People wear hats for a long time for different reasons: as means for protection from the sun, as an accessory for their outfit, as an element of uniform or because of their religious beliefs. Hats were perceived as a mark of distinction, as a mark of elegance and as a sign of being a member of an elite circle of people.
However, today types of hats and styles are widely spread and now every man can dive into the contemporary style and add an interesting item to their wardrobe.
In this article we will talk about what men’s hats are, will get to know the history of men’s headwear and will look at 10 types of hats for men, which can be worn in the fall, spring and summer times.
From the moment of their first appearance, hat styles have undergone major changes. Originally, a simple hat was called “pileus”. It was a headwear, which was worn because of religious beliefs or for the emphasis on one’s status.
One of the first documented images of hats is considered to be the painting on Fiva grave (Egypt) which features a man is a straw hat. Even though this headwear has little common with the first hat, it shows the importance of this accessory across the centuries. The hat pileus is one of the first items of headwear that we, humanity, know of. Also, the Phrygian hat should be noticed, which was worn by Roman and Greek slaves.
The first ever hat with a brim came from Greece and was called “petatos”. On multiple frescos and sculptures in Greece, Hermes – the messenger of gods – is imprinted with petatos on his head. There is an opinion which states that petatos is an ancestor of contemporary hats.
In Middle Age, hat styles have become a mark of social status. For the Jews, during the process of their development, the favorite headwear became a Jewish hat, which is known as a kippah. Jews still wear it for religious purposes. Interesting fact: in 1215 the fourth Lateran Council offered to consider Jewish hat as a way of spotting Jews.
It is due to the popularization of sports among men that hats started being worn as a protection from the sun. The tradition of wearing hats at horse races was born in Royal Escort in Great Britain. In accordance to dress code, all the guests of the events at which the monarch was present had to wear hats. Such dress codes was transferred onto other events too; for instance, to America or Kentucky Derbi.
As soon as the fashion for hats had spread all across the world, baseball teams in America started to provide their players with headwear in order to increase their range of sight while being out in the sun. Later this headwear started to be called baseball caps. Due to each team having their own baseball caps, the fans started to wear them too to demonstrate their loyalty and love to the team or to the specific players. From baseball, headwear spread to other summer sports as its popularity was rising. Baseball caps were becoming brighter and soon they covered the heads of Americans.
What do the man’s hat and a baseball cap consist of
Even though every particular piece of headwear is unique, there could be found a lot of common in all of them.
- Crown of a hat: the big part of a hat, which covers and protects the top part of the head. Among men’s summer hats it is the lightest and the most transpirable part of the headwear.
- Band: a ribbon or a strap. It is attached to the bottom part of the crown of the hat and helps absorb moisture from the head in order to prevent the sliding of sweat onto the forehead of the eyes. The band is usually regulated with the help of a lacing tie, which can be pulled out to make the band tighter. Also, often the names grosgrain and pujari are used; these should not be confused with the band. These names are used for the outer part of the hat, while the band is located on the inside.
- Peak: a firm part of the hat, which comes out from under the front part of the crown for protection of the eyes from the sun and rain.
- Edge or brim: Serves the same purpose as the peak, however, it is located not only on the front but throughout the whole plain of the hat.
How to select the size of the man’s hat
For the most hats, the best way to select a size is to try it on your own head. The measurements can be taken in centimeters or inches. They are hard to understand. Please review the chart shown below. Measure the circumference of your head with a tape measure for tailors by wrapping it around the skull about 2-3 cm above the ears level or at about the middle of the forehead.
Unfortunately, many people today choose the hats of sizes S, M, L and even choose by the principle of “one size for all”. However, those hats will not fit you well. If the headwear is too small, it will cause a headache. Of course, at a hat store, you can try multiple hats on and that will be enough to find the right one.
The chart of men’s headwear sizes
The types of men’s hats
Contemporary producers put stakes on universality and the scope of multiple types and styles. Men’s hats easily turn into original items, which add to the outfit becoming its inspiring and completing touch.
With the summer coming, there comes a time for the choice of the most exquisite accessory which will bring the most amount of feedback during the summer season. So, here are 10 types of hats for men that cannot go unnoticed:
The Panama Hat
The Panama hat, which is also known as a straw hat, was based on the broadbrim hat from the central part of Ecuador. It was made from the leaves of the plant Carludovica palmate, which is known among the locals as hippihappe.
Panama is a hat of light colors, airy and transpirable. There are those, who claim that Panama hat is able to hold in itself 4-5 liters of water without losing a single drop.
What to wear this hat with: It is associated with the seashore, in the summertime, it is usually accompanied by suits, moccasins and “aviator” sunglasses.
The Trilby Hat
Man’s trilby hat is very likely to Fedora hat. However, Trilby has a shorter edge, which also slightly points upwards.
