Reading Time: 35 minutes

Updated: 3/30/2023 | Hat Glossary and Hat Styles

Want to learn more about hats? Here is our glossary on Hat-related terms that you may want to know if you’re interested in learning more. We also included hat styles that you may want to try.

A great way to navigate through this document is to scroll up and use the Table of Contents feature to get to a specific term. 

Hat Glossary

Apple Cap

The apple cap is simply a larger version of the newsboy cap as described further down the page. It is divided into 8 panels and finished with a sewn button on top.

Ascot Cap

The Ascot cap is a variation of the ivy and flat caps and is characterized by a more rounded crown profile that is often stiffer and made from wool or felt.

Balaclava

The Balaclava (or balaklava) is a cloth headpiece that covers the entire head, neck, and nape leaving only the face, or parts of the face (ie. the eyes, nose, and mouth), exposed. A balaclava may also be referred to as a balaclava helmet, helmet liner (military), or ski mask.

According to Richard Rutt’s History of Handknitting, the first recorded use of the term “Balaclava helmet” did not appear until 1881 even though its origin is the Crimean War of 1853 to 1856. Balaclavas were made for Russian soldiers to stay warm during war.

Originally knitted of wool, today they are not necessarily knitted and can be made from a host of materials including microfiber, neoprene, cotton, spandex, fleece and more.

Baseball Cap

The baseball cap is a classic American style that is commonly seen worldwide. The simple, casual, and easy-to-wear headwear is packable and is unisex.

They have a short to medium size bill that can be curved or flat in front that is normally attached to 6-quarter panels ending in a button at the top. The crown is a round shape and often comes with an adjustable hat band and hole that is great for looping a ponytail through.

Popular brands with Baseball Caps: Gigi Pip | Lack of Color | lululemon | Nike | San Diego Hat Company | Under Armour

Bash or Crease

Bashes (creases) are dents intentionally made in the upper crown of a hat. These features are most noticeable on fedoras, trilbies, and cowboy hats.

Some of the most common bash shapes are the center dent, the diamond shape, the teardrop, the cattleman, and the telescope.

Beanie

The beanie is a knitted close-fitting cap typically made of wool or cotton created to provide warmth to your head in cold weather. Throughout the years many different variants have been created such as the long stocking cap. This style is the same as the beanie just with a longer crown meant to be too large and hang off the top or side more for the style than warmth. Beanies are also known as a Stocking Cap and Watch Cap.

Popular brands with Cloche hats: American Hat Makers | Gigi Pip | Lack of Color | lululemon | Peili Hats | San Diego Hat Company | Trendhim

Beehive Hat

The Beehive hat is a variation of the pillbox hat. Created in the 1960s, it was named for its shape, as was the popular high-rise hairstyle of the time. Always brimless, the beehive hat fits the head as a pillbox would, but rises high, sometimes into a rounded point, sometimes flatter.

Beehive hats came in a wide variety of materials.

Beret

The Beret is a round, soft, flat crowned style with extra material around the edges for a slight “poof” and mushroom-like shape.

They are commonly made of wool, cotton, and acrylic fibers and are stereotypically associated with painters, artists, and Parisians. The black beret was once considered the national cap of France. If you travel to Paris, you will see berets of all colors being sold throughout the city.

Many times they have what can be described as having a short apple stem coming out of the top. Berets do not have brims.

They can be worn in many different ways, either flat across the top of the head, or hanging to one side or the other.

They have roots in militaristic garb, and a Special Forces division even uses the term in their name, the “Green Berets”.

It became a fashion staple for women in the 20th century, having been worn by movie star Greta Garbo and infamous gangster Bonnie Parker in the 1920s. A raspberry-colored beret was immortalized in a 1985 song by Prince and the beret remains a must-have in many wardrobes today. 

Popular brands with Beret hats: American Hat Makers | Brixton | Gigi Pip | Lack of Color | Peili Hats | San Diego Hat Company

Bill

Another word for the brim. The stiff protruding part at the front of a cap that shields your eyes. May also be referred to as a visor.

Boater Hat

The boater (or Skimmer, Sennit and Sailor) hat is a style that is commonly associated with barbershop quartets, proper boating or sailing events, and men’s formal summer wear from the late 1800’s to mid 1900’s.

