There are so many ways to express yourself. Whether it’s your hair, tattoos, piercings, or clothing, your public image is entirely up to you.
Today, I’m saluting the most versatile form of self-expression and most purposeful clothing article: the hat. After all, today is National Hat Day.
The hat comes in many shapes and sizes, much like people, and there is a hat for every head. Whether it’s a baseball cap, trucker cap, bucket hat, or visor, there’s a hat for every occasion.
I once heard that you must wear the hat; the hat shouldn’t wear you.
In my personal experience, it takes a lot of confidence to rock a hat. I applaud Mayim Bialik for rocking that iconic bucket hat in the 90s on “Blossom.” It takes a special person to walk around with something so obnoxious on their head. Think about all the gentlemen who wore tall top hats, especially my man Abraham Lincoln. The fact that people still took him seriously as president even with a massive topper says something.
The hat has also earned its place as a long-lasting accessory by providing protection. The hat serves as a shield for our noggin from all the forces of nature. Given that I live in Florida, a baseball cap is extremely necessary to keep my noodle safe from the sun when I’m out on the beach or day drinking poolside. I can’t tell you how many times a hat has saved me from a burnt scalp.
Fashionable headgear also serves as a way for us to support our favorite causes. Whether it’s for a political movement (MAGA, Nasty Woman, Reagan/Bush ‘84) or supporting our favorite sports teams, hats transform us into walking billboards.
A hat’s structure never truly changes, but the way we wear them constantly evolves.
Does anyone remember the era in the early-to-mid 2000s when celebrities were rocking those Von Dutch trucker hats? Absolutely iconic.
Hats also provide a means to joining a larger community, whether directly or indirectly participating. Ever been to a sporting event? The sea of team hats is overwhelming, but when you are in that crowd, you feel alive. You feel as if you belong to something bigger than yourself. The baseball cap is an extremely powerful piece of apparel that can also be divisive (depending on where you live).
Brimming bonnets have also given people a way to shield their identity in public, whether that’s a good or bad thing. How many times have you gone out of your house and worried about running into someone? Odds are you’ve felt that way before. The good news is that a hat can mask your face completely when paired nicely with your favorite sunglasses. While it has been common practice for criminals to use this as a means to evade law enforcement, when methodically used for more legal purposes, it’s foolproof.
Having a bad hair day or don’t feel like doing your hair? Throw a hat on and call it a casual look. Going out on the boat and worried about your hair flying all over the place? Protect your hair with a hat while still looking Instagram ready for a candid.
Truly, the hat’s durability and performance make it a legendary accessory. Whether it’s an old-fashioned, prairie-style bonnet or a Nike
Photo by Maddie Collet on Unsplash
