The Legacy of the Leather Cap That Defined John Lennon’s Look

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The Legacy of the Leather Cap That Defined John
Lennons Look
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John Lennon wore many hats in his lifetime, both
literally and metaphorically. John was a
musician, an artist, an activist, and much more.
He was also a style icon, with fans worldwide
desperate to imitate his many and varied looks.
However, perhaps the most famous of all John
Lennon's hats is the leather cap he debuted in
1964.
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The leather cap  known varying as the Lennon
hat, Bakerboy cap, and more was designed by
Helen Anderson, a childhood friend of Lennon and
his first wife, Cynthia. Anderson was a fashion
designer by trade and spent the first half of the
swinging sixties living and working in Rome for
the celebrated fashion house Sorelle Fontana
after graduating from the Liverpool College of
Art, where she studied with John Lennon. Nice
work if you can get it. Eventually, the siren
song of the Mersey tempted Helen Anderson home.
She opened a boutique in Liverpool, and the
Lennon's were among her regular customers. In
this very shop, Anderson created the first
trademark leather cap for John. She assumed that,
like many of John Lennon's hats, it would be worn
for a while, then quietly retired in favour of
another new look. Instead, almost six decades
later, the legacy of the leather cap made famous
by Help! lives on.  
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Over the years, Anderson received countless
requests to create replicas of the leather cap.
In reality, production on these replicas began as
soon as 1964. John Lennon's hats had a famously
short lifespan on the head of their intended
owner, as John was mobbed by adoring fans
everywhere he went. This, naturally, resulted in
countless items of headwear including the
original leather cap  being snatched and stolen,
never to be seen again. Of course, Anderson
replaced the leather cap, with most people
assuming it was the same item seen from one
occasion to the next. Over the years, she was
also asked to create replica leather caps for
sale to the general public. Of all John Lennon's
hats, this seemed to be the one that really
captured the imagination of the
masses. Considering that the leather cap was
created long before the laser cutting days,
instead crafted by hand, it was a big ask for
Helen Anderson to mass-produce the design
alongside her other duties. Since 2017, though,
new versions of the leather cap have been made
and hand-finished in Helen's Liverpool boutique.
A small handful are left, so if you're keen to
embrace the legacy of John Lennon hats, place an
order now!
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Helen Anderson Website - https//www.helenanderso
ndesigns.com/ Contact Email - hello_at_helenanderson
designs.com