The main types of hats fall into five families: caps (baseball, snapback, trucker, 5-panel), classic brimmed hats (fedora, trilby, panama, bowler), wide-brim hats (cowboy, floppy, sun hat), casual and knit hats (beanie, bucket hat, beret, flat cap) and formal or occasion hats (top hat, fascinator, cloche). What separates them is the shape of the crown, the width and angle of the brim, and the material.
Below are 25 hat styles with their names, how to recognise each one and what it suits, plus which types make sense if you are producing headwear for your own brand.
Types of hats at a glance
Two terms first. The crown is the part that covers the head; the brim is the edge that projects from it. A cap has a peak at the front only, while a hat has a brim all the way round (or none at all).
| Style | Crown | Brim | Typical material | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baseball / dad cap | Six panels, structured or unstructured | Curved peak | Cotton twill, polyester | Everyday wear, brand merch |
| Snapback | Six panels, structured, mid to high profile | Flat peak | Cotton twill, acrylic-wool blend | Streetwear, logo-led merch |
| Trucker | Foam or twill front, mesh back | Curved or flat peak | Polyester foam, cotton, nylon mesh | Summer, casual, events |
| 5-panel | Five panels, low profile, unstructured | Flat or slightly curved peak | Nylon, cotton, ripstop | Streetwear, outdoor brands |
| Fedora | Indented, pinched at the front | Medium, snap brim | Wool or fur felt, straw | Smart-casual, tailoring |
| Trilby | Shorter, indented | Narrow, angled down at the front | Felt, straw, tweed | Smart-casual |
| Panama | Usually fedora-style | Medium to wide | Woven toquilla straw | Summer, travel |
| Porkpie | Low, flat top with a circular indent | Short, often turned up | Felt, straw | Vintage-inspired outfits |
| Homburg | Single dent front to back | Stiff, curled up all round, bound edge | Stiff wool felt | Formal wear |
| Bowler (derby) | Hard, rounded dome | Short, curled at the sides | Hard felt | Formal, costume |
| Boater | Flat, cylindrical | Flat and stiff | Stiff straw | Summer events, regattas |
| Cowboy | High, creased | Wide, curled up at the sides | Felt, straw, leather | Western wear, sun |
| Floppy / wide-brim | Soft, rounded or indented | Wide, soft, drooping | Straw, felt, cotton | Beach, festivals |
| Sun hat | Soft or semi-structured | Wide, all round | Straw, cotton, linen | Shade, travel |
| Beanie | Close-fitting knit, cuffed or plain | None | Acrylic, wool, merino, cotton | Cold weather, brand merch |
| Bucket hat | Soft, flat top | Downward-sloping, stitched | Cotton twill, canvas, nylon, denim | Streetwear, festivals, merch |
| Beret | Soft, round, flat | None | Wool felt | Fashion, uniforms |
| Flat cap | Low, flat, pulled forward | Small, stiff peak | Wool tweed, cotton, linen | Country, smart-casual |
| Newsboy | Full, eight panels, top button | Small, stiff peak | Wool tweed, cotton | Vintage-inspired outfits |
| Visor | None, headband only | Curved peak | Cotton, polyester, straw | Golf, tennis, running |
| Boonie | Soft, flat top, loop band | Wide, stitched, all round | Cotton ripstop, nylon | Hiking, outdoors |
| Trapper | Rounded, insulated | Front flap plus ear flaps | Nylon or leather shell, fleece or faux fur lining | Extreme cold |
| Top hat | Tall, flat-topped cylinder | Narrow, curled at the sides | Wool felt, silk plush | Formal events |
| Fascinator | None, a headpiece | None | Sinamay, feathers, net | Weddings, race days |
| Cloche | Bell-shaped, close-fitting | Small and downturned, or none | Felt, straw | 1920s-inspired looks |
Types of caps: baseball, snapback, trucker and 5-panel
Caps are the most-worn hat type today and the one most brands start with. They are sewn from flat fabric panels, then finished with a peak, a sweatband and a closure. We go deeper on profiles, closures and peak shapes in our guide to types of caps.
1. Baseball cap (and dad cap)
Six triangular panels meet at a button on top, with a curved peak and usually an adjustable closure at the back. Structured versions have a stiffened front so the cap holds its shape off the head.
A dad cap is the relaxed version: unstructured, low profile, usually washed cotton twill with a fabric strap and metal buckle. Fitted caps have no closure and are sold in sizes.
2. Snapback
A structured cap, usually mid to high profile, with a flat peak and an adjustable plastic snap strap. The tall, stiff front gives a large flat area for embroidery, which is why 3D puff embroidery is so common on snapbacks.
