What is a fawn hat made of?

Fur products are a classic for true Russians, but the famous fawn hat is a thing of the past. This product occupied an honorable place in the royal family, because this headdress made of natural fur was considered a sign of good taste and a special position in society.

Real craftsmen skillfully hid the secrets of production, thanks to which the “fawn” was valued at its true worth. Nowadays it is difficult to find reliable facts about the history of this much-needed household item and the secret of the ancient craft of its manufacture. But there are still interesting but little-known facts.

History of the fawn hat

Based on the name, it turns out that the hat is based on fawn fur. In fact, this is the fur from a small reindeer, ideally up to six months old and brown in color.

Having studied history, it becomes known that only students of the Department of Law from the Imperial School of Tsarist Russia wore the fawn hat. Green uniforms and a fawn headdress made the young guys look like a siskin bird.

This is where the beginning of the famous Soviet song “Chizhik-Pyzhik” comes from. After the revolution, the hat gained unknown popularity, gaining recognition from ordinary people.

Fawn hats in the USSR

It is believed that the fawn hat found its second wind during the reign of L. Brezhnev. In those years, this headdress was a symbol of the elite party.

The dream of an ordinary worker was not at all overseas delicacies or financial wealth. People dreamed of a “fawn”, because it was impossible to get it in the retail chain.

Black market traders took advantage of people's illiteracy and sold high-quality counterfeits. Soviet citizens bought them and were proud to wear real “fawn” products. Only a professional could calculate the defect, because it was not much different from the original version.

In the 1980s, to replace the legendary fawn hat Another fashion for headwear came - the “pie”. With the decrease in demand for “fawns,” their cost also decreased, but it was still difficult to get them.

Interesting Facts

Numerous films remain as souvenirs from Soviet times that have become film classics. You can see the famous “fawn hats” in them.

Thanks to director Konstantin Voinov, the subject of many people's dreams appeared in the film space of the Soviet Union. The film “The Hat” tells the viewer about the story of a writer whose dream came true - he became the owner of the legendary fawn hat. But his happiness was shattered the moment he learned that his headdress was made from the fur of an ordinary rabbit. Due to nervous shock, the writer had a heart attack.

In the film “Girls,” the characters entered into a bet, as a result of which the winner received a fawn hat.

The 1956 Olympics seriously hit the budget of the Italian team, because famous hats were purchased for each participant. Is it worth talking about the glory that Italian athletes brought to the Soviet Union?..

What kind of fur is this fawn?

As already mentioned, a murrelet is a reindeer calf. The texture of its wool is soft, fluffy and warm, which made it possible to make a practical and comfortable hat.

For one product, 1-2 skins are enough.

Exactly the sewing method depended on the amount of fur headdress:

• If there are several skins, the process is quick and straightforward. Finished patterns for the future product were placed along the length of the ridge, cut out and sewn along the edges.
• If the skin of one animal is used, the main part is taken from the back, and the headphones and butt pad are taken from the cervical region.

The hats were of the highest quality, since all processes (from cleaning the skin to sewing) were carried out by hand.

Features of the “fawn” and advantages

Due to the fact that reindeer fur is highly elastic, the production process for those who know all the nuances takes place without much effort. The excellent performance characteristics of the fawn cap cannot be ignored.

The hat keeps you warm even in severe frosts. This is because deer live in extremely cold temperatures and their fur has adapted to the cold. That is why a fur product is a sure salvation in a snowy winter.

It is impossible to buy real fawn hats today. Due to the active hunting of reindeer in order to follow fashion trends, their numbers have become critical. To save animals from complete extinction and increase their numbers, fauna defenders included deer in the Red Book.

Are there modern analogues?

Today there are also fawn hats, but they are similar to their legendary brother only in name. In reality, they are made of muskrat or beaver fur (photo). Despite the fact that their fur is shorter and their skin is much smaller, hats also perfectly retain heat in the frosty cold.

Headdresses made of fox and mink are considered a trend for all seasons. The silk lining reliably protects the head from the wind.

An excellent alternative for ardent opponents of natural fur products is hats made of eco-fur, faux fur or synthetic insulation.

Modern technologies have made it possible to create a practical, universal, and most importantly, stylish product that costs several times less than the legendary “fawn hat”.

If you have the legendary “fawn” in your arsenal of hats, give it due attention, it is a real rarity.