The BuckWholesale.com Guide to Hat Styles

Welcome, one and all, to the wide world of hats! For some of you, shopping with us is... well, old hat. But for many of you, this is your first great leap into the business of wholesale hats. So, because the best place to start is with all the information you can get, we are happy to furnish you with a quick primer on just what kinds of hats are out there. Just saying "I want hats" won't get you far in this industry, because there are hundreds of different style hats from around the world. That having been said, most of you don't need to know the difference between a mitre and a montera, so for simplicity's sake, lets just cover the kind that you can find here on BuckWholesale.com:

- Baseball Caps

(Pictured: https://www.buckwholesale.com/dozen-pack-bk-caps-6-panel-mid-profile-blank-baseball-caps-assorted-4412/)

By far the most common hat on our site, and the most common hat on the American market, the ball cap is the first thing most people think of when they say "hat". Available in wide selections of colors and styles, baseball caps have enough brim to protect the face, and either five panel or six panels sewn into a rounded crown. Most of these products will also come with fixtures in the back to adjust their size, but that's a different article.

- Beanie Cap

(Pictured: https://www.buckwholesale.com/bk-caps-winter-plain-beanies-knit-hat-skull-caps-black-3506/)

Beanie caps, also called skull caps or sometimes just knit caps, are elastic winter caps with no brim whatsoever, and fit on the head much in the same way a sock fits on the foot. Beanies come in a variety of lengths, and some are long enough to have a folded cuff, providing additional protection against the cold. Some models will also come with pom poms, or fluffy balls, attached to the top of the hat.

- Boonie Hat

Boonie hats, also called Aussie hats or safari hats, are hats designed for active outdoor use. Wider brims provide improved protection from the sun, and both hat and crown are structured enough to maintain their shape while usually soft enough to compact without ruining their shape. Some models will come with wide gromets for airflow, or added neckflaps for increased UV protection.

- Bucket Hat

The summer sister of the beanie, the bucket hat is a loose fitting, soft crown hat, with a full, unstructured brim. These hats are traditionally associated with fishing and other outdoors activities, but have recently become extremely popular as a general fashion choice.

- Cadet Cap

Cadet caps, also called Castro caps or military caps, are similar to baseball caps, but instead of the rounded crown of a baseball cap, it has a cylindrical shape with a flat top, often referred to as a "pillbox" shape (pillbox hats, however, are something else entirely). The hat gets its name from its common use as military headwear, and is also associated with Fidel Castro, who incorporated the hat into his public image.

- Cowboy Hat

Extremely popular in the southern and midwestern United States, the cowboy hat is a full-brim, structured hat. Though they can be made of any material, straw and leather are the most common. These hats will often have wires along the inside of the brim, allowing them to mantain any shape the wearer want them to hold.

- Cycling Cap

Cycling caps, so called because of their popularity among bicycle enthusiasts, are similar in shape to baseball caps, but made using a different arrangement of specially shaped panels. This style creates a "billboard" like front panel for embroidery or printing, but is just as likely to be worn blank.

- Ivy Cap

Ivy cap. The crowns of these hats are soft and unstructured, with an additional pouch of fabric that rests on top of a hard visor. These caps have seen a recent resurgence in popularity, but are also common among older customers.

- Sun Hat

Traditionally considered a ladies' fashion accessory, the sun hat has an extremely wide brim, and is usually made from straw or a similar material. These hats are commonly seen on beaches, by pools, or anywhere people lounge in the sun.

- Trapper Hat

Originating in Russia and northern Europe in the early 1900s, the ushanka, also called the trapper hat, is a rounded crown cap most easily identified by a fur or faux-fur lining and pronounced ear flaps. Designed for cold-weather wear, these earflaps are traditionally long enough to fasten together beneath the chin, wrapping the sides of the head. However, the flaps can be fastened above the top in warmer weather.

- Trilby / "Fedora" Hat

Though popularly referred to as a "fedora", Trilby hats have much shorter crowns and brims than fedoras, and became the more popular choice in the later 1900's with both men and women. However, because EVERYONE calls them the wrong name, you will see them all advertised on our site as "fedoras".

- Trucker Cap

(Pictured: https://www.buckwholesale.com/bk-caps-mid-profile-polyester-foam-front-mesh-back-trucker-hats-white-black-22142/)

Trucker caps are a variant of baseball cap that replaced the back half of the crown with plastic mesh, allowing greater airflow around the head. This style of hat is usually preferred by people who work up a sweat regularly, or operate in hot conditions. This style hat will often, but not always, come with a spongy foam inside the front panel(s) of the hat for added moisture absorption.