3. Trucker hat
Foam or twill front panels with breathable mesh panels at the back, normally with a snap closure. Foam fronts are usually printed, while twill fronts take embroidery better.
4. 5-panel cap
Five panels, including one wide front panel with no centre seam, a low unstructured crown and a flat or slightly curved peak. It is also called a camp cap, and the seamless front is ideal for a woven patch or a print.
Classic brimmed hat styles: fedora, trilby, panama, porkpie, homburg, bowler and boater
These hat names mostly describe how the crown is shaped and creased and how the brim is set. Felt and straw versions are shaped (blocked) over wooden hat blocks with steam and heat, which is specialist millinery work.
5. Fedora
A soft felt hat with an indented crown, pinched on both sides at the front, and a medium brim usually snapped down at the front and up at the back. The name comes from Fédora, an 1880s French play.
6. Trilby
Often confused with the fedora, the trilby has a shorter crown and a narrower brim that angles sharply down at the front and up at the back. It sits further back on the head and reads more casual.
7. Panama hat
A hat hand-woven from toquilla palm straw, traditionally in Ecuador rather than Panama. “Panama” describes the material and weave, not the shape: the most common shape is fedora-style, but boater and other shapes exist.
8. Porkpie hat
A low, flat-topped crown with a circular indent running round the top edge, and a short brim that is often turned up all round. Felt versions suit cooler months; straw versions suit summer.
9. Homburg
A stiff felt hat with a single dent running front to back, no front pinch, and a brim curled up all round with a ribbon-bound edge. Named after Bad Homburg in Germany, it is the formal alternative to a fedora.
10. Bowler (derby)
A hard felt hat with a rounded dome crown and a short brim curled up at the sides. It dates from 19th-century London and is called a derby in the US.
11. Boater
A stiff straw hat with a flat, cylindrical crown, a flat brim and usually a ribbon band. It is tied to summer occasions such as rowing regattas, and still appears in some school uniforms.
Wide-brim hats: cowboy, floppy and sun hats
Wide-brim hats are about shade first and style second. The wider and softer the brim, the more it moves in the wind and the harder it is to pack.
12. Cowboy hat
A high, creased crown with a wide brim curled up at the sides, usually finished with a hatband. Felt versions are worn in cooler weather and straw versions in summer.
13. Floppy hat
A wide, soft brim with little or no stiffening, so it droops around the face. It comes in straw, felt or crushable fabric and is a staple of women’s summer and festival dressing.
14. Sun hat
A catch-all name for wide-brim hats designed for shade, in straw, cotton or linen. Some add a neck flap or chin cord, and some fabrics are tested and labelled with a UPF rating.
Casual and knit hats: beanie, bucket hat, beret, flat cap and newsboy
These are the everyday hat styles: soft, packable and mostly unisex.
15. Beanie
A close-fitting knitted hat with no brim, either cuffed (folded up at the edge) or plain. Common yarns are acrylic, wool, merino, cotton and blends. A fisherman beanie is a short, shallow version that sits above the ears; in Canada the same hat is often called a toque.
Beanies are knitted to shape rather than cut and sewn, and the cuff is the natural home for a woven label, patch or embroidery. See our custom beanies page for the knit and finishing options.
16. Bucket hat
A soft hat with a flat top panel, side panels and a downward-sloping brim, stitched with rows of topstitching to give it body. Cotton twill, canvas, nylon, denim, corduroy and fleece are all common, and reversible versions use a different fabric on each side.
It is built like a small garment, which makes it easy to match to a collection. More on fabrics and construction on our bucket hats page.
17. Beret
A soft, round, flat-crowned hat with no brim, traditionally knitted in wool and then felted so it is dense and smooth. It is associated with France and with military uniforms, and is usually worn tilted to one side.
18. Flat cap
A low, flat crown pulled forward over a small stiff peak, to which it is sewn or snapped. Wool tweed is the classic choice for winter, with cotton or linen for summer. It is strongly associated with Britain and Ireland and is sometimes called an ivy cap in the US.
19. Newsboy cap
Similar to a flat cap but with a fuller, rounder crown, usually made from eight panels with a button on top. In the UK it is also called a baker boy cap.
Sport and outdoor hats: visor, boonie and trapper
These are function-first hats, chosen for sun, sweat or cold rather than looks.
20. Visor
A peak attached to a headband, with no crown at all, closed with a strap or elastic. It keeps sun off the face while letting heat escape from the head, which is why it is popular for golf, tennis and running.
21. Boonie hat
A soft, wide-brim hat of military origin, with a stitched brim, a band of fabric loops round the crown and often a chin cord and vent eyelets. Cotton or poly-cotton ripstop is typical. It looks like a bucket hat with a wider, flatter brim.
