Topee

The pith helmet (also known as the safari helmet, sun helmet, topee, sola topee, salacot or topi) is a lightweight cloth-covered helmet made of pith material. Typically, a pith helmet derives from either the sola plant, Aeschynomene aspera, an Indian swamp plant, or from Aeschynomene paludosa. In the narrow definition, a pith helmet is technically a type of sun helmet made out of pith material. However, the pith helmet may more broadly refer to the particular style of helmet. In this case, a pith helmet can be made out of cork, fibrous, or similar material. No matter the material, the commonality of the pith helmet style is one designed to shade the wearer's head and face from the sun. Pith helmets were often worn by European travelers and explorers, in the varying climates found in Africa, Southeast Asia, as well as the tropics, but have also been used in many other contexts.

Crude forms of pith helmets had existed since the mid-nineteenth century, as early as the 1840s, but it was around 1870 that the pith helmet became popular with military personnel in Europe's tropical colonies: the Franco-Prussian War popularized the German pickelhaube, and that had much influence on the definitive design of the pith helmet. It was made of pith with small peaks at the front and back; it was covered by white cloth, often with a cloth band (known as puggaree) around it, and had small holes for ventilation. It had a metal insignia at the front, and may be decorated with a brass spike or ball-shaped top. The chin strap could be in leather or brass chain, depending on occasions. The pith helmet soon became associated strongly with the British Empire.

However, the pith helmet was used by all European colonial powers, and for some time even by the United States. It was commonly worn by white officers commanding locally recruited troops in the colonial armies of France, Britain, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Imperial Germany and the Netherlands, as well as civilian officials in their territories. As such it became something of a symbol of colonial rule and was quickly discarded at the end of the period of European empires. The helmet had however earlier proved to be clumsy and conspicuous in the field and it ceased to be worn on active service during World War II

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