[1] Originally made from wool felt or tweed cloth, these hats were traditionally worn by Irish farmers and fishermen as protection from the rain, because the lanolin from the unwashed (raw) wool made these hats naturally waterproof.
[2] From the interwar years onwards, these "Irish walking hats" were quickly adopted internationally for country pursuits because, when folded, they could fit inside a coat pocket.
If the hat fell in the mud, it could be easily cleaned with a damp sponge, and it could be reshaped using steam from a kettle.
[4] Milliners such as Lilly Daché created designs in felt or other stiffer fabrics to capture the "mod" look.
[5] The older tweed Irish walking hat remained popular among professional men until the 1970s,[6] and was notably worn by Sean Connery's character in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.