Also called: flat cap. a flat woollen cap with a stiff peak
informal
a symbol of working-class ethos or origin
( as modifier )
cloth-cap attitudes
First recorded in 1850–55
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In contrast, Wilson - often anchored by his ever-present pipe and Gannex coat - was famed for a pragmatic, utilitarian wardrobe that defined the "cloth-cap" socialism of the 1960s and 70s.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
The incident gave rise to the description of his brand of politics as "cloth-cap socialism".
From BBC ● Apr. 18, 2014
And even in the cloth-cap era, behaviour was not beyond reproach.
From The Guardian ● Feb. 12, 2012
No politician is more aware of this possibility than Wilson, who has sought with considerable success to shake Labor's cloth-cap image and move into the middle ground.
From Time Magazine Archive
At once his cloth-cap was exchanged for the black helmet, and, in a few seconds, the escape was flying along the streets, pushed by the willing hands of policemen and passers-by.
From Personal Reminiscences in Book Making and Some Short Stories by Ballantyne, R. M. (Robert Michael)
Kelly, a small man who plays in a cloth cap, looks like Spanky McFarland in an old “Our Gang” comedy.
From Golf Digest ● Apr. 16, 2020
He only reluctantly wore the required helmet, always white, saying he preferred a cloth cap.
From New York Times ● Apr. 12, 2020
Wearing an ill-fitting suit, his cloth cap askew, the 1950s film star was the epitome of the little man defeating the odds.
From BBC ● Jan. 30, 2013
Today the cloth cap has gone and, although Sunderland remains a predominantly white working-class city, there will be black and Asian faces in the crowd.
From The Guardian ● Jun. 16, 2012
He pushed his hand up under his white cloth cap and scratched his head.
From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
