For long, hats have been a daily accessory for both men and women. A hat tells a lot about a person’s characteristic. Hat also implies one’s position in the society and their job. There has been a time that the Americans would never leave their home without a hat. When it comes to hats and caps, there are a lot of men’s hat styles just as much as there are for women. Men’s hats and caps come in many different shapes and sizes. If you are new to this accessory, you might be overwhelmed by all of the new things.
Therefore, it’s our job to guide you through this jungle of hats and caps. In this article, we’ll go through the most common type of hats and caps for men. Through that, we’ll help you to distinguish them and pick up some special features in each type of hats and caps.
Hats and caps
First off, let’s separate hats and caps into two different categories. In case you still have trouble distinguishing them, a cap fits closely to your head. It doesn’t have a rim. Caps can have a visor. The main purpose of a cap is not really for the purpose of looking good, but it’s for blocking sunlight.
On the other hand, hats have many different shapes. They are usually grander compared to caps. Other than just protecting your face and head from the sunlight, a hat can be used for ceremonial, religious, fashion accessory reasons.
Men’s hat
Although there can be hundreds of different hat styles for men, we’ll introduce you to the 8 most significant styles.
01. Pork pie hat
The pork pie hat has a distinctive crown shape. Needless to say, it must be the first thing that comes to hat enthusiasts’ minds. A pork pie hat should have a low telescoped crown with flexible brim and a flat top.
In the image of being “cool”, pork pie hats are unmatchable. They are usually made out of straw, cloth or felt. The low crow is usually 3 1/2” tall. Then center of the crow is popping upward. This hat has gained its popularity since the 1930s.
This wonderful hat is named after the traditional English dish – pork pie as it resembles the dish. Traditionally, the hat was brown which makes it more similar to the dish. It has been seen to be worn by actors like Johnny Depp and Buster Keaton. Till these days, it’s still one of the most popular among all the styles of men’s hats.
Read : Best Pork pie and Stingy Hats for men
02. Fedora hats
A fedora hat is a wide brim hat with an indented crown. It usually creases lengthwise down the crown. Fedora hats can also be seen with diamond crowns, teardrop crowns, and center dents. Normally, the crown height would be 11 cm.
The brim of the hat is about 6 cm wide. There can be one or more rows of stitching inward toward the crown on the edge of the hat. Another type of edge is the Cavanagh Edge. It has invisible stitching to hold it in place. However, for the expensive cost requires to make this, it can no longer be performed by hat factories (modern factories).
A fedora usually has a hatband made of ribbon or leather, adding to the decoration of the hat. In rare cases, this hat can be equipped with a chinstrap.
A fedora hat is usually made of wool, cashmere. Some of them are made of rabbit or beaver felt. Some of the less expensive materials are straw, cotton, leather, linen. Fedoras are considered as one of the most luxurious men’s hat styles.
Read : Best fedora hats for men
03. Derby Bowler hats
The Bowler hat has been made during 1849 by Thomas and William Bowler. Hence, the name of the hat. From the 20th century, the bowler hats were associated with businessmen in the financial districts. There are not so common now but the image of a businessman wearing a bowler hat holding an umbrella has been overused in movies and newspaper.
A bowler hat is also known as a bob hat. It’s a hard felt hat. The crown is rounded which makes it protective and durable. It’s the most popular hat among the British and American working classes. Later in the 19th century, it had also become popular among the middle as well as the upper classes in the UK and US.
Read : Best derby bowler hats for men
04. Gambler hats
If other hat styles for men remains their vintage, traditional style, a gambler hat will surely take your look to the next level. They are western-style hats with a distinctive crown. The ample brim will provide you with the image of a cool and confident high-roller.
They are made of straws which are cool and light to wear in the summer. Winter gambler hats are made of wool to keep the heat inside of the hat. They’ll get you covered all year long.
The characteristics that the hat gives you also support the name of the hat: a confident, risk-taking kind of person. They are flexible, durable and really fashionable the hat gives a hard-to-forget impression.
Read : Best Gambler hats for men
05. Outback hats
Outback hats are also referred as “Australian Cowboy hats”. They take the element of fedoras and western hats to create the design. These hats are sharp-looking (the most significant feature). Also, they are quite catching among the common men’s hat styles.
These hats come into the public through movies like Indiana Jones and Crocodile Dundee. Normally, you would want to wear this hat in a casual situation like hike, horse riding, fishing, and hanging out.
