A complete guide to the most common styles of hats.
Since ancient times, hats have been worn to decorate heads. They are valuable accessories that can serve as potent status, identity, and cultural heritage markers. Hats have been worn for social duties, religious rites, and weather protection since the dawn of civilization.
Hats have changed significantly over time, mirroring both the technology and fashion trends of their eras. Every style of hat, from the elegant top hats of the Victorian era to the everyday baseball caps of today, has a distinct history.
Hats have had a remarkable journey through pop culture, emerging as iconic accessories for figures such as Indiana Jones, Walter White, and Michael Jackson. This guide explores the history, variety, and unique uses of hats as it digs into the fascinating world of hats. This is a list of the various styles of hats:
An Overview Of Hat History
Although the exact origins of hats are unknown, some of the earliest examples date back to Ancient Egypt.
Ancient Egypt: Around 3200 BCE, Thebes, Egypt, produced some of the earliest and most popular representations of headwear. Upper-class Egyptians wore headdresses to keep their heads cool, as many of them kept their hair shaved.
Roman Empire: Hats—such as the skull-like cap and pileus—were worn in Rome. Initially worn by Greeks and Romans who had been held as enslaved people, the Phrygian cap came to represent independence throughout the American and French Revolutions.
The Middle Ages: Hats were utilized to target specific people and became a status symbol. Jewish people were forced to identify themselves with unique hats and other clothes at the Fourth Council of the Lateran in 1215.
Rise of the milliner: In the sixteenth century, the word "milliner" was first employed. The best hats were created in Milan, Italy, so by the seventeenth century, the word had spread.
Women's fashion: Handkerchiefs and loose bonnets were the most common headwear worn by ladies before the nineteenth century. Throughout the first part of the 1800s, these bonnets grew more extensive and more elaborate with different embellishments. By the century's end, more styles were developed for women.
Using hats in a modern way: Until the 1960s, hats were a popular and expected aspect of men's attire. Nowadays, most people wear hats as informal fashion accessories. Horse racing is one of the few well-known social occasions when hats are still worn. Hats are mandatory for attendees of both the Kentucky Derby in the US and Royal Ascot in Britain.
Which Hat Style is the Most Popular?
Hats in the style of baseball hats are the most worn. Of those who wear hats, 51% say that baseball caps are their favorite style. Both genders can wear them, and they are a fantastic way to support a team, raise awareness for a cause, or advertise a business.
Finding a baseball cap you adore is simple because they are available in a wide range of colors, sizes, and styles. When working outside, they can help keep your hair out of your face by pulling your visor away from it.
Why is Wearing A Hat Necessary?
Wearing a hat has numerous advantages. If you want to add some flair to your hair, shield yourself from the sun, or keep your hair out of your face, you should wear one. They are reasonably priced and comfy.
Additionally, hats can be a bold accessory or a way to infuse your outfit with flair. Whatever your reason for wearing a hat, it's essential to choose a style you like.
Types Of Hats: 32 Most Common Hat Styles
There are countless options available for headwear, from classic trucker hats to personalized beanies and fedoras. To find out more, continue reading!
1. Trucker Hats
One kind of baseball cap is the trucker cap. These caps have lots of room on the front for personalization and breathable mesh on the back. If a hat has a snapback closure and mesh panels—aside from the front panels—it is called a trucker hat. The popular trucker hats from Shop Friday Feelin’ are available in a range of styles, perfect for fashion or business promotion.
2. Baseball Hats
It's probably the most popular hat, especially in the US. These easy-to-wear, casual hats feature six panels that connect under a button at the top and a short-to-medium bill that can be flat or curved in front. Baseball caps with two snap-together plastic components that alter the size are known as snapback hats.
3. Apple Cap
With eight panels and a button sewed on top, it's a more extensive take on the newsboy cap.
4. Ascot Cap
Similar to flat and ivy caps, the Ascot cap has a more rounded crown profile, is often stiffer, and is composed of felt or wool.
5. Beanie
A beanie is a knit cap made of cotton or wool, typically used as a winter hat. A comparable variety is the long stocking cap, which has a more extended crown designed to hang over the top or to the side while the beanie remains fitting at the crown.
6. Beret
The Beret is a circular, soft, flat-topped shape with extra material around the edges for a subtle “poof." Typically, they are connected with painters or artists and are composed of wool, cotton, and acrylic fibers. Frequently, they have a short apple stem protruding from the top. They can be worn in a variety of ways, such as hanging to one side or laying flat across the top of the head. They originated as military clothing and a Special Forces unit called the "Green Berets" even goes by that moniker.
7. Floppy / Big Brim Hats
Floppy hats and wide brims are precisely what the name suggests. These are excellent pool hats for ladies and have recently gained popularity and fashion. Although they are typically 4 to 6 inches, these brims can reach a maximum of 10 inches. Because they are a little stronger and can better hold the weight of the brim, they are usually constructed of tweed or paper braiding and available in a variety of colors. The crown style is typically a straightforward, circular, unformed shape.
8. Derby Hat
The early 1900s and 1800s movie theatre figures contributed to the iconic nature of bowler hats. Generally speaking, these are two-inch-tall firm felt hats with a rounded crown and a short brim.
9. Boonie Hat
A boonie hat is a wide-brimmed, floppy hat made of canvas, twill, or cotton. When they first appeared, soldiers wore them during the Vietnam War.
10. Cloche Hat
In recent years, the cloche has gained a lot of popularity and is available in all materials. It is a bell-shaped cut that fits closely, is rounded at the top, and frequently flares out somewhat at the bottom. Usually, there is some kind of decoration surrounding the crown.