Traditionally Trilby hat is made out of rabbit’s wool. However, Trilby had become popular when it started to be made from such materials as tweed, straw, wool and the mixture of wool and nylon.
What to wear this hat with: Trilby can be worn with cotton shirts, chinos shorts or with a cotton suit and suede shoes.
Pork pie hat
Pork pie hat is a hat from cloth or straw with a cylindrical crown and a flat top. Usually, it is short (7-10 cm of height) and has a special deepening at the top part. The hat got its name from it s similarity with the pork pie dish. For many years, the pork pie hat has been one of the most important marks of British style.
What to wear this hat with: pork pie can match slim-waisted jackets, slim-fit chinos pants of light tones and top-siders. Also, it can be topped with a collared buttoned shirt with different accessories and a silk tie with an interesting print.
The Flat Cap
A man’s hat with a flat top, also known as “Bannett” in Scotland, is a rounded English cap with a small firm edge on the front. It is made from wool and cotton, most often from tweed. The undercloth is normally made from silk. This style can be traced back to 14th century. It originated among British immigrants.
What to wear this hat with: the flat cap is great for casual dress code. The hat reaches its perfection when matched with everyday outfits. It can be worn practically with anything. You can wear the flat cap with cotton shorts, slim-fit jeans, polo shirts, different casual belts or jackets.
Fedora hat
Fedora is a felt hat mainly purposed for men. This type of headwear is normally bent longitudinally at the bottom of the hat’s crown and has dents on both sides towards the front. Also, the soft felt may be compressed into a drop-like crown or have a dent at the center. The types of folds Fedoras have can vary. Normally the height of the crown is 11,4 centimeters.
What to wear the felt hat with: Fedora may be worn with cotton shirts, straight pants, and light sports jackets. Besides that, you can experiment with suede brogues and round sunglasses.
Homburg hat
Men’s homburg hat is a formal variation of a Fedora hat. Homburg is the best option for a formal dress code. It has the same bent edges as a Fedora. Besides that, the edges have a firmer structure. What cannot go unnoticed is that Homburg does not have side dents as Fedora does, but it has a small deepening at the top part of the crown.
What to wear the Homburg hat with: the best option is a men’s classic suit. It is one of the few hats that can be bought in business style.
Canotier hat (French “canotier”-“boater”)
Canotier is a summer hat exclusively for men. It is also known as a “straw canotier”, “skimmer” or “sommer”. Canotier is made from firm straw and is complemented by a flat crown with a solid or striped grosgrain around the crown.
Canotier used to be popular as an everyday headwear at the end of XIX and the beginning XX centuries. Today Canotier is a symbol of Venice and is a traditional headwear of gondoliers.
What to wear Canotier with: it can be worn with T-shirts, jeans and checkered shirts in informal casual style. By the way, canotier can be worn with a summer suit of light colors for a more elegant men’s style.
The Newsboy Cap
The newsboy cap, which is also called “Gatsby”, has a lot in common with the flat cap. It has the same shape and a firm peak in the front. However, the form of the hat is fuller and has eight corners. Besides that, it has a little button on the top.
In the 1920s, the newsboy hat got largely spread as a clothing item during the war conflicts in the first half of XX century.
What to wear this hat with: the newsboy hat matches well with jean shirts, slim pants, jeans and light scarfs.
The Baseball Cap
A baseball cap is a sift hat with a rounded crown and a firm peak in the front part of the headwear. The forehead part can have a team’s logo or other symbols on it because sports teams often use baseball cap as a souvenir or an attribute for fans. There could be a size adjuster in the back part of the hat.
Perhaps, today it is the most popular type of men’s headwear in the world. A baseball cap is one of those rare subjects, which outlasts any kind of style and barely changes over time.
What to wear this hat with: baseball cap can be often seen with casual or sports clothing. You can wear it with casual pants (chinos of khaki), jeans, cotton T-shirts and jackets, sneakers and suede boots.
The Cap
Regular baseball cap had inspired the military men to do an experiment and they made a cap for their needs. The cap has a firm rounded peak and a flat top. Unlike baseball cap, the cap has a soft crown throughout its whole circumference while the baseball cap is denser in the front because of a plastic inset and foam. Mainly cotton and nylon are used in the production of this hat.
What to wear this hat with: The cap can be worn with ordinary T-shirts and pants, which are casual to men’s wardrobe.
The Peaked Cap
The peaked cap is also known as “peaked hat”. This form of headwear is used for the armies of many countries and also militarized civil organizations. A peaked cap has a crown, a band, and a peak. The peak is pretty short. It used to be made from leather, but now it made from shiny plastic.
What to wear this hat with: a peaked cap can be a bold and provocative headwear if you wear it in daily life. It perfectly matches pants, jeans and shirts and any casual wardrobe items. If you are a lover of motorcycles, you can wear it with a leather or a biker jacket (do not wear it instead of your helmet).