Outback hats have pinch front crowns along with wide brims. They are good to protect your eyes from the sun. The crown of the hat has eyelets to stimulate air circulation. Chinstraps can be found in some models for extra safety.
Just like other hats, this hat can be made of many different materials. The most common are straws and wools for the summer and winter. They traditionally came in black. They are the hats of protection and comfort.
Read : Best Outback Hats for men
06. Top hats
Wearing these hats will plant a seed of memory into the brain of the beholders. Top hats are also known at beaver hats, high hats, or cylinder hats. Commonly worn by magician, actors in the movie. This hat was originally worn by men in the 18th to 20th century.
They are distinctive due to the tall, flat crown. They have board brims and usually come in black. Nowadays, these hats are only worn in special occasions like theme party, state funerals, movies.
The top hats are associated with upper class people. They go with the image of a wealthy man walking with a cane in his hand.
Read : Best Top Hat for Men
07. Bucket hats
Also known as session hat or fisherman’s hat, the bucket hats are distinguished by their wide, do wards sloping rim. This is also a hat of protection. Commonly worn by fisherman to fully separate their facial skin from contacting with the sunlight. This hat is made from heavy-duty cotton. Usually, they have some metal eyelets on each side for extra ventilation.
The hat was first recognized as a fashion item in the 1960s. It is featured in street fashion and sometimes on the catwalk. Originally made from wool, these hats were a tool to protect fishermen from rain, sunlight and water splashes.
Read : Best Bucket Hats for Men
Men’s caps
01. Driver and Ivy caps
Driver caps are also known as ivy cap, golf cap, duckbill cap. In Scotland, they are known as bunnet and Dai cap is what people call them in Wales.
They are commonly made of wool, cotton and tweed. Expensive ones are made of leather or linen. The cap is designed for the purpose of comfort and warmth. It’s also compact and doesn’t take a lot of space since it can be squished to fit in a small space.
The cap came from Northern England in the 14th century. The cap has been marked as a non-noble subject.
Read : Best Ivy Cap For Men
02. Newsboy caps
Similar to a driver cap, a newsboy cap has a same overall shape with a stiff peak. The body of the cap is rounder and there is a button on top of the cap. Usually, there is also another button attached to the front of the brim.
Despite from traditionally being a men’s cap, this cap has been seen as an accessory for women also. Many girls have been choosing this cap for its simple, poetic style. It also works very well in protecting your face against the sunlight.
Read : Top best newsboy cap for men
03. Baseball Caps
Probably the most common cap. The baseball cap is used in many informal occasions (hiking, fishing, watching sports, playing sports). With a stiff peak, the cap works very well in enhancing your vision when looking toward the direction of the sun.
The front of the cap can contain any kind of design from sport team names, brands, or sometimes blank. The cap has an adjustable strap at the back so that it can resize itself to fit in your head. The baseball cap is the traditional baseball uniform. The brim of the cap protects the eyes of the players from the sun.
Read : Which is the best baseball cap?
04. Greek fisherman caps
The Greek fisherman cap is distinguished from a normal baseball cap with its embroidered visor. It has a braided cord. It’s a soft, flat-topped hat. Just as its name sounds like, the cap is associated with seamanship and marines.
Some people call this the John Lennon hat as it was worn by John Lennon.
Read : Top Best Greek Fisherman hats you should buy
05. Knit caps
Worn in cold climate to protect the head against the cold, the knit caps are usually made of wool and synthetic fibers. The knit caps have many variations. They are simple and are common in cold climates, among fishermen, hunters.
Till this day, they are still used for the same purpose of keeping cold. Most of them are tapered at their top. It will stretch itself so that it can cover your head neatly to prevent winds and cold air from getting in.
Read : Best Knit Hats for Men
06. Pub and duckbill caps
These caps are made of comfortable, soft materials like jersey cotton. They are a warm tool for all-season wear. These caps are also common in cold climate like the knit cap. A lot of them are made in America. They are featured with a paneled crown with a button on the top. They are most commonly brown, black and bright red.
These caps will keep thing classy, stylish when they are on your head. They are worn for both protection and fashion purposes.
Hats and caps are not only protective items. They are worn for fashion purposes. On the days when you oversleep and don’t have time to style your hair, they can be your savior. Whether you’re out for casual or formal purposes, make sure that you select the right hat or cap to go with you. While have a great hairstyle will make you look good and confident, a fashionable men’s hat styles will complete the way you look when you are outside.
