Hats and other headgear have been a part of social, religious as well as personal fashion since ages. Here is a collection of various types of hats that generations of humanity have seen and worn for various occasions.
A hat is a shameless flatterer, calling attention to an escaping curl, a tawny braid, a sprinkling of freckles over a pert nose, directing the eye to what is most unique about a face. Its curves emphasize a shining pair of eyes, a lofty forehead; its deep brim accentuates the pale tint of a cheek, creates an aura of prettiness, suggests a mystery that awakens curiosity in the onlooker.
~ Jeanine Larmoth
The history of human civilization bears witness to the creation and use of a wide variety of hats, caps and other different types of headgear – right from the gilded crowns that proudly rested upon the heads of emperors and monarchs in the ancient and medieval times to women’s summer hats in the modern era. Different types of hats and caps have been used since ages to fulfill the needs of ever-changing fashion trends and religion as well as to symbolize social status, communal identity, professional rank (especially in the military and armed forces) and guard the head, the seat of the superior human intelligence, against forces of nature. Let’s take a brief look at the various different classes of hats for men, as well as women, that have been popular in the past and present times.
List of Different Kinds of Hats
Given below are two lists of different styles of hats classified on the basis of their antiquity – those that used to be worn in the past and are rarely seen today and those that are popular in the present times.
Hats of the Ages Past
That Beyond Their Eras did Scarce Last!
Here is a list of some of the most popular types of hats that were very popular till the early nineteenth centuries but their popularity faded away with the approach of the modern era.
- Anthony Eden Homburg
- Beaver Hat
- Yeomen Warder’s Hat (also known as Beefeater’s Hat)
- Bicorn Hat
- Sennit Hat
- Boss-of-the-Plains (predecessor of the present day cowboy hats)
- Bowler Hat (remember the headgear worn by the twins Thomson and Thompson in the Tintin comic strips?)
- Copatain Hat
- Caroline Hat
- Carriage Hats
- Caubeen
- Cavalier Hat
- Chapeau de bras
- Chaperon
- Lum-hats
- Deerstalker Hat (remember the headgear worn by Sherlock Holmes?)
- Tarboosh (Turkish headgear with a tassel on top)
- Beehive Hat
- Bandeau Hat
- Bongrace
- Capeline
- Breton Hats
- Kolpic Hat
- Pith Helmet/ Jungle Safari Hat
- Kausia
- Panama Hat
- Pork Pie Hat
- Papakha/Papakhi
- Cart Wheel Hat
- Gainsborough Hat
- Paddy Hat (conical Asian headgear)
- Cocktail Hat
- Non quai thao
- Shtreimel
- Stovepipe Hat (remember the Top Hat worn by the Mad Hatter in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland? Well, it’s the same as Stovepipe Hat!)
- Trilby Hat
- Spodek
- Tricorn Hat
- Coolie Hat
- Cossack Hat
- Balibuntal
- Dolly Varden Hat
- Gibus Hat
- Cockle Hat
- Chip Hat
- Garibaldi Hat
- Garbo Hat
- Grebe Hat
- Pill Box Hat
- Bird Cage Hat
- Muller Hat
- Petasus
- Merry Window Hat
- Mandarin Hat
- Muff Box Hat
- Mourning Hat
- Fan-Tail Hat
- Gossamer Hat
- Sugar Loaf Hat
Hats of the Era New,
Take a Look at Them Won’t You?
The following categories of hats are still worn by people in different parts of the world. Check out what they are.
- Beret
- Akubra
- Bobble Hat
- Dixie Cup Hat (also known as Bucket Hat)
- Capuchon
- Chupalla
- Fedora Hat
- Cloche Hat
- Cowboy Hat
- Flip Hat
- Qaraqul
- Fruit Hat (festive headgear, usually worn during fairs and carnivals)
- Kofia
- Khapol
- Sombrero
- Salakot
- Straw Hat
- Sombrero Vueltiao
- Boonie Hat
- Bomber Hat
- Cappello Romano
- Galero
- Kasa (also known as Gassa, it’s a Japanese hat)
- Kamilavka
- Barretina
- Busby
- Ranger’s Hat
- Envelope Busby
- Hardee Hat
- Slouch Hat
- Spanish Hat
- Toque Blanche (chef’s hat)
- Carpenter’s Hat
- Aso Oke Hat
- Four Winds Hat
- Haida Hat
- Sajkaca
- Topor
- Welsh Hat
- Chullo
- Cordobes
- Fascinator Hat
- Gatsby
- Hard Hat
- Kova Tembel
- Montera
- Mortarboard (graduation hat….all of us are familiar with this one!)
- Tyrolean Hat
Besides these different styles of hats, other headgear such as scarves, caps, bandanas, headbands, bonnets, hoods, helmets, wigs, turbans, crowns, tiaras, also form a significant part of fashion and traditional dressing in various countries, cultures and religions. Apart from their significance from the point of view of fashion, tradition and religion, head gears and head dresses have also been used since ages to denote professional and social status of the wearer.
We can see the most common examples in the armed forces and other strategic government divisions of various countries. Also, head gears and caps having religious significance (such as the Islamic Taquiyah, clerical Zuchetto of the Roman Catholics, etc.) are mostly worn by people during periods of religious festivities.
