Not so long ago they were an essential part of any man’s wardrobe, and many guys wouldn’t be caught outside without one. Then the venerable man’s hat faded away as times changed and a new generation of Americans went without. Now, some style experts are predicting a comeback. Only time will tell, but one thing’s for sure: a hat not only protects your head, it affords a perfect “crowning” touch to your wardrobe.

The early history of hats
The art of millinery, or designing and crafting of men’s hats, dates back almost five hundred years to Italy, when milliners were responsible for providing a new middle class with hats, gloves, and other small, “haberdashery” items made or created in Milan. In the 1770s, about the same time America was signing its Declaration of Independence, European milliners began designing their own styles of hats in France and England.

By the 19th Century, hats were custom made for the individual, and the material and craftsmanship of a man’s hat denoted his wealth and status. With the coming of mass production techniques in the second half of the period, thousands of hats were produced in factories, making them available to the working classes.

Hats in the 20th Century: decline & fade
Hats remained popular until after World War II, but began a decline in popularity with the changing styles of the 1950s, which emphasized clean lines and simplicity in fashion.

One popular belief surrounding the end of man’s hats in America surrounds President John F. Kennedy. According to legend, Kennedy disliked wearing hats and was seldom if ever seen wearing one in public. In the mania surrounding his very popular presidency, during which men and women especially copied the President and first lady Jacqueline Kennedy’s styles, hats dropped off in popularity and never recovered.

The most popular forms of men’s hats

Some hats of course remained more popular than others, both in previous times and today. These hats include:
- The Fedora: Made or warm felt with a wide brim and a deep indentation in the crown, or top part of the hat. Made most recognizable to modern audiences by Humphrey Bogart and Indiana Jones.

- The Trilby: similar to the fedora, but with a narrower brim and more compact shape. Think Sean Connery or Rex Harrison; it’s a very British, very scholarly looking chapeau (that’s how you say “hat” in French.)

- The Derby: Also known as a bowler, the derby has a hard felt crown and rounded brim. Alex de Large in A Clockwork Orange kept the derby hat famous, if for sinister reasons. Los Angeles' famous Brown Derby restaurant, built to resemble a giant derby hat, is now a state landmark in California.

- The Panama: made from straw so it's light and breezy for tropical climates, the straw hat is seen in photographs of Old Florida and the Caribbean. It’s also frequently seen worn by salsa, swing, and samba musicians.

- Boater: another straw hat, with a hard shape and silk band around the crown. Commonly worn by barbershop quartets.

- The Top Hat: a large vertical crown and narrow brim. Abraham Lincoln’s hat.

The comeback
Like the old school fighter who’s never completely down for the count, hats refuse to make a complete fade from popular style. Some retail chains continue to stock at least a nominal selection of fedoras, panama hats and trilby hats.

Most larger cities also have at least one shop devoted exclusively to hats, and some men’s clothing boutiques also stock them. And of course, dozens of Internet retailers stock a complete selection of hats, organized for modern audiences and described according to contemporary reference points.