poliphilo: (bah)
poliphilo ([personal profile] poliphilo) wrote2017-01-20 11:02 am

Topi Not Toupee

I answer the door in one of my topis. Stefka, our Bulgarian carer, asks if it's Jewish. "No," I say, "Turkish." "Are you Turkish?" she asks. "No," I say, "I just wear it to keep my head warm."

Among our family heirlooms is a topi- described as a smoking cap- embroidered by my great-grandmother sometime in the late 19th century when such things were fashionable. Every so often we take it out of its tissue paper and admire it. I wore it once for an hour or two- but it's in something like pristine condition and I don't wan't to degrade it- so it went back into its tissue paper, in its box, in its drawer.

Talking about Victorian fashions there's an article in one of the papers about great men and their beards. Darwin grew his to cover a bad case of excema and Tennyson grew his to hide the lamentable state of his teeth.


 

[identity profile] clindau.livejournal.com 2017-01-20 12:45 pm (UTC)(link)
I like the colors of your scarf.

[identity profile] cmcmck.livejournal.com 2017-01-20 01:23 pm (UTC)(link)
They do suit you! :o)

[identity profile] poliphilo.livejournal.com 2017-01-20 01:24 pm (UTC)(link)
Thanks.

[identity profile] idahoswede.livejournal.com 2017-01-20 01:40 pm (UTC)(link)
And Ray grows his because, in winter, it keeps his face warm and, in summer, he looks less like Tony Robinson in his Baldrick days.

[identity profile] poliphilo.livejournal.com 2017-01-20 04:34 pm (UTC)(link)
I've worn a beard in the past. It doesn't really suit me.

[identity profile] faunhaert.livejournal.com 2017-01-20 04:12 pm (UTC)(link)
its a beautiful hat, you look great in it.
very nice picture
its good to see you.

[identity profile] poliphilo.livejournal.com 2017-01-20 04:34 pm (UTC)(link)
Thank you.
sovay: (Claude Rains)

[personal profile] sovay 2017-01-20 07:04 pm (UTC)(link)
I answer the door in one of my topis.

That's a very good portrait. You should publish a book so you can use it as the jacket photo.

[identity profile] poliphilo.livejournal.com 2017-01-20 08:11 pm (UTC)(link)
Thank you.



[identity profile] artkouros.livejournal.com 2017-01-21 02:53 pm (UTC)(link)
Cool hat.

[identity profile] internet-sampo.livejournal.com 2017-01-22 04:43 pm (UTC)(link)
Keeping your head warm is important!