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
cork or
pith, typically pith from the sola,
Aeschynomene aspera, an Indian swamp plant, or
A. paludosa, or a similar plant. Designed to shade the wearer's head and face from the sun, pith helmets were often worn by people of European origin in the
tropics, but have also been used in other contexts.