Sou'wester

A Sou'wester is a traditional form of collapsible oilskin rain hat that is longer in the back than the front to protect the neck fully.[1] A gutter front brim is sometimes featured. A possible theory for the derivation of the name is to do with the Sou'wester wind which is the prevailing wind in the seas around the UK. A Sou'west wind tends to bring warm air containing moisture, thus rain. A fishing net would always be brought up in the lee of the wind so that a fisherman facing the net would have his back to the wind and without a hat the rain would be driven down the fisherman's neck, above his oilskin jacket. A Sou'wester hat has a roll up brim at the front which works like a gutter whilst keeping the face clear. The hat extends down the back, bridging and protecting the neck. Sou'wester hats were popular to dress small boys in during the 1950s in Britain.[2]

A lobsterman wearing a sou'wester