Hats are one of the most common fashion accessories in use today, and are one of the many fashion accessories available to many different social classes and budgets. Although more fancy headgear is worn for formal occasions, such as formal dinners or extravagant parties, most people are comfortable wearing casual hats with their simpler everyday outfits. Casual hats are hats that can be worn at light social occasions, such as friendly parties, trips to shopping malls or stores, or even just around the local neighborhood. Casual hats come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, materials, and even prices—and no, casual hats are not just for women! Both men and women have many different choices when it comes to purchasing a casual hat, and we’ll be looking at the history of women’s casual hats as well as some of the popular modern day choices for casual hat wear. So let’s take a look!

Casual hats for women

The history of casual hats for women

You may be surprised to learn that casual hats have been worn by women of many different classes for centuries! The function of a casual hat largely depended on a woman’s station in life—her rank, her social class, and what kind of family she was born or married into.

The casual hats of peasant women were typically both functional and expected for moral reasons. Many women in poorer classes were outside, unprotected by the sun, for many hours a day. A simple hat would at least shield their scalp from the sun, and if they were able to fashion a larger brimmed hat with a veil, even protect their face. A hat would also be expected because of the standards of society. In some cultures, a woman showing her naked hair in public was considered indecent, no matter what her social status was. And so, a poorer peasant woman might wear a simple cap out of coarse cloth in order to go about in society with proper dress. A woman in a peasant or poor class would most likely not worry too much about the aesthetics of her hats and caps, particularly if she was expected to work the fields or do otherwise hard labor.  

However, as the 18th century approached, more and more people began to comprise assort of middle class, particularly in European countries where industries and trade were booming. And with the middle class status came more money and more free time—with the free time, of course, came pleasure and society. A woman of a middle class status—such as the wife of a baker or other well to do merchant—would have the benefit of wearing casual hats purely for their aesthetic appearance. And so, a woman in the “middle class,” sometimes called bourgeoisie, might wear a simple cap of finer linen, and decorate it with ribbons, flowers, or other decorative trinkets. Depending on how wealthy the woman or her family was, she might even be able to afford casual hats that were worthy of an aristocratic household!

A woman from an aristocratic and, more importantly, wealthy household would have almost no limits when it came to casual headwear. Hats among aristocratic women were a popular way of expressing their own thoughts and opinions about events of the day, as well as making sure that they kept up with all of the latest fashion trends.

Popular casual styles in the 18th century included large, wide brimmed straw hats that could be decorated with fine silk ribbons and fresh flowers. Another popular casual style was a variation on the simple mob cap—while the peasant cap would be coarse and bare, and the middle class cap would be simple but fine… the aristocratic cap was made of the best material, lavishly decorated, and often much larger to accommodate a tall and wide hairstyle. Casual hats for aristocratic women could be so complex and outlandish that today they would be considered more costume than fashion.

But as the beginning of the 20th century passed, casual hats began to appear much more “casual,” in that way that we today would define the term. As women and indeed society itself began to change, entirely new styles of casual hats began to emerge.

Popular modern casual hat styles for women

As the role of women in society began to broaden, so did their available choice of hats. While it was uncommon for a woman to adopt a man’s style of dress in the past, today casual hats that were once considered “male” are now worn by women without so much as a second glance! And unlike the past, some casual hats for women are more for fun, or sport wear, than for elegant parties or events.

Baseball caps: The iconic baseball cap was once considered a man’s hat, but has today been adopted by everyone for use. The baseball cap features a round cap with a wide flat brim. The classic yet simple style of the baseball cap allows for maximum customization to ensure that anyone, male or female, can find a style and color of cap that they like. Baseball caps come in an almost endless number of colors: black, blue, pink, green, white—just to name a few. It can also be bought with an almost endless number of designs and logos, such as sport team logos, business logos, restaurant logos, cartoon characters—even the design of a country’s flag can  be found on baseball caps! The baseball cap also harkens back to the days of the functional casual hat, because it’s long and wide front brim protects the wearer’s eyes and face from the harsh sunlight.

Visor hats: Visor hats are a popular choice for many athletes in a variety of sports. A visor hat features a sun-blocking brim and is typically wide enough so that it only covers a few inches of the wearer’s forehead. Visors are usually closed with snaps, Velcro, or are made with elastic bands that allow for stretching. Like baseball caps, these casual hats come in a nearly endless variety of styles. Because of their popularity in the sport circuit, they often feature logos of various athletic businesses or sponsors. But non-athletic visors are easily found, and can be purchased in many colors. Two of the most popular colors for visor hats are white and pink.

But not all casual hats for women are intended for casual or non-fashionable wear. There are many casual hats available for women that keep fashion and even elegance in mind.

Cadet cap: A cadet cap is a cap popularized by military cadets. A cadet cap has a square stiff head cap with a low and angled brim. Cadet caps for women come in a variety of styles and colors. Some of the more popular colors for cadet caps are black, “military” green, and pink. Some cadet caps are plain and remain true to the original style of the cadet cap, while others are decorated with folded fabric flowers, sequins, jewels or other decorations—this feature is typically only found in casual cadet caps meant for women.

Pinwheel peak cap: A pinwheel peak cap is a variation on a casual hat that was very popular for women in the 1920s. It features a high round head cap and a short brim. Pinwheel peak caps come in a range of colors, such as navy blue, coral pink, and even neon shades of green and yellow. However, the most popular colors for pinwheel peak caps are the simple and subdued black and grey. Most pinwheel peak caps are decorated with fake jewels, sequins, pearls, and even brooches! This allows for a wide variety of occasions that a pinwheel peak cap could be worn for.

Cloche hat: Another modern casual hat that was popular for women during the 1920s. The cloche hat is a narrow stiff hat with a low, short brim, and is often characterized by a wide ribbon that goes around the entire hat. The popularity of the cloche may be due to a renewal of interest for 1920s women’s fashion, as well as the hats casual yet elegant appearance. Although the most common and well known style of cloche hat features a wide ribbon, there are variations to the style: Some cloche hats feature flowers, feathers, bows in many different sizes, or other decorations to spice up the plain style of the hat.

As you can see, casual hats for women have come a long way, and yet there are still traces of their initial use in just about every style of casual hat worn today.