The Tyrolean hat (also Bavarian hat or Alpine hat) is a type of headwear that originally came from the Tyrol in the Alps, in what is now part of Austria and Italy. A typical Tyrolean hat originally had a crown tapering to a point and was made of green felt with a brim roughly the width of a hand. There are various forms of Tyrolean hat. Frequently the hats are decorated with a coloured, corded hatband and a spray of flowers, feathers or "brush" at the side of the crown. The traditional "brush" is made of the tail of the chamois goat. It takes a variety of forms, and may often be combined with feathers.
In the 19th and 20th centuries the Tyrolean hat became the image bearer of "Tyrolean culture" as a tourist symbol, influenced also by folk music bands who wore fanciful "local" costumes. Today, many people have Bavarian hats made of loden cloth (a thick, water resistant woollen material with a short pile, first produced by peasants in Austria), trimmed with cord and decorated with various accessories, like hat pins, feathers, a tuft of chamois hair, and pins commemorating their travels and exploits.
"Treu dem alten brauch" translates loosely as "Faithful to Tradition" and is the motto of the folk and mountain dress associations that are dedicated to preserving German customs and traditions.
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