Choosing hats as gifts: match the style to the person
The best hat gift fits into a life the recipient already leads. Start with how they dress on an ordinary weekend.
- Baseball caps suit the relaxed dresser, the golfer or anyone who spends weekends outdoors. A discreet logo or monogram is easier to wear than a large one.
- Bucket hats offer all-round shade and pack flat for travel, a sensible choice for beach holidays over the summer Christmas break.
- Fedoras and wide-brimmed hats in straw or felt suit someone with a considered, tailored style and give the most protection from the sun.
- Beanies in wool or cashmere are a quiet, useful gift for cold Highveld and Cape winter mornings.
If you are unsure, a cap or beanie is the safer choice: both are forgiving on fit and easy to wear with most wardrobes. A beanie also pairs naturally with a matching piece from our scarves guide for a considered winter gift.
Sizing a hat without spoiling the surprise
Fit matters more with hats than with most accessories. A hat that is too tight is uncomfortable; one that is too loose blows off at the first gust.
- Measure head circumference with a soft tape, about a finger's width above the eyebrows and just above the ears, where a hat naturally sits.
- Borrow a hat they already wear and measure the inside band if you cannot measure discreetly.
- Check the size system. Many houses size in centimetres, others use S, M and L, and the ranges vary between brands.
If you are between sizes, choose the larger one: a slightly loose hat can be adjusted with a sizing strip, while a tight one cannot be stretched much. Adjustable caps with a strap or buckle at the back, and knitted beanies, remove most of the risk.
Materials, care and storage
The material decides when the hat will be worn and how it should be looked after.
- Straw is light and breathable for summer. Keep it dry, as water can warp the weave, and store it on its crown rather than its brim.
- Felt, usually wool or fur felt, holds its shape in cooler weather. Brush it gently in one direction and handle it by the brim rather than pinching the crown.
- Cotton and nylon caps are easy to wear. Spot clean them with a damp cloth rather than putting a structured cap in the washing machine.
- Wool and cashmere knits should be hand washed cold and dried flat.
Keep any hat out of prolonged direct sun when not in use, as colours fade, and store structured shapes in a box or stuffed lightly with tissue paper. Hats pair well with sunglasses as a summer travel gift.
The leading houses for designer hats
Each major house brings its own signatures to the category, which helps when matching a hat to someone's existing taste.
Gucci, founded in Florence, often uses its green-red-green web stripe and interlocking GG motif on caps and bucket hats; see our guide to Gucci hats. Burberry, the London house known for its trench coats, applies its signature check to caps, bucket hats and knitwear, covered in our Burberry hats guide. Louis Vuitton, founded in Paris as a trunk maker, brings its Monogram and Damier patterns to caps and beanies; read more about Louis Vuitton hats. Dior's Oblique pattern and Prada's triangle logo appear on their hats in a similarly understated way.
If you have a particular style, colour or house in mind, tell us what you are looking for and we will come back to you with options.