# The silliest military hat. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 1, 2005, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-silliest-military-hat/328909 "2005-11-01T14:50:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2015, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-silliest-military-hat/328909/61 "2015-06-12T19:00:43Z")
Bumped. Here’s the U.S. Navy tiara from back in the day: [Official US Navy Tiara (Females) - NAVAL & SEA SERVICE UNIFORMS - U.S. Militaria Forum](http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/94726-official-us-navy-tiara/) And here are French _Chasseurs Alpins_ (Alpine Hunters) in ridiculously oversized, floppy white berets: [Chasseurs Alpins - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chasseurs_Alpins#/media/File:Fanfare_27BCA_02.JPG) ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2015, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-silliest-military-hat/328909/62 "2015-06-13T01:16:54Z")
Here’s a weird one: [Austro-Hungarian sun helmet](http://www.militarysunhelmets.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Austrian1.jpg), from an empire that had no tropical possessions. But the lattice smocking on the puggaree is just darling. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2015, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-silliest-military-hat/328909/63 "2015-06-13T06:28:52Z")
A spike on your pickelhaube simply not enough for you? Well, how 'bout [an Eagle?](http://www.germaniainternational.com/images2/refb%20helmets/gard%20du%20corp%20officers%20helmet/MVC-023S.jpg) Or better yet…a [LION?](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/431641945508597901/) ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2015, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-silliest-military-hat/328909/64 "2015-06-13T06:40:02Z")
I always loved the [uniforms with peaked caps](http://www.bloomberg.com/image/ik_0ucIUZNn4.jpg) Richard Nixon imposed on the White House guard in 1970. They were basically laughed out of town. Walt Kelly depicted [Agnew as a hyena wearing the uniform](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KC44iuEaDWk/T8dkFBVUvAI/AAAAAAAACLo/PaviGvjuWIE/s1600/pogo%2Bdailies%2B2.jpg)in the _Pogo_ comic strip. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2015, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-silliest-military-hat/328909/65 "2015-06-13T21:30:40Z")
The White House uniforms ended up donated to a high school marching band, IIRC. ---
**Author:** ![journeyman\_southpaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5e9695/32.png) [@journeyman\_southpaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/journeyman_southpaw)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2015, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-silliest-military-hat/328909/66 "2015-06-13T21:53:21Z")
The [North Korean general’s hats](http://onlineathens.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/full/North%20Korea%20Panama%20Sh_Hugh.jpg) that [make them](http://www.economist.com/sites/default/files/NK%20succession%20highres_00000402347744,%20600.jpg)look like the rulers of the Mushroom Kingdom. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2015, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-silliest-military-hat/328909/67 "2015-06-14T01:58:06Z")
Soviet generals had really big hats, too: [The Telegraph US - Breaking news, opinion & analysis](http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01399/valentin_varenniko_1399540c.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2015, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-silliest-military-hat/328909/68 "2015-06-14T13:08:41Z")
[These guys have it all:](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZ0ue-XGl9c) outrageous hats, facial hair, silly walks, and menacing thumb gestures. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2015, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-silliest-military-hat/328909/69 "2015-06-14T17:35:00Z")
This is the 404iest thread I have seen around here in a while ☹ ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2015, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-silliest-military-hat/328909/70 "2015-06-14T18:34:11Z")
I like those "tar bucket’ hats worn by USMA cadets. Or the polish cavalry caps (with the square tops). But the naval "fore and aft’ caps are neat too. ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2015, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-silliest-military-hat/328909/71 "2015-06-15T06:40:20Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Soviet generals had really big hats, too: [The Telegraph US - Breaking news, opinion & analysis](http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01399/valentin_varenniko_1399540c.jpg) Apparently, the larger hat is a sign of position. All I know is that it was tough to keep a straight face while I was on parade with a bunch of troops from various Eastern European countries. BIG HATS! ---
**Author:** ![blue\_infinity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blue_infinity/32/2817_2.png) [@blue\_infinity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blue_infinity)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2015, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-silliest-military-hat/328909/72 "2015-06-15T07:36:32Z")
The [Royal Guard of South Korea](https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3954/15356028820_80dfcd2ae9_b.jpg). Now in [glorious yellow](http://bashny.net/uploads/images/00/00/13/2014/03/09/313aa10047.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2015, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-silliest-military-hat/328909/73 "2015-06-15T11:00:29Z")
Her’s the traditional [Janissary Hat,](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/58/c3/b1/58c3b1d976277d514ec26de297ba72e2.jpg) which has largely been replaced with [this](http://www.restroomdirect.com/images/products/detail/World_Dryer_A5-974.jpg) model. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-silliest-military-hat/328909.md?page=3)