Types of Hats: A Complete Guide to Hat Styles and Their Names

A good hat does more than keep the weather off. It finishes an outfit, marks an occasion and, more often than not, says something about where you come from. Britain has given the world some of its most enduring hat styles, from the country flat cap to the city bowler, and the choice on offer today is wider than ever.

This guide walks through every common type of hat, what makes each one distinct, where it came from and when to wear it. We have started with the styles we know best here at Heritage Traditions, the country classics, before broadening out to the wider world of formal, summer and occasion hats. Use the index below to jump straight to a style, or read on for the full tour.

The country classics

These are the hats we live and breathe. Hard-wearing, handsome and at home in the field or on the high street.

Flat cap

The flat cap is the cornerstone of British country dress. It has a rounded body that sits low and a small, stiff brim at the front, traditionally woven from tweed or wool. Its roots run back to the rural working men of northern England and Scotland in the fourteenth century, and by Victorian times it had become a near-universal sight on farms, in mills and at the races.

Today the flat cap is as comfortable with a waxed jacket on a country walk as it is with a wool coat in town. It suits almost every face shape and is the easiest hat to wear well. If you only own one country hat, make it this.

Browse our classic flat caps, and for a full history and styling guide see our Peaky Blinders flat cap guide.

Newsboy or baker boy cap

Close cousin to the flat cap, the newsboy cap (known in the UK just as often as the baker boy cap) has a fuller, rounder body made from eight panels sewn together, usually finished with a button on top. The result is a softer, slouchier shape than the flat cap, with a bit more room and a bit more character.

It earned its name from the paper boys and tradesmen who wore it in the early twentieth century, and it has had a strong fashion revival in recent years, worn by men and women alike. If you like the heritage of the flat cap but want something with more presence, the baker boy is for you.

See the difference in detail in our guide to newsboy caps versus flat caps, or shop our newsboy caps.

Trilby

The trilby is a smart, narrow-brimmed felt hat with a sharp, pinched crown. Its brim is short and angled, turned up at the back and down at the front, which gives it a neat, jaunty look. It first appeared in the West End in the 1890s, named after a stage adaptation of the novel Trilby, and went on to become the hat of choice for the well-dressed mid-century man.

The trilby is a dressier option than the cap, ideal for race days, weddings and city wear. It is often confused with the fedora, so it helps to know the difference.

Shop our trilby hats, and read our explainer on trilby versus fedora.

Fedora

The fedora is the trilby's larger, more relaxed relative. It has a wider, softer brim that can be worn snapped down or turned up, and a taller crown creased along the top and pinched at the front. That broader brim gives it a more dramatic, cinematic look, which is why it has been the hat of choice for everyone from 1940s film stars to modern style icons.

A fedora carries a bit more authority than a trilby and offers more protection from sun and rain. It pairs beautifully with a wool overcoat in winter.

Browse our fedora hats. Still deciding between the two? Our trilby versus fedora guide lays it out simply.

Pork pie hat

Named for its likeness to the pastry, the pork pie hat has a flat top and a short, upturned brim that runs all the way round. The crown is low with a sharp crease where the top meets the sides. It rose to fame in the music halls and jazz clubs of the twentieth century and has stayed a favourite of musicians and sharp dressers ever since.

It is a distinctive, confident hat that rewards a bit of personality. Worn with a slim suit or a casual jacket, it stands out for all the right reasons.

Discover the full story in what is a pork pie hat, and shop the style in our pork pie hats collection.

Beret

The beret is a soft, round, flat hat with no brim, traditionally made from felted wool. It has deep roots in the Basque country and the south of France and has been worn by shepherds, soldiers, artists and fashion houses alike. There is no other hat quite so versatile or so easy to pack.

Worn tilted to one side, the beret has a timeless, slightly artistic charm. It suits a wool coat in winter and works just as well for men and women.

Shop our beret hats.

Casual and seasonal styles

Bucket hat

The bucket hat has a soft, downward-sloping brim that runs all the way round, and a flat-topped crown. Light, packable and practical, it began life as protection for farmers and fishermen against the British weather before being adopted by generations of music and street-style fans.

It is the most relaxed hat on this list and one of the most popular, ideal for festivals, holidays and rainy-day walks. A reversible tartan version adds a heritage twist to a modern favourite.

Read our guide to the bucket hat, and browse our bucket hats collection.

Beanie

The beanie is a close-fitting knitted hat that keeps the cold out and goes with almost anything. It can be worn slouched or turned up at the brim, in plain wool or bobble-topped for a bit of fun. For sheer practicality through a British winter, nothing beats it.

Shop our beanie hats.

Trapper hat

The trapper hat is built for the cold. It has a rounded crown, a small front peak and fold-down ear flaps that tie under the chin, usually lined with soft faux fur or fleece. Born of the fur trade in the freezing north, it is the warmest hat you can own and a genuine winter workhorse.

Browse our trapper hats.

