Hat apparel has been popular from the earliest days of mankind to the modern era. While originally hats were worn mainly for protection from elements and from injury from falling debris of various sorts, they later became status symbols. Since then, hat apparel has grown beyond mere apparel to actually become an art form. Hat apparel is the most readily noticeable apparel that anyone could wear. From sports to fashion, hat apparel is a popular way to make an individual statement or to unify oneself with a group.
Styles of Hats
Hats come in as many different styles as they do colors and offer different functions as well. From the functional cowboy hat that can water a thirsty horse and still keep the prairie sun from scorching the rider to the Russian ushankas that keep the wearer warm through those frigid winters, to the ornate wide brimmed ladies hats that are a tradition at the Kentucky Derby or the notable red hats of the Red Hat Ladies Society, there are hats of many types and wearing hat apparel in that particular style can identify a person as being part of that group. The fedora, interestingly, started out as a woman’s fashion item but later became most famous for being worn by popular movie stars in roles as gangsters and other tough-guy types and is now more typically associated with the gangster image, but also with that of adventurer Indiana Jones in the popular movie series. Victorian style hats with lace netting, ribbons and flowers, are popular for wedding wear. The top hat, or stovepipe, is most often associated with its most famous wearer, President Abraham Lincoln, and is still occasionally worn to black tie affairs or weddings. Booney hats, first used by American soldiers during the Vietnam War are still popular among military personnel. Porkpie hats were part of the traditional apparel of America’s blues and jazz musicians. Bucket hats, such as the one worn by the main character on the TV show Gilligan’s Island, are still popular among anglers and for summer sun hats. There are obviously many, many different styles of hat apparel and while it used to be exceedingly popular to wear these styles, many styles of hat apparel have gone out of fashion. However, among hat apparel, the one style that has remained popular and increased dramatically in popularity is the baseball cap, or sports hat.
Hat Apparel for Sports
Along with NFL jerseys, shirts sporting the name of a favorite team, and other sports memorabilia, hats are an exceptionally popular way of showing team spirit and supporting a favorite team or player. There are hats for any MLB, NFL, NCAA, NHL, or NASCAR team in action. Nothing brings together a group of fans in unity like matching colors on their hats. To watch a sea of gold and black at a Steelers game, or to be part of the ocean of red and black hats when watching a Chicago Bulls game is a big part of the completely sporting game experience. There is sports hat apparel available in any shape, size, or color imaginable, as hat apparel for sports is geared toward any gender or age, with kids and women’s hats being more popular than ever. Women can even purchase a customized sports hat that has been accessorized with rhinestones to highlight the team logo. Hat apparel for women is becoming popular once again.
Hat Apparel for Fashion
From the elaborate works of art complete with feathers, lace, flowers and silk that comprise the Kentucky Derby women hats to the trendy and versatile cloche hats that compliment almost any outfit, women hat apparel is still fashionable and fun. Festive and funny, Mardi Gras hats reign supreme during Mardi Gras celebrations. Horse shows still feature western hats in many of the events and weddings would not be the same without the pretty hat styles that are worn to them. Church hat apparel remains in style among a generation of women who still like to dress to the nines on Sunday morning. The fashionable feathered and frilly hats that are seen by the lovely ladies who are members of the Red Hat Society identify them as belonging to an elite group of ladies who are proud to wear the badge of age with style and aplomb. For those days on the beach, or spent out in the summer sun, there is a wide range of hat apparel available to protect from sunburn and make a fashionable statement. Usually wide brimmed and made of straw, sun hats can feature a floppy or a stiff brim, and be fancily adorned or very simple but the sun hat is an important part of summer wear for both fashion and function.
Hat apparel is varied and the selection is vast among styles of hats but one thing remains the same; a hat is a great clothing accessory, the most readily noticed of all, and offers a person the chance to speak of their individualism or bind them in unity with others who share the same hobbies, passions, or skills. Whatever a person’s reason for wearing them, hat apparel offers many choices to the person who wants to wear headwear in order to make a statement.