The Hats of Kazakhstan

If you were closely watching Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan , you may have noticed the traditional Kazakh headwear. It just so happens that we have examples of these distinctive hats in our collection. Our friend and ex-Village Hat Shop store manager, Tom Toomey, is currently working in Kazakhstan. Tom, who travels and works in all the "Stans" as well as in Russia, never fails to make important contributions to our always-expanding collection of hats from around the world.

Kalpak: The kalpak, pictured here, is the traditional hat worn by men in both Kazakhstan and neighboring Kyrgyzstan. It is usually white with designs of black embroidery. The hat is primarily seen today in towns and villages, but is still worn on the streets of Bishkek, the capital city of Kyrgyzstan, where older men wearing business suits are often topped by their kalpaks.

Fancy Kalpak: Note the differences with this kalpak - expanded gold embroidery designs on the crown and the brim, a rounded rather than squared crown, and a small tassel coming from the top. This hat is to be worn on important occasions, celebrations, and the like.

Kazakh Wedding Hat: