buckle hat

plural buckle hats

1. Synonym of capotain or pilgrim's hat; commonly associated with the Thanksgiving aesthetic; used to describe a version of the headwear that is now considered to be a historical inaccuracy originating from 19th-century artistic depictions of pilgrims and not an authentic part of their attire.

   I got the Mr. Pilgrim saltshaker; he stood at attention in his buckle hat with a musket in one arm and a turkey in the other.

   2018 March 20, Newmark, Amy, Chicken Soup for the Soul: My Amazing Mom 101 Stories of Love and Appreciation, page 26

   2 more examples

   Kent Glick, owner and operator of the Myles Standish Buckle Hat Manufacturing Company in Long Island City, is thrilled by the recent uptick in popularity for his product. It was a different world. Most of the buckle hat operations have moved to China. It’s cheaper to make them over there, but the quality just isn’t the same.” Despite this, Kent is confident that things are looking up for the American capotain industry.

   2012 November 24, Oelbaum, Jed, “Trend Alert: Capotain Pilgrim Hat as Ultimate Homage to Patron Saints of American Gentrification”, in good.is

   Pilgrims generally wore a hat known as a “capotain,” which did kind of look like the classic Pilgrim hat, but didn’t have buckles. […] we now picture the Pilgrims in these dumb buckle hats, even though they never really wore them. […] Much like the stupid Pilgrim buckle hat, the horned Viking helmet is bullshit. The Vikings did wear helmets, but horns would be pointless and impractical in battle.

   2021, VanHooker, Brian, Mel Magazine

   Synonyms: capotain or pilgrim's hat