Do you remember how they dressed in the largest sinking ship in history? The people in the Titanic have the elegance and sophistication that you can quickly achieve by having the suit and tie and a formal hat to top them all.
The 4 Best Formal Hat Styles for Men
But how do you know if this hat is a formal one? Do you have any options in different traditional hat styles? Of course, you can choose any formal hat styles that you want.
But to help you make a sound decision for your next purchase, read this to find out more about the hat styles and see if they align with your preference.
Wearing Formal Hats
Sometimes it isn’t easy to achieve all of the styles you want, especially if you don’t know enough about the hats that could compliment your outfit and dress accordingly.
But for the traditional black suit and white tie event, they often pair it with terrific Oxford shoes and a top hat to radiate class in all of their individualities.
But what is a top hat, you say?
Top Hat
Since the mid-20th century, the top hat was one of the men’s parts of clothing. It was a way to indicate the class of the wearer. But like a star, the top hats slowly lost their shine. While you may not see them worn often, you can still wear them on white tie occasions and derby horse racing.
The Structure
Top hats are often associated with magician’s acts like the one where they are pulling out many things coming from the body of the hat. This magic act happens because the cap has a tall and flat crown with a wide brim.
How To Wear a Top Hat?
Wearing a top hat looks classy with a black coat and white or black tie. You can also incorporate a fresh pair of gloves that screams formal all over your ensemble.
The proper way of wearing the top hat should be appropriately placed on top of your head, considering that the cap matches the shape of your face.
Homburg Hat
The second one that is closely related to looking like a top hat is the Homburg hat.
Unlike top hats, Homburg hats are still popular formal hat styles because of their many influences, like Winston Churchill and The Godfather.
The Structure
Unlike the fedora with two dents on the crown, a homburg hat only has a single pattern called the gutter crown.
Moreover, the brim of this hat has a different approach to wearing. It is simply because Homburg hats have an upturned brim structure, unlike other hats.
How To Wear a Homburg Hat?
Like top hats, homburg hats are suitable for formal events, and by that, you should opt for a black coat and white shirt.
But if you’re looking forward to matching The Godfather feels, you should go for a Homburg hat and trench coat and tie.
This hat often compliments the people who have a more refined face. But even though you have a round face, you can still wear the hat, but it would be best to look for a shorter crowned one.
Derby Hats
As we tread the list of formal hat styles, derby hats are on the list. The gentlemen who went to see the annual derby (or horse racing) wore it in the races back then, hence the name of the derby hats.
Though sometimes it is also regarded as a bowler hat, it was a famous formal hat in Great Britain. Most of the people who wear the derby or bowler hat come from the working class. That is why you can see that the masses widely accept it.
Even comedians have great taste in pairing their clothing. One of the notable figures who wore bowler hats before was the comedian Charlie Chaplin. He wears a bowler hat paired with his coat, making him a classic comedian that left a great trademark throughout history.
The Structure
The bowler hat is excellent for those looking for formal hat styles that they can try out. Unlike fedoras with a soft crown, bowler hats are distinctive in that their brims are shorter than those of other hat styles.
Besides having a solid crown that does not deform easily, they also use polyester or wool felt for the hat’s composition material.
How To Wear the Bowler Hat?
Bowler hats are worn depending on your preference. But since you’re opting for a formal look, you can wear the hat pushed on one side or placed in the back of your head.
You must balance the proper placement of the hat on your head if you want the classy style of bowler hats.
But if you want to give off a relaxed hipster style, tilting the hat on the side of your head is an excellent way to go.
You can match the bowler hat in a trench coat and tie or the classic tuxedo.
Now that you have a gist of the formal hats to wear, make sure you also have the shoes to pair them together. Many shoes go well with traditional clothes, but the formal ones are mainly leaning on Oxford shoes.
As long as you have the confidence to make the clothes work for you, you are good to go with any of the formal hat styles mentioned above.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
What are the formal hats that could go well with my suit?
As stated above, the formal hats that could go well with your suit are derby or bowler hats, top hats, and Homburg hats.
Is it good for me to wear jeans with a bowler hat?
No. Jeans in any context are casual, and a bowler hat is a formal hat. The two are not matching the style, and it would indeed look weird to have jeans on top of your black or white tie event.
What are the standard ways to wear hats?
You can place the hat on top of your head or pull it on both sides to have a proportional look. This way, you’ll achieve a more formal look than where you tilt the hat on one side of your head.
Do you remember how they dressed in the largest sinking ship in history? The people in the Titanic have the elegance and sophistication that you can quickly achieve by having the suit and tie and a formal hat to top them all.