under.cover

Little legs explore the leathery texture of the log's sprouting disguise: the encamped polypores.  (villa tunari, el chapare)

The close.fitting, rounded.crown hat of London's mid.1800s was designed for the heads of mounted gamekeepers.  Low.lying branches and poachers' sticks often damaged the delicate top hats previously worn.  Commissioned by Lock & Co., Thomas and William Bowler presented a durable, felt worker's hat that became the business uniform not only for the working class, but for professionals as well.  The bowler hat’s popularity continued in England until the 1960s when the general hat.wearing culture declined.  Its presence shifted to an alternative fashion, highlighting its symbolism and/or nostalgia.  From machine politicians in the US to Magritte’s surrealist images, the bowler has been worn in movies, comics, and on stage.  Charlie Chaplin, Malcolm McDowell, Liza Minnelli, and John Bonham have all sported the headpiece.

An unlikely culture that continues to revere the daily use of this felt hat can be found in the altiplano regions of Bolivia and Peru.  After the pan-Andean rebellion in the 18th century, the colonial repression of indigenous culture prohibited native adornment.  European styles replaced the local traditions.  The established dress of Aymara women now includes a cardigan, shawl, and full skirt.  It is completed with a “bombin,” a bowler hat that appears too small for the women’s heads.  Arriving to the region in the 1920s, the contemporary derby went on to become the prevalent headpiece for these women.  Rumor states that a shipment error by a Bolivian outfitter (either surplus or size miscalculation) triggered its marketing to women’s wear.  Within ten years, the Italian millinery firm Borsalino was exclusively exporting the adopted style to the region.  Ultimately a factory opened domestic production in La Paz.  The local belief is that the hats increase fertility.