It is made of straw with a small to medium sized brim, a shorter crown, and a flat top. It is typically embellished with a ribbon around the crown.

Hats worn by the Gondoliers in the canals of Venice are very similar with the exception that they normally have a thinner and wider brim, and the ribbon extends off the back of the hat in two tails.

The traditional boater hat was made of stiff sennit straw (flat, braided cordage) and has a flat top, a shallow, oval crown, and a flat brim. The crown of the hat is usually decorated with a grosgrain ribbon of black or university stripe with a flattened bow.

As you might expect, the boater hat takes its name from its initial association with the sport of boating and, because of this, it was originally considered to be strictly summer headwear. The boater is always made in natural shades and is a popular choice of barbershop quartets, politicians, British butchers and costermongers, and vaudeville performers.

There is also a deep-brimmed boater variation worn by English public school children called a Harrow hat. The boater hat was worn as early as the 1860s by both women and children but did not truly come into fashion for men until around the 1880s. Although it remained fashionable through the 1930s, it began losing popularity to both the Panama and the trilby after World War I.

The boater experienced a small resurgence in popularity in the mid-1950s when the soft-shoulder “Ivy look” for menswear came back into fashion. It is worn correctly with either a suit or a sport jacket and, when sporting a black band, it may be worn with a warm-weather dinner jacket.

Popular brands with Boater hats: ASN | American Hat Makers | Gigi Pip | Lack of Color | Peili Hats | San Diego Hat Company

Bonnet

A bonnet is a woman’s or child’s hat tied under the chin and with a brim framing the face. It’s typically made of cotton and soft cloth that easily covers the head.

Boonie Hat

A floppy, wide-brimmed hat made from cotton, twill, or canvas. They originated during the Vietnam War when they were worn by soldiers.

Bowler Hat

The bowler hat is an iconic style that is typically seen in movies set in the 1800’s and early 1900’s . Bowler hats cannot be mistaken. They are typically a hard felt hat with a short brim of around 2 inches and a rounded crown.

The bowler or derby hat is generally made of a hard, dark felt – usually black or brown – but can also be made of stiff fur.

The basic style features a bowl-shaped crown and a short circular brim with a slight curl. While the color and materials vary little, there are variations to the shapes and styles of the bowler, including the young men’s lower-crowned derby, the ventilated ‘Dunlap,’ and the flat-topped derby which was a favorite of famed American financier J.P. Morgan and also of Winston Churchill.

This hat style was invented in 1849 in England as a bowler but is often called a derby in the United States due to its association with equestrian pastimes and sporting events, particularly the Kentucky Derby. The bowler hat was in its fashion heyday in the early part of the 20th century but lost popularity when a more casual ‘soft hat’ attitude crept into men’s fashions after World War I.

Over the years, there have been many famous bowler wearers – such Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel – and the hat is still worn today for many equestrian events. It was also featured as part of Alex’s Droogs uniform in Clockwork Orange.

Breton

The Breton became popular with the 1960s mod look. It features a low crown, fitted to the head, with a wide, upturned brim. It is worn toward the back of the head. Breton hats can be crafted from many different fabrics that hold their shape. They tend to have few embellishments. This style was brought to popularity by actress Marlo Thomas in the 1960s hit TV show That Girl.

Bridal Hats – Bridal Headpieces

Bridal hats are typically small and most often white or cream. They are similar to a fascinator, but intended specifically for weddings. Bridal hats often have an attached veil, decorative netting, or tulle, and are sometimes decorated with feathers, pearls, rhinestones, or crystals.

Bridal headpieces are any decorative accessory that covers or is attached to the bride’s hair. This could be an ornate antique hair comb, a crystal tiara, fresh flowers with a veil attached, or even a simple Chantilly-lace veil placed over the head.

Brim

The brim is the portion of the hat that projects out around the crown and if large enough, shades the face. A brim can be very wide as on sun hats or very narrow as on most pork pie hats. It can be rolled as on a breton hat, sculpted and firm as on a derby, or unstructured and loose as on a floppy hat.

