As is with most style trends, I’d argue this look was born out of function first, and style second. Case and point-my grandfather.
I remember back in the day seeing the old man trod around constantly with his hard hat faced backward (he was a bricklayer.) The reasoning behind it? He stressed that the visor at the front of his hat was a damn nuisance, hence he’d often flip it for optimal vision- or so he claimed.
Though he (covertly) by nature was a stylish man, and objectively he did look way “cooler” with his hat backward… and I suspect he goddamn well knew it, too.
The ability to wear your hat backward successfully (without looking try-hard) will depend on the type of hat you choose and the clothes you choose to compliment your look with, failure to do this may result in an outdated or polarizing look.
Backwards hat: What’s the general consensus?
Like in a previous post where I talked about “wearing the colour yellow“, to supplement your style choice by way of wearing your hat/cap backwards will most definitely make you stand out, albeit a lot less subtly than wearing a stand out colour of clothing.
As a guy who occasionally wears his cap on backwards (more so when I want to hide a bad hair day), I’m more than well versed on on the public’s opinion on this. And even in accordance to what the internet has to say on this subject- no matter how you slice it…
Wearing a hat backwards is douchey, sorry fellas.
But that’s okay! Because as is with any jagged style choice, from wearing bracelets with watches to the adorning of intoxicatingly bright graphic tee’s- with rules to “style” come as well, the mellifluous nature of style itself.
Meaning: while a certain style choice may garner looks, the “method” will almost certainly dictate the final outcome in HOW you manage you pull it off, rather than IF you do.
Style is on a spectrum, bois.
For my choice of hat, it is a close variation of the “59 FIFTY” model A.K.A. the “fitted cap”. The crown is that of a constructed one, meaning the front panels of it have been reinforced for a more a rigid feel (i.e. it keeps its shape), while the brim of the crown is flat.
I personally find this type of headpiece (which for clarification is a called a “cap”) is more suited to wearing backwards, as the model itself allows for a more customizable style, in regards to the outfit choices to go with your backwards cap.
A statement piece
Do your due diligence before picking a cap to wear, as you would any other hat headpiece before adjoining it to your selected attire for the day.
Use it as means to complement your existing look, NOT as a last-minute thing you wear on you way out the door. The few extra minutes I spend (even on a bad hair day) to carefully muster an outfit to go along with my backwards cap, are minutes well spent.
How to pull off the “backwards hat” look
- Plan your wardrobe beforehand with your hat/cap choice in mind OR pick your hat with your outfit choice(s) in mind.
- Unless your at a sports event, never wear one with overt graphics on it.
If you must, keep it small. Your look will already make people notice you, you don’t need to shine a bright light their faces.
- Highly anectodatal: But i stick to unadorned solid black caps.
No graphic designs on the print or anything. Good for beginners, but in general I prefer a much more subtle approach. To garner attention without saying much at all- that’s my motto.
If you, however, prefer a more bright colour or logo to match, then go for it by all means, do your best to keep it minimal, however.
- Urban style streetwear works best
Or more specifcally pairing with a t-shirt works best. Pairing with shirts can be done but it means alot more ways you could do it wrong if you lack the general confidence to pull it off in the first place.
Style tip: Pair your backwards hat with muted tones for a more no brainer smart-casual approach.
- Shorts ALMOST never work with a backwards hat– But if you find a way to make it work, then let me know (I still won’t try it though…just being honest.)
- Remember your age
Older gents usually require a more sophisticated style, so best leave this choice to the 20-30-year-olds.
- Consider the venue
Something more relaxed and casual like an outdoor event, or I’d even argue in a club setting, but then this is where we revert back to age acceptability for even wearing one, let alone for wearing one in a club.
- Subdued colors are most optimal, and also harder to mess up.
What NOT to do with your hat
- Find your size, don’t just pick any.
- Wear it sparingly.
- They look best with casual outfits (no formal or buisiness)
- Certain hat models are just not really meant for anything other than beach wearing (or maybe camping if your a middle-aged man okay with wearing whatever.)
- Don’t bend the peak/tip of the hat. (That was the style once, but not anymore- and I for one am thankful.)
- Wear your hat/cap backwards or forwards, but NOT sideways-This will forever be an outdated trend, so just don’t do it.
Hat or Cap?
First I think it need be addressed… that of the elephant in the room-the interchangeable vernacular between the word “hat” and “cap”, as they’re two different things.
A cap is a type of hat, a hat is not necessarily a cap. The term “hat” can refer to multiple headgear styles with varying sizes and crowns, while a “cap” is characterized by their crown and brim.
So when looking for options, your best bet to pull off the look- would be to know the exact model types best suited beforehand, this way you save time. So you could say “hat” when talking of a cap, but most hat types that would work with this look will happen to be “caps.”.
It doesn’t matter all too much- just something interesting I thought worth noting.
My personal preference of Caps
Now like mentioned above, your best bet when wearing a backwards hat is to pick a particular “cap”. Arguably casual streetwear is your best go-to style outline to follow, so my suggestion would be to pair your outfit with a “snapback” model of sorts.
A snapback is (usually) a 6-panel hat with a flat brim, much like my hat of choice stated above and right below: an offset of The 59FIFTY “fitted” cap model.
Experiment yourself
Ultimately any type of cap could work. Nothing is necessarily off the table, just so long as you know what focused part of your outfit is to be emphasized on that day- use that as a foundation upon which to decide what hat you’ll wear.
OR do the opposite and base your subsequent outfit upon the foundation of your specific cap/hat.
“Right and wrong don’t matter, it’s all about presentation.”
-The Inbetweeners
You’ve got plenty of leeway to experiment with bois, so make use of it. Style is a spectrum, a grey area, with an almost infinite amount of possibilities to toy with (provided you possess and or muster up the innate confidence needed to begin with.)
Stay Rogue.