Hats for Men

Fun Facts About Hats For Men

• When a London haberdasher debuted the top hat in 1797, it reportedly caused public outrage for being so unusual.
• The bowler hat was designed in 1849 to protect gamekeepers from low-hanging branches while on horseback in the English countryside. It is known as a derby hat in the United States.
• The modern baseball cap originated with an amateur Brooklyn team in 1860. They wore wool, rounded-top hats with visors to shade their eyes from the sun. By 1900 this "Brooklyn style" became standard, later evolving in the 1940s with stiffer materials.
• The propeller beanie became a popular novelty item in the 1940s–1950s. It was meant to look silly, an exaggerated idea of what a kid inventer or goofy genius might wear.
  
• Berets evolved into iconic symbols of elite military toughness and prestige through their adoption by specialized units like the French Foreign Legion during WWII.
• In the 19th century, failing to remove or tip your hat indoors was considered disrespectful. It signaled poor manners or a lack of deference. In certain places like private homes, churches or in the presence of women, removing hats completely was mandatory.
• Harrison Ford's character in Raider's of the Lost Ark (1981) turned the fedora into a global symbol of rugged adventure.
• Up until the mid-20th century, wearing hats in public was almost mandatory. It was very uncommon for adult men to leave the house without a hat, especially through the 1950s and early 1960s.