Tricorn Hats & Bicorn Hats

About Tricorne and Bicorne Hats

The tricorn hat, also spelled tricorne, takes its name from its three upturned brims, each pinned or stitched to the crown to create the distinctive triangular profile. It was the dominant military and civilian hat of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, worn by everyone from British naval officers and American colonial soldiers to Caribbean pirates. George Washington wore one at Valley Forge. Pirates adopted it for the same reason sailors did: it kept rain off the neck from three sides and did not catch the wind the way a full brim would.

The bicorn, also spelled bicorne, followed as the tricorn fell out of fashion toward the end of the eighteenth century. Napoleon Bonaparte made it his signature look, wearing his side-on rather than front-to-back, which made him instantly recognizable on the battlefield. British naval officers, including Admiral Lord Nelson, wore theirs the same way.

At HatsXCaps, we carry tricorn and bicorn hats in felt and leather, made to the proportions and construction details that give these styles their proper presence. These are hats with genuine history behind them and enough craftsmanship to hold up to regular wear, not just a single occasion.

If you are drawn to historical hat silhouettes, our Top Hats and Bowler Hats cover other classic styles from the same era with their own distinct character.

FAQs

What is the point of a tricorn hat?

The tricorn hat was a practical solution to a real problem. Before the tricorne, wide-brimmed hats were standard military and civilian wear, but a wide brim catches wind badly on horseback or at sea and funnels rain directly onto the shoulders. Pinning three sides of the brim up to the crown solved all of this at once: it kept the wind profile low, shed rain off the back and sides of the neck, and gave the wearer clear sightlines to both sides. The style also made rank and allegiance visible at a distance, since regiments and navies used different cockades and decorations on the upturned brims to distinguish themselves.

What is the purpose of a bicorn hat?

The bicorn served much the same purpose as the tricorn but represented the next evolution in military headwear. As the tricorn fell out of fashion in the late 1700s, military dress moved toward taller, more formal hats, and the bicorn sat between the two eras. It was practical enough for field use and formal enough for ceremony. Napoleon's adoption of the style cemented its place in history, and the sideways-worn bicorn became one of the most recognizable silhouettes in Western military history. Today, bicorn hats are still worn by naval officers in several countries as part of formal dress uniform.

What is the difference between a bicorne and a tricorne?

The simplest answer is the number of points. A tricorne has three upturned brims forming a triangular shape when viewed from above. A bicorne has two, creating a crescent or half-moon profile that can be worn with the points facing front and back, or side to side in the style associated with Napoleon. The tricorne was dominant through most of the 1700s and is strongly associated with the Age of Sail, American colonial history, and piracy. The bicorne came into prominence toward the end of the century and is most closely associated with Napoleonic-era military dress. Both styles have roots in the same practical need but belong to different periods and carry different historical associations.