Rastacap

The rastacap or tam is a tall (depending on the user's hair length), round, crocheted cap. It is most commonly associated with the pat^{[clarification needed]} as a way for Rastafari (Rastas) and others with dreadlocks to tuck their hair away, but may be worn for religious reasons by Rastafari. It is sometimes erroneously referred to as a "Tam", a different kind of cap loosely ancestral to the rastacap.^{[citation needed]} Other Caribbean terms for the rastacap include: rastafar (sometimes with a silent -r), toppa, toppah, and simply cap or hat.

Rastafarian in Barbados wearing a rastacap

In construction, the rastacap is similar to the tuque, but much larger. Most commonly crocheted, the hat can also be knit, woven, sewn, or constructed in a number of other ways.^{[citation needed]} Examples with sun-cured palm leaves woven into the hat exist; this yields a semi-rigid design which a skilled islander can form rapidly.^{[citation needed]} Rastacaps range in size and shape, as well as uses. People with dreadlocks and non-dreaded people alike wear rastacaps for fashion, convenience, religion, socio-political statement, and a number of other reasons. Some Rastas also wear rastacaps and other forms of headdress as a religious headcovering. It may also be worn by health and food service and heavy machinery workers with long hair, for workplace safety reasons.^{[1][verification needed][2]}

References

1.  This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.^{[clarification needed]}
2. Turda and Longley^{[clarification needed]}

External links

• Media related to Rastacaps at Wikimedia Commons