Bucket Hat

The bucket hat (also known as the “boonie” and Irish country hat) is a hat style originally made popular in the Vietnam War. It is comprised most often of cotton/twill/polyester/canvas and is a soft wide brimmed hat that can be rolled up and easily packed.

It features a flat crown on top, a wide floppy brim, a chinstrap, and sometimes has sewn-in loops around the crown to stow small pieces of gear. The most common brim size for this hat is between 2.5 – 3.5 inches.

Bucket hats became popular for country life and outdoor sports such as fishing or hiking.

The softer and more pliable Irish tweed hats were still worn by men through the 1970s.

Rappers adopted the style in the 1980s and the popularity continued as street fashion through the 1990s. Bucket hats are still being worn today for fashion shows, and at concerts and festivals, both by men and women.

Popular brands with Bucket hats: Augustine | Gigi Pip | Lack of Color | lululemon | Nike |  Peili Hats | San Diego Hat Company | Under Armour

Calot

The calot (French for cap) hat originated in 16th century France as a Juliet cap, named after Shakespeare’s character. Juliet caps were small, openwork styles and were usually lavishly embellished.

The calot, a 20th century revival of the Juliet cap, typically has a round crown and no brim and fits closely to the head, off the wearer’s face. The style became quite popular with European royals as a daytime hat. Juliet caps were and still are popular as evening and bridal wear.

Casque

A casque is a very close-fitting cap that wraps around the head to frame the wearer’s face. They are often very decorative, with feathers, ornate leaves, or floral arrangements.

Cartwheel Hat

The cartwheel (pancake, platter) hat has a flat, shallow crown and a wide, stiff brim. When seen above it resembles a wagon wheel.

In the late 1930s it was seen on resort beaches and was often featured on brides with an open crown. This type of hat was often used in the late 1940s and early 1950s as an accessory to Dior’s New Look, as it provided visual balance to the wide skirts.

In the 1950s cartwheels were used in the evening as cocktail hats and lavishly trimmed with feathers and flowers.

Chin Strap

A chin strap or chin cord helps to secure a hat and keep it in place. Chin straps can be made from fabric, leather, rope, and other materials. Some chin straps are removable and can be tucked into the hat when not in use.

Cloche

The cloche (French for “bell) is a bell-shaped hat that is made from various materials but is most commonly made of cotton, straw, and wool. It is a close-fitting bell-shaped style that is round at the top and often flares a little at the bottom. Some cloches do not have brims.

The cloche was the most popular hat of the 1920s and is still popular to wear among women’s hats.

The invention of the cloche is attributed to both Chanel and Reboux. The style was first seen in 1917. The flapper revival of the 1960s also saw the revival of the cloche.

Popular brands with Cloche hats: American Hat Makers | Peili Hats

Cocktail Hat

The late 1940s saw a new social gathering called the Cocktail Party, and along with it came the cocktail hat. Similar to a half or clip hat, the cocktail hat is small and meant to be worn at formal evening occasions.

They are crown-hugging and may have side prongs (grips) in varying shapes to help keep them in place. The hat body is usually constructed of velvet or brocade and embellished with rhinestones and/or feathers, which distinguish them from more-casual, daytime styles. They often, but not always, have veiling.

Conical Asian Hat/Coolie Hat

The conical Asian hat, commonly called a coolie, is associated with southeast Asian countries and is most commonly seen in Vietnam.

They are typically made of straw in a conical shape to keep the sun and rain off the face and are held on the head by a cloth strap that goes under the chin. Many rural farmers and street food workers wear these hats to shield them from the harsh sun throughout the day.

Plain styles are worn during the day and at work, while more elaborately decorated ones are worn for festivals and holidays.

The term coolie is considered derogatory.

You can shop for the cone hat on Amazon.

Cotton

A soft material that is perfect for making Summer and Spring headwear.

Corduroy

Corduroy is a fabric type that is a ridged material, made up of woven pile-cut yarn, which is cut into cords, or wales. These are the vertical ribs that give corduroy its unique texture and look.

The wales can be different widths. Corduroy typically has a velvet and brushed look.

Cowboy Hat

The cowboy hat is an American icon and can be immediately recognized anywhere around the world. It’s a unisex style hat that can be plain or embellished with buttons, leather, feathers and more.

