Hats off to us! Who could forget the opening credits of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, MTM tossing her pom pom’d beanie into the air, both gesture and series celebrating the single, working modern woman? Hats for women have always fashioned a memorable statement, and that 1970s moment was no exception.
Heads up for the warmest, coolest hats around.
Beyond serving as stylish statement makers, hats keep you warm in cold winter months, and they definitely make you look cool while doing so. Can’t wrap your heard around the various hat styles of today? Keep calling a cloche a cowboy, a bowler a beanie, a fedora a floppy? Well, have I got some hat tricks for you. Heads up for the warmest, coolest hats around.
The Bowler Is Back
Many classic hat styles are borrowed from the boys, like traditional felted wool bowlers, fedoras or cowboy hats. I love a bowler, but it can be kind of costume-y and hard to wear on a daily basis. Why not try a bowler rendition that’s softer and more cloche-like in design.
Celebrating the Timeless Trilby and Fedora
I give a tip of the hat to both the trilby and fedora for classic cool. These styles sport a high crown and a wide brim, although the fedora is a dressier option than the more casual western style. I like to flip down the brim in a jaunty, black-and-white movies kind of style. The smaller the brim, the closer you’re getting to a trilby, a hat that harkens back to the 40s and is sometimes worn pushed back on the head. I love this one from Banana Republic.
Floppy is Fantastic
A floppy hat like this is perfect for music festivals and beyond, whether you’re channeling Coachella casual or not.
Everybody Loves a Cowboy
Go pro and hit up Stetson if you want a true western style head that counts. I love this western style richly-hued hat; it’ll have you feeling toasty warm while coming off as super cool in the saddle of your SUV.
Elmer Fudd It Up
Trapper or flap caps, sometimes called Elmer Fudd caps, allow you to drop the ear flaps down to cover your ears. They’re super warm, trendy and fun to wear. I just ask you to do the right thing by our furry little friends and get one in faux fur, like this one.
Look Sweet In a Balaclava
Wintering where temps drop sub-zero? Try a balaclava like this one! NO! It’s not a Greek dessert, but it is warm and delicious. In reality, it’s a ski mask with full head covering that pulls down around the face, allowing only nose, mouth and eyes to show, while covering the neck completely. I also like to push mine up so it becomes a sort of turban knit cap.
You Can’t Go Wrong with Knit
My faves today are knit caps, like the uber-popular pom pom toque (like this one), beanie, or beret, from slouchy to striped or solid. But while knit caps might be the easiest hat to wear with today’s casual street wear, beware of “hat head.” You’ll want to make certain you keep a brush or comb on hand for when you pull that knitted contraption off your head–your hair might be smashed down to your scalp. For me, static electricity wreaks havoc on my long locks. I usually carry a little bottle of refined coconut oil with me, place a tiny dollop in my hands and smooth down my tresses to make fly-away frizzies cease and desist.
And if you’re a sucker for a simple baseball cap, NextTribe has you covered! Click here for NextTribe’s logo monogrammed baseball cap, available only online at www.nexttribe.com/shop. Truly a home run.
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NextTribe’s fashion editor Kimberly Cihlar is a fashion brand content editor, fashion writer/style blogger and jewelry designer based in New York City, sharing her style stories on Fashionwhirled.com and her jewelry creations on Collection13.com. Early in her career, she served as the Fashion Director to Fairchild’s men’s wear trade daily, DNR, and has since been published in ShowBoats Int’l., Cigar Aficionado, The New York Times’ Style Section, Wantful, GQ, British Esquire, British GQ, The International Herald Tribune and Dutch Magazine.
