Mad for Hats in New York City

A famous New Yorker.....

in SERIOUS need of a good hat.

The Beret

Oh the beret! Not only for people impersonating the French anymore ;) Actually, the beret is a common fashion accessory among many! Though we mostly associate them with France, they’re actually a military cap, first worn by the French. Beret’s can be worn straight or tilted a bit to the side for that super artsy look.

The Mad Hatter

The Bowler Hat

Wow, I realized as I put this picture in that I may not be “selling” the hat by putting Fergie in the picture as the advertisement. If it makes you feel any better, Fergie isn’t the only one wearing the Bowler hat. Also known as a Derby hat, the hat first came from London and was worn to shield horse riders from branches hitting their faces. In the 19th century the Bowler hat represented sort of a middle class. First they were commonly seen on valets or butlers, then they progressed the heads of lawyers, bankers and stockbrokers. Now they have apparently been taken over by popstars.

Functional hats!

Though this hat may just look like any old chef’s hats, to a chef the hat has quite a bit of meaning. The height of the hat was invented to represent the type of ranking the cook or chef had in the kitchen (in that case, with my cooking skills I wouldn’t be wearing a hat at all!) The folds in the hat were initially invented to show how many ways the chef’s knew how to cook an egg. Ah, interestinnnnng eh? Plus the kitchen can get pretty hot, so it’s best to catch the sweat from a potentially sweaty forehead.

When I think "New York" hat....

The Gatsby hat is the first that comes into mind! Also known as a “newsboy” cap, what is commonly known as a Gatsby hat now because of The Great Gatsby became popular in New York after the turn of the century. Associated with newspaper boys, both young and old and then later with wealthy golfers. Now, clearly as shown above, the Gatsby hat has come back as a very popular cap among men and women. You can see celebrities like P. Diddy sprting the Gatsby hat and they’re easy to find at trendy shops or street stands on the corners in the city.

Baseball hats!

Another IMPORTANT cap in America’s history and specifically in New York’s is the baseball cap. The first baseball caps were worn by the New York Knickerbockers and they were made with straw….not nearly as comfy af the baseball hats now eh?! Now not strictly for baseball purposes baseball caps are the most worn hat in America, by both men and women. Perfect for shielding sun on the field or walking through the New York winter elements; rain, snow, wind, etc. Not to mention, they’re SUPER easy to come by, though now due to their popularity you can find baseball caps nearly everywhere!

Custom hats

Whether you’re attending the Kentucky Derby on vacation, or you’re having a lavish wedding or fancy church Sunday, The Hat Shop can customize your hat anyway you like. Lavish designs you can flaunt down the streets of New York or getting the perfect sun hat, this is the spot.

Vintage Hats

Made more for style than function there are a still many shops around New York City that cater to women who still want to don the styles of the 20’s, 30’s and 40’s. Maybe you’re looking for a great Halloween costume or you’re having a theme party night and need something Victorian, well they have that too! Eclectic styles, from beaded to velvet, East hats to warm fur, the hat wearing women of the past truly expressed their personalities through their hats!