They are typically made in felt, leather, or straw and have very wide brims. The more iconic shape shows the brim turned up at the sides but they are also sometimes flat.

Along with brim size variation, they can have many different crown shapes as well including the pinch crown, “C” or teardrop, and center dent.

The most telling factors of a cowboy hat usually tend to be a taller-than-usual crown and a wide up sloping brim.

John Wayne epitomized the cowboy hat in his wild west films.

The cowboy hat is also referred to as the western hat or Stetson hat, after the first cowboy hat made in 1865 by J.B. Stetson.

Popular brands with Cowboy hats: American Hat Makers | Augustine | Lack of Color | San Diego Hat Company

Crown

The crown of a hat is the top part, which sits on the head. It can be pointy, flat, creased, or rounded, and varies greatly in height width, and fullness depending on the particular style of the hat.

Crushable Hat

Any type of hat that can be easily packed, folded, or otherwise crushed and can return to its original shape when unpacked. Crushable hats are ideal for travelers and come in a variety of styles and materials from wide-brim straw hats to floppy felt hats.

Brands offering Crushable hats: Wallaroo

Deerstalker Hat

The deerstalker (fore-and-aft cap, tweed helmet, Sherlock) was originally used as a hunting cap, most often for deer stalking.

The first recorded use was in 1871, and by the early 1890s it had been popularized by Arthur Conan Doyle’s character, Sherlock Holmes. The hat is now commonly known as a Sherlock in British circles.

It is traditionally made from a wool tweed or twill. It has front and rear visors as well as rounded side flaps, which are tied in a bow at the top when not in use. The visors protect the wearer from the sun and the flaps from wind or cold.

Derby Hat

The bowler hat is an iconic style that is typically seen in movies set in the 1800’s and early 1900’s . Bowler hats cannot be mistaken. They are typically stiff felt hats with a short brim of around 2 inches and a rounded crown.

Doll Hat

The doll (toy, tilt) hat was very popular during the late 1930s and early 1940s. They were small and worn perched on the head, tilted well over the forehead.

By 1937, tiny toy or doll hats resembled saucers piled high with fruits, flowers, and feathers.

Duckbill Caps

The Duckbill cap is another more recent variation and is a hybrid style between an Ivy and an Ascot-style cap. It typically features a more rounded top towards the back that ends at the front in a more exaggerated down-sloping curve meeting the up-sloped bill. This forms a shape that looks similar to the bill of a duck giving the style its name.

Edwardian Hat

The most popular hats during the 1909-1912 “Titanic Era” were enormous and large-brimmed. They were lavishly trimmed with ostrich feathers, whole birds, velvets, lace, flowers, and other embellishments.

These elaborate hats had various names including Merry Widow, Gainsborough, and Large Boater.

This type of hat required a long hat pin to hold it on a woman’s head. As skirts became narrower, hats became wider.

In 1912, hats became somewhat narrower and taller.

Fascinator

Following the royal wedding, the fascinator made a huge comeback and suppliers couldn’t produce them quickly enough.

The fascinator is a headband-style hat that can be as simple as a bow on top of a headband or as ornate and large as one wishes. They can also be described as “cocktail hats” but the main distinction is that they are either worn with a headband or clipped to the hair.

Fedora Hat

The Fedora (or Trillby or Rancher hat) is a broad term that encompasses a variety of crown styles and brim shapes. Its classic look has the ability to suit a wide variety of people.

It is characterized by a short to mid-sized brim with an upturned brim detail in the back. The front can be either turned up or flat. Styles that allow you to have both options are called snap-brims. 

The crown typically has a crease or divot along with a pinched front.

Fedoras are typically made with wool, straw, and fleece, the brim can be floppy or rigid, and many fedoras come with a hat band sewn into the base of the crown.

Popular brands with Fedora hats: American Hat Makers | Brixton | Gigi Pip | Lack of Color | Patina | Peili Hats | San Diego Hat Company

Fez

The fez is a surprisingly popular style and can trace its roots to Fes, Morocco. It has become more popular recently thanks to the TV show “Dr. Who” and worn by Aladdin and his monkey companion Abu.

Fez hats are most commonly seen in red and have a tapering cylinder shape that usually has a tassel on the top.

