The Ultimate Guide To Hats For Men [0:00:00]
[Music] Today’s video, gents, we’re talking hats,
the ultimate guide to men’s headwear.
So, let’s start things off by defining what is a hat.
A hat is a covering for the head and let’s start with the crown.
So, the crown right here notice that the crown has a shape.
Now, the shape is going to be defined by the crease which goes right here on the top of
the hat and also the dent.
The dent goes on the side of the crown.
And depending on the shape of the crease and the dents, we get a wide variety of different
crowns.
Also, crowns could be tall they can also be short.
Now, the next key feature is going to be the brim and the brim has two factors that affect
its look.
It’s going to be the width.
So, if it’s a very short brim or if it’s a long brim, totally different hat, and the
curve and the shape not only in the front which is basically going to be the front curve
of the brim, but we’re also going to see on the sides.
If it curves up, if it curves down, an entirely different looking hat.
And last but not least, let’s talk about the band.
You’re going to see a wide variety of different materials from fabric like this to actually
leather being used to a wide variety of other items and you will also see decoration in
the band such as feathers.
Now, in today’s video, I’m going to cover a wide variety of headwear, we’re going
to start things off with brim hats, then I’m going to go to flat caps, then I’m going
to talk about baseball caps, and then I’m going to talk about winter headwear.
So, the first type of hat I’m going to talk about is the brim hat.
There’s a wide variety of different types, the first example is the Panama.
So, you’ve got this Spanish exploring the New World about 1500, what are they taking
note of?
That these guys have stylish headwear, that’s what they noted, these guys that was the first
recorded incident of the Panama.
Now, we know that it was around for a lot longer before that, but what the Spanish noted
is these guys really know how to put a hat together.
It was functional, it did a great job of keeping the sun off of their heads when they’re
out working there in the fields and that’s why I love a good Panama.
Now, notice that it’s going to have a wider brim about right here two and a half to three
inches you’re going to see them sometimes even wider.
And, once they get a little bit shorter it becomes a different type of hat and I’ll
talk about that in a second.
They’re also going to have a high crown and what’s that’s going to do is allow
air to circulate in and out and to keep the head cool.
Now, this Panama right here has the classic black band right here, also, the off-white
color.
You’re going to see a wide variety of different colors out there, but the key with the Panama
is it’s going to have a tight weave and this is going to be a hat that is great is
functional and is going to keep you cool in that hot sun.
Next up, we have the fedora.
This one very similar to the Panama is actually made for hot weather, it’s got a breathable
material, but many of the fedoras that you guys know and that you’ve seen around are
actually made from a heavier felt like material.
Now, the fedora was really popular in the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s.
It’s started dying off in the 1960s here in the United States and most of the Western
world.
It was a functional piece, it was something that wasn’t too big, wasn’t going to grab
that much of attention.
We also a curve over on the sides, It really depend on how you wanted to wear it, but the
crown was intact almost the same size as what we would see on a classic Panama.
Now, very similar to the fedora, we have the trilby.
The only difference, again, is going to be the length of the actual brim.
So, the brim started getting even smaller.
We’re talking about an inch, maybe sometimes even three quarters of an inch, maybe about
an inch and a half at the most right here in the front, but it’s a small difference
in that brim that all of a sudden, we got a very different looking hat.
The trilby, the fedora, again, they had their hay day from the 1930s to the 1960s.
I think some guys can pull them bring them back.
I personally only wear this for hot weather because I find that they look good, they’re
much more stylish than a baseball cap and they do serve the purpose of keeping the sun
off of my head.
Although, if I want to protect my face a bit more, I’m going to probably go with a Panama
or a fedora.
Another hat style you’re going to see is the pork pie.
This one was actually made famous by a guy named Buster Keaton.
He was of the top silent film stars of the 1920s, but as soon as talkie showed up and
his fame waned, you started to actually see the pork pie kind of go down.
