A hanky for your head
For anyone reenacting a Canadian milicean during the Seven Years War in America during the summer, being too hot can be common place. We know what a typical allotment of clothing would have been in the summer from various sources but one is from Bougainville in 1757: One capote One blanket One wool stocking cap 2 cotton shirts One pair of wool leggings I breechcloth The wool stocking cap or toque can be worn even in the hottest of weather. You can get it sopping wet and let the water evaporate and cool your head. You can flip some of the bulk up to create a sort of brim but let’s face it a double thick knit wool cap can be murder in the summer. There are of course practical applications for a toque in the summer, especally at night or in inclement weather. Would the milice have gone bare headed in the summer? Probably not. For social and religious reasons 18th century French Canadians would have been compelled to cover their heads while in publi...