Fisherman Cap

The Fisherman Cap is a bulb-shaped hat with a brim. 

Popular brands with Fisherman caps: Brixton | Gigi Pip | Lack of Color | Peili Hats | San Diego Hat Company

Fitted

The term “fitted caps” refer to baseball caps that are usually measured in 1/8” increments for an exact fitted size. Typically worn by the MLB.

Flat Caps

The ivy cap and flat cap are distinctive styles that is growing in popularity among more fashion-forward and trendy youth.

The ivy cap is distinguished by a low profile with a slightly rounded top that extends to the front of the hat and is sewn to the bill. Sometimes the bill sticks out a little for a different look while other times the crown and bill are perfectly matched. They can be made from any material but most often are constructed from wool, cotton, or polyester. It has the name flat cap because when laid on a table with the back of the style folded underneath it, it becomes perfectly flat.

Floppy Hat

The floppy hat, also known as a sun hat, harvest hat, or field hat, is exactly what the name implies. They have noticeably exaggerated brims that can extend up to 12 inches but more often are between 4 and 6 inches.

They have become more popular and fashionable since the 1960s and are great pool or beach hats for women.

They come in a variety of colors and are typically made of paper braids or straw material because it is slightly stronger and can support the weight of the brim. The crown is often a simple rounded shape but can be boater shaped.

They can be plain or embellished, but the distinguishing factor is the loose brim.

Popular brands with Cloche hats: Eugenia Kim | Lack of Color | L*Space | Peili Hats | San Diego Hat Company

Gambler Hat

The Gambler style features a medium to wide brim of about 3 inches that typically has either a tight turned-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 is made in just about every material. The one distinct feature that defines the Gambler hat is the large oval shaped crown. Most are just rounded in the middle but a slight pinch at the center can also be found similar to that of an optimo style.

Popular brands with Gambler hats: American Hat Company | Gigi Pip | Lack of Color | Patina | Peili Hats | San Diego Hat Company

Gardening Hat

A gardening hat is an oversized bucket hat with an extended brim and two inner straps that can be used to tie up the hat beneath the chin. 

Popular brands with Gardening hats: Farm Rio | Gigi Pip | Lack of Color | San Diego Hat Company

Gaucho Hat

The Gaucho hat, (also known as a bolero hat) is marked by its flat top (telescope crown) and flat brim hat. Most gaucho hats feature a chin cord and are traditionally worn by Argentinian cowboys.

Half Hat

Half hats are also referred to as clip hats. They became popular in the 1950s and were intended to be worn with the pin-curled hairstyles of the time. Fitting right to the crown of the head, they can be worn straight on or tilted to the side. The edges are wired to help the hat fit more securely. Their small size covers only a portion of the head, hence the name.

They can be crafted from most any millinery fabrics, but when styled and embellished formally they are considered to be cocktail hats.

Hat Band

A hat band is a strap that is either built into the hat or can be removed. It is used to decorate a hat. Hat bands can be a solid color or can be made from various materials and look embellished.

Hat Clip

A hat clip is used to carry a hat on your body without wearing it on your head. A hat clip is typically attached to your handbag, backpack or luggage.

We have an awesome DIY hat clip tutorial or you can buy one from Amazon.

Hat Filler

A hat filler is a foam that is cut and then added to any hat to improve the fit of the hat. Hat fillers typically come in rolls and one side has an adhesive that can be attached to the inner band of the hat. 

It’s great if your hat is a tad too wide and you just need some hat filler to get the perfect fit.

Headband

The headband is a hair accessory used for holding one’s hair back and off the face. It is made of flexible materials such as ribbon, plastic, cording, elastic, or fabric.

Headbands also can be purely decorative. These may be thicker and highly detailed and trimmed with rhinestones, beads, feathers, etc.

Headscarves or Headkerchief

A headkerchief is a thin piece of cloth worn on the head. It is usually triangular in shape and ties at the back of the head or under the chin to keep in place. Headkerchiefs are for casual wear.

Headscarves are long pieces of material made in silks, cottons, wool, linens — just about any fabric can be used. They are worn over a woman’s hair and head, leaving the face uncovered, or can be tied around the head as a stylish headband.

Headscarves can be worn for fashion, protection from the elements, or as religious observance.

