The well-known headdress of sailors, the peakless cap, has one distinguishing feature - two ribbons fluttering in the wind. A familiar detail that wasn't always there. The history of its origin is ambiguous, but this does not make it less interesting and entertaining.
1. History of appearance - legends and reality
Nowadays, regardless of which country the fleet belongs to, ribbons on sailors' caps are mandatory.
Initially, this was at the level of a custom that appeared among fishermen in the Mediterranean. They were given ribbons by their relatives and wives, who personally embroidered words of prayers, wishes, and love on them. At that time, it was believed that the ribbons were a kind of talisman that brought good luck, a talisman that would protect from all troubles and misfortunes and allow a person to return home with the catch. Often, one of the personal qualities of its owner was even painted on the ribbons. They were used to tie up hair.
When the first uniform, mandatory for wearing according to the charter, was introduced, the presence of ribbons was not officially regulated anywhere in the navy. Nevertheless, there is a legend according to which the sailors of the English fleet during the assault on the fortress Curacao (it then belonged to the Dutch) tied ribbons with an inscription made in gold letters - Undaunted. The assault was not successful, but the custom survived and soon spread to the entire fleet, not only of Great Britain, but also of other states.
There is another version of the appearance of this characteristic detail on peakless caps. According to her, they were first attached to a headdress at the beginning of the nineteenth century as a tribute to the memory of Admiral Nelson, who died during the Battle of Trafalgar, and were a sign of mourning. It is in this connection that they are traditionally black, or rather, they had. Over time, other options have appeared.
Russian sailors began to wear ribbons after 1857. Their charter was approved almost twenty years later - in 1874. They should have indicated the crew number or the name of the ship. The length of such tapes was also strictly defined by the Charter - 140 centimeters. By the way, in Russia, not only sailors wore hats with ribbons, but also infantrymen.
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2. Post-revolutionary tapes
During this period, not only the shape of the peakless cap itself was changed, but also the appearance of the ribbons. They now indicated not the name of the ship, but the fleet, which is characteristic of our time. The color has also changed. In addition to black, black and orange appeared.
In general, thanks to the names, at one time it was possible to determine the belonging of the owner of the cap to the fleet or the crew of a particular ship.
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3. Practical value
In the modern world, according to experienced sailors, in the navy, peakless caps with ribbons are used exclusively at parades and ceremonial buildings. They are not worn every day. For this, there are caps - a more practical and comfortable headdress.
But even during parades, there are not very favorable conditions, for example, strong winds. To prevent the peakless cap from being blown off the head, it is held by the ribbons by the teeth.
It will be no less interesting to know why sailors wore bell-bottomed trousers for a long time, but today they are not relevant.
A source: https://novate.ru/blogs/171020/56413/