Hats and caps: how to choose

How to choose hats and caps

Start with the weather and the walk you have in mind. A close wool knit is the simplest answer to a frosty morning, while a cotton cap or a flat-brim felt hat suits brighter, milder days. If you need warmth at the throat as well as the ears, a hat and scarf set does two jobs at once.

Then think about the line you want around your face. A beret sits low and close; a fedora frames the face with a brim; a peaked cap keeps the profile neat and shades the eyes. A baseball cap is the most casual of the group, especially with embroidered detail or an adjustable back.

Fit matters more than any other detail. Where a piece gives a size M for a 56-58cm head circumference, use that as your guide and check that the band feels close but not tight. A turned hem should sit just above the ears, a beret band should sit level at the crown, and a cap should cover the hairline with the peak forward.

Consider how you will wear your hair, too. The mixed colour knit ponytail hat has an opening at the back so a ponytail or bun sits free while the crown and ears stay covered. For everything else, choose a depth that lets you pull the hat on without pressing on the forehead.

Materials, details and fit

Our hats and caps use cotton, wool, knit, linen, denim, polyester, straw, leather and satin across the collection. Wool appears as a soft knit in the striped winter hat and as a firm felt in the flat-brim fedora; cotton appears as velvet in the beret and as a plain weave in the embroidered cotton baseball cap.

Texture does a lot of the work. Fine stripes circle the wool knit winter hat, eight panelled seams shape the cotton velvet beret, and woven tweed gives the octagonal peaked cap its surface. The solid cloth jazz fedora has a gently pinched crown and a soft matte texture, while the felt basin hat has a smooth felted surface and a colour grid pattern.

Weight and brim measurements help you picture the piece. The solid cloth jazz fedora is roughly 113 to 128 grams, the felt basin hat is 100g, and the cotton cap with embroidered crane is 90g. The flat-brim wool felt fedora has a 7cm brim and a 12cm deep crown, with a 56-58cm circumference; the tweed peaked cap and the beret also give a 56-58cm fit for size M.

Look at the small finishes: a turned hem, a slim side buckle, a short curling brim, a curved peak, an adjustable back. These details decide how a hat sits and how neatly it works with a collar. A fleece lining in the hat and scarf set adds a soft inner layer, while the plush knit hooded hat and scarf is made as one piece with a brimless edge.

How to style them

For cold mornings, keep the silhouette simple. The striped wool knit winter hat sits neatly under a plain coat or a checked scarf; the fleece-lined hat and scarf set loops over a coat collar; the wool twist-knit cap with ear cover curls over the ears and suits a long walk. The plush knit hooded hat with scarf is for windy days when you want ears, neck and chin covered in one piece.

A beret or a fedora can finish a more polished outfit. Wear the cotton velvet beret with a trench or a fine knit, settling the band level and tilting it a finger's width back or forward. The solid cloth jazz fedora works over a day dress or denim, and the flat-brim wool felt fedora brings a graphic line in black or red.

Keep casual caps easy. The cotton baseball cap with embroidered crane has a curved brim and a small bird in stitchwork; the embroidered cotton baseball cap has lettering across the front and an adjustable back. Both pair naturally with denim, linen and swimwear.

Colour can be quiet or deliberate. Black and white are the easiest starting points, while red, wine, yellow, pink, blue, khaki, beige, grey, navy and brown give you room to echo a scarf or a coat. The mixed colour knit ponytail hat uses two-tone yarns that shift across the knit, with a black, grey and white version.

Care and storage

Good storage starts with shape. Stuff the crown of a felt or wool hat lightly with tissue so the brim keeps its line, and store it flat or on a hook that supports the crown rather than the brim. Fold knit hats loosely and keep them in a dry place; do not hang a heavy knit by one edge for a long time.

Brush wool and felt with a soft brush in the direction of the nap, and let a damp hat dry away from direct heat. For cotton velvet, a gentle brush and a light steam can lift marks, but keep the pile free of pressure. Spot-clean cotton caps with a damp cloth and mild soap, then reshape the crown while damp.

Follow the fit notes when you put a piece on: settle the beret band level with the buckle at the side, pull the knit hat on so the crown sits level and the band covers the ears, and sit the cap level with the peak forward. The tweed peaked cap and the beret give a size M fit for a 56-58cm head circumference.

Between wears, air wool and knit pieces rather than washing them every time. Keep plush polyester knits away from sharp hooks, and reshape the brim of a felt or wool felt hat after wearing. A little attention to shape and dryness will keep a hat ready for the next cold morning.

Standout pieces

• Octagonal Cotton Velvet Beret: A satin-weave cotton velvet beret with a flat crown, eight soft panels and a slim side buckle, sized to a 56-58cm head circumference.
• Fleece-Lined Knitted Hat and Scarf Set: A wool knit hat and matching scarf, both lined with fleece, for warmth at the ears and throat on cold mornings.
• Flat-Brim Felt Fedora: A firm wool felt fedora with a 7cm flat brim, a 12cm deep crown and a 56-58cm circumference, in black and red.
• Mixed Color Knit Ponytail Hat: An acrylic-wool knit with an opening at the back for a ponytail or bun, finished in shifting two-tone yarns.
• Plush Knit Hooded Hat with Scarf: A thick polyester knit hood and scarf in one piece, with a plush pile and a brimless edge to keep ears, neck and chin covered.