It was still a very popular hat especially if you’re musicians, but by the 1960s the
pork pie started to disappear.
And, similar to the pork pie, but made from a lightweight breathable material, we have
the boater.
Now, the boater specifically was made for hot weather.
This was a hat that had the rounded look to it and really was a unique looking hat, the
crown wasn’t very high, it was a very lightweight hat.
Did a great job of keeping the sun off of your face, but it fell out of favor and really
pretty much has disappeared.
Now, what about that hat that won the west?
No, I’m not talking about the cowboy hat.
I’ll get to that in a second.
I’m talking about the bowler.
Yes, the bowler was actually the most popular hat whenever people were heading out west
and we were settling the western United States.
So, all these Western movies you see people wearing cowboy hats, that’s not actually
accurate.
If you go back and look at old photos, you’re going to see it was the bowler cap.
Look at that crown on the bowler, I don’t really think I need to state it, but that
is its distinctive feature.
[0:05:00] Now, where did the cowboy western hat get
its name?
That actually is a big mystery because when we look at what people wearing out west, it
was a motley crew.
You had people wearing stuff that they had during the civil war, you had people bringing
in top hats.
Yes, you saw a top hats out on the western frontier, but it was really the Stetson Company
that was making consistent that was making headwear and it’s really become an iconic
look that I think Hollywood has had a big hand in kind of shaping what we believe and
what we assume people wore in that time period.
Now, very similar to the western hat, we’ve got the Akubra and this is the Australian
version.
I think it’s a beautiful hat.
I have one, I picked this up when I was in the Blue Mountains.
It’s got that little opal right there.
But, again, what you’re going to see here are the vents on the side, very similar also
in western hats, but the Akubra is going to be worn more flat.
So now, let’s talk about flat caps and I think this one is interesting.
So, in 1571, the English they wanted to bolster the world trade and so they passed this law
that every man had to wear a cap.
Now, eventually the law was repealed, but here’s the thing is that guys really liked
wearing these flat caps.
What you’re going to find with these flat caps is they actually do a great job I think
of keeping the elements off of your head, hence why I wear them.
They’re not going to be as high of a crown, so when you’re getting in and out of a vehicle,
I think they actually function really well.
And I think for, you know, maybe a guy that’s losing his hair or a guy that simply doesn’t
want to do anything with his hair, they look great.
Now, flat caps come in a wide variety of styles and variations.
This one here is also known as the newsboy.
It’s got just a little bit of a, you know, a puff over on the sides.
I really like this hat, hence why I bought two of them in two different colors.
And, by the way, the beret is a flat cap as well.
I’m not going to recommend it for everyone, but if you’ve got the confidence you think
you can pull it off, then go for it.
Now, flat caps in general are going to be more casual headwear and depending on the
material it’s made from it really is seasonal depending on when you’re going to want to
wear, but I think they can be very functional.
Example, this flat cap right here what I like about it is that all of a sudden I can fold
out an ear and neck protection.
Finally, if you’re just getting into headwear and you’re considering your first hat, the
brim hats those require I think a bit more confidence, but a flat cap if you’re already
used to wearing a baseball cap, this is a very easy addition to your wardrobe.
Practice wearing it around your house, then all of a sudden you’re wearing it out to
run errands, you get a few compliments you’re like, yeah, I like the look of it, I feel
confident wearing this hat.
Next up, we’ve got the baseball cap.
This has to be probably the most common hat you see out there.
Tons of guys already wearing it which I think is great because then they can transition
to other types of headwear.
But, where did it start?
1860, we had the first baseball caps.
Actually, they were made out of straw and the brim the front part of them was actually
much shorter.
Nowadays, we see them a lot longer, we see people putting logos designs, of course, sporting
their favorite teams as well, but we see NFL teams, we see a wide variety of different
logos and slogans on these.
But, really it’s going to be the crown and a brim, you just don’t have a brim around
the back of it and really that still defines the classic baseball cap.