Headsize Ribbon

The headsize ribbon is sewn to the lower interior edge of the finished crown of a hat.

On a woman’s hat the headsize ribbon is usually made of grosgrain. The ribbon is usually made in the head size of the hat, hence the name.

On men’s hats the headsize ribbon is typically leather, cotton, or other fabric and is referred to as a sweatband.

Homberg Hat

The homburg hat is an interesting style not seen too often these days. The overall shape of the hat is an oval, with a turned up lip around the brim of the style and generally curved up sides. The primary feature of the hat is the center-dent crown though. It has also been called the Godfather hat as it was seen on Al Pacino in the movie.

Inner Band

The inner band is used to conceal where the crown of the hat and brim are attached. If a hat has an adjustable sizing feature, it is most likely sewn and built into the inner hat band.

Hat Liner

Hat Liner is the fabric lining the inside of a hat to protect the hat body from soiling by hair-styling products and dyes, perspiration, and body oils.

In finer hats, the hat liner is made of silk or other natural, breathable fibers. Sometimes a hat liner has a lightweight, sheer plastic film over it.

Some manufacturers print their logo on the hat liner.

Popular brands with hat liners: Gigi Pip | Lack of Color | Patina | Peili Hats

Ivy Caps

The ivy cap and flat cap are distinctive styles that are growing in popularity among more fashion-forward and trendy youth.

The ivy cap is distinguished by a low profile with a slightly rounded top that extends to the front of the hat and is sewn to the bill. Sometimes the bill sticks out a little for a different look while other times the crown and bill are perfectly matched. They can be made from any material but most often are constructed from wool, cotton, or polyester. It has the name flat cap because when laid on a table with the back of the style folded underneath it, it becomes perfectly flat.

Kettle Brim

A Kettle-brim hat is a women’s style and though the name may not sound familiar, it is a hat most everyone has seen. They have a simple, yet classic look and can be made in any material. The style is distinguished by a symmetrical circular shape, a short to medium brim that has a half to one-inch upturn at the edges, and a rounded crown. Often they are accompanied by a bow, or a ribbon around the crown and can have chinstraps as well.

Popular brands with Kettle Brim hats: American Hat Makers | Gigi Pip | Lack of Color | Peili Hats | San Diego Hat Company | Wallaroo Hats

Lampshade Hat

Lampshade hats were first referred to by that name in the early 1950s and the designs have endured to present day. The basic design is similar to a bucket hat, with a flat or rounded crown and either a long, flaring silhouette or a wide, down-tuned brim. The term has also been used to describe conical or mushroom hats.

Style inspirations can range from elaborate Victorian lamps to the mid-century modern desk lamp.

Dior showed a lot of lampshade designs in the 1950s and 1960s, both plain or elaborately decorated. Recent revivals have been done by John Galliano, Stephen Jones, and L’Wren Scott.

Lampshade can also refer to a wild, over-the-top, oversized hat design.

Lifeguard Hat

The lifeguard hat is a very popular style due to its very large brim and great sun coverage. They are almost always made of some type of straw, be it raffia, rush, palm fiber, or other. Most lifeguard hats feature a center-dent crown shape and a wide, flat, or down sloping brim. One important thing to consider is though they are known for sun coverage, most lifeguard styles do not feature UPF protective fabrics.

Matador Hat

A matador hat or montera (which means cloth hat) is worn not only by bullfighters but also by men and women of the Iberian peninsula as part of a folk costume.

It was introduced as a part of the traditional suit of lights (traje de luces) in the 1800s. It is typically made of astrakhan fur and lined in velvet or in red silk. It is tight-fitting and has a flat top which represents the bull’s eye and a round bulb above each ear which represents the bull’s horns.

Military Cap

The Mao cap or private cap is a military looking style and is essentially a minimalist, stubby baseball cap. Features of this style are a short brim of between 2 and 3 inches and a crown that is also short and around the same size with a flat top. These caps can be worn by both men and women and are a great alternative to the standard baseball cap.

Milkmaid Hat

Milliner

A trade specialist who can make and teach the process of hat making.

Mushroom Hat

Mushroom (or Dish) hats were named for their shape, with downward tilting brim. They are