Hats and head coverings

The black billed tam, stuffed to simulated locks.

I bought myself a billed tam to wear once I knot the ol' locks up, because they should start taking up more room than my little knit took can handle.

Changing hats will be a big deal, because that's the one that got me started on my present course towards dreadlocks.  I started wearing my took in July of 2010.  Even though it was warm, I found that I really enjoyed how it fit my head:  not cranium-tightening, but not prone to slippage, either.  I liked it so much that I soon wore it every day.

Once I was in the habit of wearing the took all the time, it was easy to stop brushing my hair.  I didn't stop washing it, mind you, just brushing it.  I noticed that my hair started to fall together naturally into locks, something that friends of mine with dreadlocks have confirmed will happen.  I know that my hair is thick and rich enough to lock, and the idea has always both fascinated and repulsed me to varying degrees.

Me, adorned with my took

I figured that I could continue to wear the hat while I transitioned into dreadlocks, so nobody would notice if it turned out horribly.  Being a freelance journalist helps, too; people who want to get a viewpoint into the press don't quibble about the reporter's appearance all that much.

However, the hat's a teeny bit tighter than it was 9 months ago, and once my hair is locked, it's probably not going to fit at all.  Tams are a popular covering for dreadlocks, and I like think the billed looked is more professional than the round beret style.  The local store had a lot of multicolored options, but black was the only solid style available.  It's pretty lightweight, like the summer tams that I linked to above, which I'm sure I will appreciate once July comes 'round again.

I've got a few more things on order for this project, but I will wait until they show up to talk about them.