So, first up we’ve got the six panel hat.
And the six panel hat like it sounds it’s going to have six panels when you count them
one, two, three, four, five, six.
Sometimes called the dad cap as well.
This is going to be one of the most common simple designs out there.
It goes right on top of the head and it really can keep the sun out of the eyes and it really
just is a simple way to add maybe what you perceive is a little bit of style, but I would
say look beyond this, there are many other options out there.
Next up, we’ve got the trucker hat.
Very modest origins, 1980s, given away free by feed stores because they wanted to promote
things.
Nowadays, you see that they’re not given away free, they actually cost quite a bit
of money and the design you’ve got really cool designs on them logos, you know this
one using camouflage.
But, one of the keys with this hat is going to be the snaps on the back and that right
there a distinctive feature in addition to the netting.
What’s cool about this is it’s actually a very cool hat in keeping the head cool.
I think this is more of a younger man play, although older guys can pull it off, but I
do think that in general this is, you know, it’s a fun look, but it’s something that
is always going to be casual.
Now, you’re also going to see the flat brim hat and oftentimes it’s going to have a
sticker, it’s going to have tags still on it.
The key here is to show that it is brand new that you just bought this and that you have
the money to afford it.
I don’t really, you know, I’m not going to say that I’m expert on this type of street
wear these type of hats, but it is something that’s interesting and if you’re into
it, all the more power to you.
Next up, we’ve got the military cadet style.
This started off in 1943 I believe and what we saw is the M1951 design.
With this hat style, I remember being in the marines we call it a hat covers, we never
called it a hat.
The point being is that you had something that was functional, it kept the sun off of
your head, it kept the sun out of your eyes.
And while we’re talking about military hats, I did want to mention the booney.
I do think this is actually a functional piece because if you’re out in the jungle if you’re
out in the sun and you want to better protect your neck, I think a booney hat is fine and
this one actually had given to me just about a month ago when I was back home in Midland
Texas by one of my coaches.
I was a Greenwood Ranger and played football for them.
[0:10:05] And, let’s not forget about winter headwear.
So, cold weather headwear, the whole point here is to insulate the head, keep the heat
in and to protect you from the elements especially the wind.
So, a watch cap, this is going to be the most common the most popular one we see out there,
but it’s actually not the most functional.
Now, when made from wool, when made from cotton, having a bit of an elastic material in it,
this can do a very good job and I think is a great base layer, but it’s not going to
do a great job protecting you from the wind unless you’ve got a wind liner inside of
it.
Now, you’re also going to see beanies out there and beanies are fun, you know, they
add a little bit of color, always going to be casual.
If you’re going to wear it, you know, something with a suit, a watch cap is acceptable although
when it’s cold you can pretty much wear anything to keep your head warm.
But, why wear anything when you’ve got options?
So, let’s look at the astrakhan.
This is made from a very tightly woven lambs fleece.
And what’s cool about this hat is this is actually relatively small, it does a great
job of keeping the head warm.
But, let’s say you want something that’s going to fully covered the ears, maybe even
protect the neck a bit, look at the Ushanka.
Unless you’re an American politics and you probably don’t want to get this hat people
may assume you’re Soviet or connected with Russia.
But, I think for the vast majority of us when you wear this down, it’s got the whole trapper
look and it does an excellent job of keeping the ears warm, the full head warm.
And if none of those suit you, but you like baseball caps, check out the stormy kromer.
Apparently, this was designed by a railroad man and it’s a great cold weather piece
of headwear that’s going to keep your ears warm head warm and a little bit harder to
find, but if you look for it you can find it.
So, what piece of headwear did I miss?
Let me know down in the comments.
So, what video to watch next?
How about this one, ten things that stylish men never do?
Are you doing them?
Find out, guys, by checking out this video which I will link to down in the description.
[0:11:49] End of audio