It is extremely popular, yet timeless and connects generations: the fisherman's hat - also known as a bucket hat - has become a fashion hit. What's it all about?
How is it possible that the bucket hat has become one of the trendiest fashion accessories. Wait a minute, if you associate the fold-brim hat primarily with anglers and fishermen, you're missing out. The bucket hat - as it is called in English - is omnipresent. You see it on the streets of every city, on the heads of celebrities and influencers, in advertisements, everywhere.
Almost every fashion brand sells the hat - as fast fashion for a few euros, but also in the luxury segment for 300 euros. The hat can be worn with almost any casual outfit and can therefore be used almost universally. And for both women and men. And children anyway.
For the British milliner Stephen Jones from London, the bucket hat embodies a certain "California freedom" - and thus no less than an attitude to life. "I think he gives a cool attitude that combines the essence of men's and women's fashion." Jones knows what he's talking about. He is a milliner legend and he designed the bucket hats for the luxury brand Dior in 2019. "Maria Grazia Chiuri at Dior wanted a hat that could be worn by any fashionable girl anywhere in the world," he says. "She was looking for something very simple, portable, but very stylish." The result was a bucket hat. "It was the hit of the season."
The triumph of the bucket hat has been going on for about three years now. By 2021 at the latest, it was considered a must-have for many fashion-conscious people. Anyone who was fashionable or earned money by displaying clothing put on a hat. Superstars like Rihanna and Billie Eilish contributed to the popularity of the bucket hat. Recently, Oleh Psiuk, frontman of the Ukrainian band Kalush Orchestra, winners of the Eurovision Song Contest, once again brought the hugely popular hat into the limelight.
Like almost every fashion trend, the bucket hat is not a new phenomenon. He was rediscovered. But his story is truly extraordinary. Fishermen and hunters wore hats as early as the 19th century as sun and rain protection. Later, soldiers were also equipped with it, for example in Israel. The hat had its first heyday in the 1980s and 1990s. "The ravers, rappers and poppers wore it," says Andreas Rose, style and fashion consultant from Frankfurt. "I too, as Popper, wore a hat like that back then." The hat had finally arrived in the world of fashion, no longer just a practical utensil.
Among the hip-hop artists, it was LL Cool J and the pioneers of Run-DMC, for example, who made the bucket hat popular - and transferred it from its originally more bourgeois milieu to street wear. Well-known brands at that time were Kangol and Stüssy. The ravers and boy bands of the 1990s also discovered the hat for themselves. The bucket hat became a classic at the time. Then beanies and caps pushed him out - until his next big rediscovery. Now it looks like the bucket hat is here to stay.
For Andreas Rose, the advantages are obvious. "The bucket hat may not be for everyone, but it's super practical" - which can't be said about everything fashionable. "It protects against the sun and heat. You can wear it when your hair isn't done." The hat can also be combined with any outfit. "I like breaks in style," says Rose. For example, a plain-colored hat can be worn with a dress with a floral pattern. A pattern mix is also possible. "It always depends on how brave you are in fashion." If you are more reserved, you can go for monochrome models.
"The hat can be combined well with mom jeans or dad sneakers," says Rose, and gives another tip for the right combination: "Part of the outfit should pick up the color of the hat." But basically you can't go wrong with a bucket hat, which certainly contributes to its popularity. The only important thing is that the hat should match the personality of the wearer, Rose thinks - and not the other way around.
However, there is one more thing to consider: the bucket hat is a decidedly casual accessory. "It has to be loose and not too tight on the head," says Rose. In no case should he stretch. Rose also advises paying attention to the material. "We don't recommend polyester in summer. Better to use cotton or raffia." Important for models for women: "The longer the brim of the hat, the more elegant. The shorter the brim, the more sporty."
From the fashion expert's point of view, the bucket hat is ageless. "A 70-year-old gentleman who likes to go fishing can wear it just as easily as a 16-year-old with platform shoes." Which of course makes the hat terribly likeable. "Some anglers who go fishing with a hat don't realize it's a stylish accessory." That's perhaps the best thing about the bucket hat: it's cool without ever trying to be cool. And thus relaxed in the best sense of the word.