Panama and straw hats

When the sun finally arrives, a straw hat is the answer. The Panama is the most refined of these, hand-woven from fine straw with a creased crown and a smart brim, despite its name it comes from Ecuador. Broader straw hats and boaters offer more shade and a more casual look. All of them keep you cool and pull a summer outfit together.

See our summer hats collection, and for warm-weather styling read our British heritage summer style guide.

Formal and occasion hats

Bowler, homburg and top hat

Britain's formal hats are steeped in history. The bowler, with its hard, rounded crown and curled brim, was designed in 1849 as practical headwear for gamekeepers and went on to become the badge of the City gentleman. The homburg is a stiff felt hat with a single dent down the centre of the crown and a bound, upturned brim, a dignified choice for formal day wear. The top hat, tall and flat-crowned, remains the crowning piece of full morning and evening dress, still seen at weddings and at Royal Ascot.

Cloche and fascinator

For women's occasion wear, the cloche is a close-fitting, bell-shaped hat that defined 1920s elegance and still looks wonderful today. The fascinator is a lighter, decorative headpiece fixed to a band or comb, the natural choice for weddings and the races where a full hat might be too much.

For race-day dressing, see our tartan at the races Royal Ascot guide, and browse our women's hats.

Glengarry and Scottish hats

The Glengarry is a traditional Scottish cap, boat-shaped and creased down the centre, often finished with ribbons at the back and a band of dicing around the base. Worn with Highland dress and by Scottish regiments, it is a proud piece of national heritage. It sits alongside the Balmoral and Tam o' Shanter as part of Scotland's distinctive hat tradition.

Explore our Scotland collection for tartan and Highland-inspired pieces.

Cowboy, boonie and wide-brim hats

Rounding out the glossary are the wider-brimmed working hats. The cowboy hat, with its tall creased crown and rolled brim, is the icon of the American West. The boonie is a soft, wide-brimmed bush hat built for sun and rain in the field. And the broader wide-brim and floppy hats offer maximum shade for summer and the garden. All share one job, keeping the elements firmly at bay.

How to choose the right hat

With so many styles to choose from, the right hat comes down to three things: your face, the occasion and the season.

By face shape. As a rule of thumb, balance is everything. If you have a rounder face, a hat with a bit of height and an angled brim, like a trilby or fedora, adds definition. If your face is longer or more angular, a flatter, softer shape such as a flat cap, baker boy or bucket hat suits beautifully. Anyone can wear a flat cap, which is part of why it has lasted so long.

By occasion. For everyday country wear, reach for a flat cap, baker boy or tweed cap. For weddings, the races and smarter days out, a trilby, fedora or, for the ladies, a fascinator or cloche is the order of the day. For festivals, holidays and casual weekends, a bucket hat or straw hat does the job.

By season. Tweed, wool and herringbone caps carry you through autumn and winter, a beanie or trapper for the coldest days. Come summer, switch to a Panama, straw or lightweight bucket hat to stay cool and protected.

Still not sure? Our full range of hats and caps is organised by style, colour and material to make the choice easy, with separate edits for men's hats and women's hats.

How to measure your hat size

A hat that fits properly sits level, feels snug without pinching and stays put in a breeze. To find your size, take a soft tape measure and run it around your head about a centimetre above your ears and eyebrows, where the hat will sit. Keep the tape level and not too tight. The measurement in centimetres is your hat size, and most of our styles list the head circumference they fit.

If you are between sizes, size up rather than down, a slightly loose hat can be adjusted with a band, but a tight one will never be comfortable.

Frequently asked questions

How do I measure my hat size?

Wrap a soft tape measure around your head a centimetre above your ears and eyebrows, keeping it level. The measurement in centimetres is your hat size. If you fall between two sizes, choose the larger one.

How do you clean a hat?

It depends on the material. Wool and tweed caps should be spot-cleaned with a damp cloth and brushed in the direction of the weave, never machine washed, as heat and agitation can shrink and misshape them. Straw hats can be wiped gently, and knitted beanies can usually be hand washed in cool water. Always check the care label first.

What is the most popular type of hat?

In Britain, the flat cap remains the most enduring and versatile style, equally at home in the country and the town. The bucket hat is the most popular casual style, and the trilby and fedora lead the way for smarter occasions.

Which hat suits my face shape?

Rounder faces are flattered by hats with height and an angled brim, such as a trilby or fedora. Longer or more angular faces suit flatter, softer shapes like a flat cap or baker boy. The flat cap is the safest all-rounder and suits almost everyone.

What is the difference between a newsboy cap and a flat cap?

A flat cap has a single smooth panel and sits low and neat. A newsboy or baker boy cap is made from eight panels with a button on top, giving it a fuller, rounder, slouchier shape. See our full comparison in newsboy caps versus flat caps.

Ready to find yours? Explore the full Heritage Traditions hats and caps collection, crafted with classic British tweeds and checks, always with a modern twist.