22. Trapper hat
An insulated hat with ear flaps and a front flap that tie or fasten up on top when not needed. The shell is usually nylon, leather or suede, lined with fleece, shearling or faux fur. The Russian ushanka is a close relative.
Formal and occasion hats: top hat, fascinator and cloche
Occasion hats are worn for a dress code or an event rather than the weather.
23. Top hat
A tall, flat-topped cylindrical crown with a narrow brim curled at the sides. Historically made from silk plush or beaver felt, most are now wool felt, and they are worn with morning dress at formal weddings and some race meetings.
24. Fascinator
A decorative headpiece rather than a full hat, attached with a clip, comb or headband and built from sinamay, feathers, net or fabric flowers. It is a common choice for weddings and race days, but some formal events set their own headwear rules, so check the dress code.
25. Cloche
A close-fitting, bell-shaped hat worn low over the brow, in felt or straw. It is the defining hat style of the 1920s and still turns up in vintage-inspired collections.
Types of hats for men and women
Almost every hat style above is worn by everyone today; what changes is proportion and how the hat is styled.
- Types of hats for men: the most common are baseball and dad caps, snapbacks, beanies and bucket hats, followed by flat caps, newsboy caps, fedoras and trilbies. The homburg and top hat cover formal dress.
- Types of hats for women: the same everyday caps, beanies and bucket hats, plus a wider choice of occasion and summer styles such as fascinators, cloches, berets, floppy hats and wide-brim sun hats.
- Unisex sizing: hat sizes are based on head circumference, measured just above the ears and eyebrows. Most adult heads fall roughly between 54 and 62 cm, so adjustable caps and stretch knits cover most people with one size.
When choosing, think season (felt and wool for cold, straw and cotton for heat), occasion and how much shade you need. A cap shades the eyes; a wide brim shades the face, neck and shoulders.
Which hat styles work best for brands and merch
If you are adding headwear to a clothing brand or making branded merchandise, the realistic range is caps, beanies and bucket hats. Here is why:
- Sewn or knitted, not blocked: caps and bucket hats are cut and sewn from flat panels like a garment, and beanies are machine-knitted. Fedoras, panamas and bowlers are shaped over hat blocks, which needs specialist tooling and is harder to justify on a small run.
- Room for the logo: a cap front takes flat or 3D puff embroidery, woven patches and prints; a beanie cuff takes a woven label or patch; a bucket hat front or side takes embroidery.
- Fewer sizes: snapbacks, strapbacks and stretch beanies are one size fits most. Fitted caps and bucket hats often come in two or more sizes, which multiplies SKUs and stock.
- Worn often: people wear a good cap or beanie week after week, so the logo is seen far more than on an occasion piece.
Our custom headwear manufacturing covers baseball and dad caps, snapbacks, truckers, 5-panels, fitted performance caps, beanies, bucket hats and bespoke shapes, with flat and 3D puff embroidery, woven or printed patches and custom labels.
Whatever the style, spec these details before sampling:
- Panel count, crown profile (low, mid or high) and structured or unstructured front.
- Peak shape (curved or flat), peak length and undervisor colour.
- Closure type, eyelets, top button, sweatband and inside seam taping.
- Logo technique, size and position, with thread or print colours given as Pantone references.
- Fabric, colourway and labels, including any care label and size label.
How Fabrickly can help. We make caps, beanies and bucket hats in small runs and can turn a reference photo into a full spec. Send your tech pack or a sketch through our quote request page for an itemised quote within one business day.
Frequently asked
Q: What are the different types of hats called?
Common hat names include the baseball cap, snapback, trucker, beanie, bucket hat, beret, flat cap, fedora, trilby, panama, bowler, boater, cowboy hat, top hat and cloche. They are usually grouped into caps, brimmed hats, knit and casual hats, and formal or occasion hats.
Q: What is the difference between a fedora and a trilby?
A trilby has a shorter crown and a narrower brim that angles down at the front and up at the back. A fedora has a taller crown and a wider brim, usually snapped down at the front.
Q: Is a cap a type of hat?
Yes. A cap is a hat with a peak at the front only rather than a brim all the way round, which is why baseball caps, flat caps and newsboy caps are all called caps.
Q: What is the difference between a flat cap and a newsboy cap?
Both have a small, stiff peak. A flat cap has a slim, flat crown pulled forward over the peak, while a newsboy cap has a fuller, rounder crown made from eight panels with a button on top.
Q: What type of hat is best for branded merchandise?
Caps, beanies and bucket hats. They are sewn or knitted rather than blocked, take embroidery and patches well, and adjustable or stretch versions avoid a full size run.
— Hasebul, Fabrickly