Tam

Rastafarian wearing a tam

The tam is a tall, round knitted cap, which is often brightly coloured.

Origins

The tam comes from Scotland and Ireland. The name likely derives from the British colonial era, after the Scottish national cap, the tam o'shanter.

Rastafari

It is associated with the Rastafari movement as a way for Rastas to tuck away their dreadlocks. It can be crocheted, knit, sewn, or constructed in a number of different ways.

Rastacaps range in size and shape, as well as uses. People with dreadlocks and non-dreaded folks alike wear tams for fashion, convenience, and a number of other reasons. Some Rastas also wear tams and other forms of headdress as a religious headcovering.

In construction, it is similar to the tuque, but much larger. Natives of Jamaica, Barbados and some outlying islands, each express generational claims, citing personal,ancestral heritage, even personal invention, albeit without credible, documented proof, other than un-substantiated drawings or mythical reference. So-named the Rastafar (silent 'R'); pronouncement being of apparent, generational disagreement, as is the actual origin of invention, primarily argued between the Barbados and Jamaica habitants. A general consensus of the main islanders in the Caribbean archipelago, through direct, unbiased contact using direct, investigative interviews with resident natives who dis-associate themselves with populous tourist areas and wear this form of 'headwear',have repeatedly and uniformly made popular the simple name:'rastacap' or even more simply:"cap".

"Cap" was the most popular answer when asked what the person was wearing; when 'pushed' for a "more descriptive" name, "Cap" was still the usual answer, followed by "Rastercap" or "Rasta(h)cap", then "HAT" and "Toppa."

Upon meeting a native male (who are the predominant users) wearing this 'knitted' and some oft-times "woven" examples with palm leaves, 'cured' in the prevailing sunshine and temperate climate ; a semi-rigid design which a skilled islander can form in minutes, the end resulting design is accorded to the particular definition of the artist,hat-maker. While most headwear is worn indiscriminately, for any variety of reasons, a small percentage will, however, be for compliance to the various employment restrictions in health, food service and safety statutes with particular attention to OSHA guidelines (as applicable in countries under jurisdiction)regarding long hair or articles of clothing deemed excessive in length wherein close proximity to dangerous moving, mechanical machinery could result in safety hazards in a given work environment which could result in possible injury or death to the unwitting employee. Also,restaurant health code variants differ in some countries extending provisional laws to their respective island affiliates with regards to the containment of long hair/dreadlocks and hair extensions within jurisdiction and pertinent other, local restrictions as per local health code ordinances).

In construction, it is similar to the tuque, but much larger.

Academic attire

A tam is also a 4-, 6-, or 8-sided cap worn as part of American academic dress by holders of doctorates as an alternative to the mortarboard or Tudor bonnet.

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

External links

The Burgon Society, dedicated to the study of academical dress.

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