Slouch Hat

A slouch hat is a wide-brimmed felt or cloth hat with a chinstrap, most commonly worn as part of a military uniform. It is a survivor of the felt hats worn by certain 18th century armies. Since then, the slouch hat has been worn by military personnel from many nations including Australia, Britain, India, New Zealand, Southern Rhodesia, France, the United States, Germany and many others. Australia has had a slouch as standard issue headwear since the late Victorian Era. Today it is worn by military personnel from a number of countries, although it is primarily associated with Australia, where it is considered to be a national symbol. The distinctive Australian slouch hat, sometimes called an Australian bush hat or digger hat, has one side of the brim turned up or pinned to the side of the hat with a Rising Sun Badge in order to allow a rifle to be slung over the shoulder. In the United States it was also called the Kossuth hat, after Lajos Kossuth, and was a common article of both the Union and Confederate Armies officer's uniform.