11. Duckbill Caps
Another more modern form is the Duckbill cap, which combines elements of the Ivy and Ascot styles. Usually, it has a more rounded top towards the back that terminates in a more pronounced downward curve that meets the upward-sloping bill at the front. This construction gives the style its name since it forms a shape resembling a duck bill.
12. Fascinator Hats
The fascinator made a grand reappearance after the royal wedding, and vendors were unable to keep up with demand. A fascinator is a headgear in the form of a headband with a bow on top. They also go by the name "cocktail hats," but the critical difference is that they are either attached to the hair or worn with a headband.
13. Fedora
Although they are available in many different sizes, fedora hats are generally thought to have a short-to-mid-sized brim with an upturn in the rear. If the front has a snap-brim, it can be turned up, down, or both ways. While these “retro” fedoras are generally men’s hats, women also wear this style.
14. Fez
The fez style, which originated in Fes, Morocco, is unexpectedly popular. Recently, it has gained popularity due to the television series "Dr. Who." It has a tapering cylinder shape with a tassel on top, most frequently seen in red.
15. Fitted
Fitted caps are baseball hats that measure in 1/8" increments to provide the precise fitted size that Major League Baseball players usually wear.
16. Gambler's Hat
The Gambler style comprises a medium to wide brim of around 3 inches that typically has either a tight curled-up lip around the edges or a slight turned-up western flair at only the sides. It tends to have a flatter profile when looking at it from the side, and it is made of just about every material. The big oval-shaped crown of the Gambler hat is the only distinguishing feature. The majority are just rounded in the middle, but others have a tiny pinch in the middle, much like an optimal style.
17. The Homburg Hat
The Homburg hat is a fascinating fashion that isn't worn very much these days. The hat's overall shape is circular, with upsides that are typically curled and a turned-up lip around the style's brim. The main characteristic of the hat is the center-dent crown. Many movie aficionados refer to this hat as the Godfather hat that Al Pacino wore in the movie.
18. Ivy Cap
Often referred to as a flat cap, this low-profile hat has a somewhat rounded top that falls down the bill where it is sewn. The flat cap gets its name from the fact that, when folded from the back, it lies absolutely flat on a table.
19. Up-Brim or Kettle-Brim
Most people have seen the kettle-brim hat despite the term needing to be more familiar. It is a women's style made of different materials and has an essential yet timeless appearance. This style is characterized by an asymmetrical circular shape, a short to medium brim with a half-to one-inch upturn at the corners, and a rounded crown. It sometimes has chinstraps and is adorned with a bow or ribbon around the crown.
20. Lifeguard Cap
The wide brim and excellent sun protection of the lifeguard hat make it a trendy style. The material is straw of some kind, such as rush, palm fiber, or raffia. Most lifeguard hats have a broad, flat, or downward-sloping brim with a crown form that is recessed in the middle. It's vital to keep in mind that, despite their reputation for providing sun protection, the majority of lifeguard styles lack UPF-rated textiles.
21. Mao, Private or Military Cap
The Mao or private hat resembles military headgear and is just a short, simple baseball cap. This design has a short, two—to three-inch brim and a small, flat-topped crown that is almost the same size. These caps are a terrific alternative to the traditional baseball cap and are worn by both men and women.
22. Newsboy Cap
A 6- or 8-quarter panel that forms into a broader, rounder version of the conventional ivy or flat cap is referred to as a newsboy cap style. It closes with a snap on the brim or a button on top.
23. Novelty Hats
Hats that imitate popular styles, such as policeman, firefighter, or mad hatter hats, are called novelty hats. These are for amusement and dressing up.
24. Outback Hat
The Outback hat is characterized by a flatter, somewhat less parabolic contour than the safari and a more oversized brim that typically starts at around 2.5 inches. The sides are frequently slightly angled, giving it a western or "outback" vibe. Although crown shapes can vary, the teardrop form, commonly known as a "C" crown, is the most common shape.
25. Panama Hat
This Ecuadorian hat isn't specific to any one style. Toquilla straw is what Panama caps are similar to each other.
26. Peruvian Cap
A Peruvian cap, also known as a chullo, is shaped less snugly than a beanie. It may also have a pom on top. It has two ear flaps on either side that stretch into two tassels dangling from the bottom.
27. Pith Helmet
A classic design, the Pith helmet is currently worn as an emblem of the United States Postal Service. There are numerous variations of this type, ranging from the clichéd version pictured on the right to the elaborate, cloth-covered versions that explorers and military personnel once used. The substance, a tissue in the stems of vascular plants, is whence the term "Pith" originates. They may also be made of paper, cardboard, or a toy straw.
28. Hat Safari
Many times, the safari style is mistaken for the pith helmet worn by some postal workers. The safari design is characterized by a medium to high crown, center dent crown style, and gently sloping brim on all sides.
29. Tam Hat
A loose-fitting shape that hangs somewhat off the back or side of the head with a more rounded crown. They can also have a crocheted weave, which is incredibly colorful and has a beanie-like texture.
30. Top Hat
Another classic style that is more frequently worn as a novelty or in formal settings these days is the top hat. The two primary characteristics that set them apart are a broad, occasionally convex crown and a short to medium brim. There are numerous other variations in the style.
31. Trilby Hat
With the exception of its comparatively small brim, the Trilby's shape and styling are comparable to those of a fedora. Asking for either of these hat kinds will typically result in you getting what you want because fedora and trilby are terms that are frequently used interchangeably to describe the designs.
32. Visor
It is a headwear design with no crown, just a band that encircles the head and a bill fastened to provide shade. Variations exist with and without brims of various widths.