There are about a hundred hat types in circulation and most people confidently know three. That is fine until you're trying to shop, and every listing throws around different hat terms.
Let’s explore the different types of hats, what they actually are, and who it suits. Start with the five you will likely wear.
The 5 Different Types of Hats You'll Actually Wear
These five cover the overwhelming majority of what people put on their heads. Everything after this section is context.
Trucker Hat
A trucker hat has mesh back panels with a foam or structured cotton front. Snap closure, mid to high round crown, usually a curved bill.
Best for: heat, water, and anything that makes you sweat.
Snapback
Snapbacks feature solid fabric all the way around with an adjustable plastic snap at the back of the cap. Flat or curved bill, structured crown.
Best for: everyday wear when you want a cleaner, sharper profile.
7-Panel
7-Panel hats use seven fabric panels instead of the usual six, which gives you a taller, structured crown and a roomier fit through the sides.
Best for: bigger heads, taller crowns, and anyone who wants more presence.
Flat Bill
A straight, unbent brim that sits level. Boldest baseball cap silhouette in the lineup and the most modern read.
Best for: making the hat the loudest thing in the outfit.
Retro / Rope Hat
Curved bill, lower profile, and a rope detail running across the front above the brim. Softer shape, more nostalgic.
Best for: anyone who wants a hat that reads relaxed instead of sharp.
Every Other Hat Style
For the record, we do not currently make most of these. But knowing the hat materials and shapes below means nobody sells you the wrong type of hat.
|
Style |
What it looks like |
Best for |
|---|---|---|
|
Beanie |
Knitted hat, no brim, sits close to the head |
Cold weather and bad hair days, and the easiest hat with no brim you'll own |
|
Bucket hat |
Soft all-around downward brim, no structure, classic sun hat shape |
Sun coverage that packs flat in a bag |
|
Dad hat |
Unstructured low crown, curved bill, soft front |
A broken-in look with zero effort |
|
Fitted hat |
No closure, sized to your exact head, seamless hat band |
One perfect size and the cleanest back |
|
Visor hat |
Brim and headband only, no crown |
Golf, tennis, and anything where a crown gets hot |
|
Cowboy hat |
Wide stiff brim, tall creased crown, felt or straw |
Actual sun protection and actual regional credibility |
|
Fedora hat |
Short brim, creased crown, pinched front, classic felt hat build |
Formal wear, and very little else |
|
Five-panel |
Five flat panels, low boxy crown, short flat brim |
A skate and streetwear silhouette |
Hat Styles by Face Shape
- Round: a flat bill or higher crown adds length. Skip very low profiles.
- Square: a retro curved bill softens the jaw. Skip hard flat brims.
- Oval: most styles work, so pick the joke instead.
- Long or oblong: a lower crown with a curved bill balances it out. Skip tall 7-panels.
Hat Styles by Occasion
- Lake or boat: The Boats n Hoes Snapback Hat. Mesh, mouthy, and immediately understood by everyone on the dock.
- Hunting or outdoors: The I Hunt White Tails Year Round Snapback Hat in Camo. Camo front, curved bill, wears fine from the stand to the diner after.
- Work: The Blue Collar Raised Snapback Hat. Reads the same at 6 a.m. and at the bar afterward, which is most of the job.
- School time: The Little Outlaw Snapback Hat. Kid-sized attitude, adult-sized reactions in the pickup line.
- Anywhere: The My Dog Said You're a Hoe Snapback Hat, Expensive & Difficult, or the Later Gator Snapback Hat. Three different arguments, all of them fun to have.
How to Actually Choose
If you are still stuck on a hat style, go in this order.
- Pick the style of hat that matches the occasion you are dressing for most, not the one you are dressing for once.
- Pick the profile from the face shape section, then ignore it if you like something else more.
- Pick the joke you would repeat out loud. That is the one you will keep wearing.
Everything we make is embroidered in Georgia, in house. A design goes from idea to stitched fast, which is why the hats stay current instead of showing up a season late.
Pick the One That Sounds Like You
There is no correct hat. There is the one people ask you about, and there is the one that sits in the closet. Pick the loud one. Still torn? Browse the full hats collection, along with our popular products, and let the one you keep picking up decide for you.
Born to stand out.