?
or these?
http://www.themoscowtimes.com/photos/index/2002_06/2002_06_03/india_3.jpg
I got the second link from the old thread, and even sven deserves credit for this gem of a line:
“These pictures are from the tensest border crossing in the world, where India and Pakistan show their mutual disrespect by facing off in short pants and hats with fans on them.”