Headwear meets everyday wear

Do you know your beanies from your dad caps? Here we take a look at headwear trends that were big in 2018 and what you can expect to be popular in 2019.

The European headwear market was worth US$5,518m in 2018, and with celebrities such as Morgan Freeman and Beyoncé wearing hats to award ceremonies, it is clear the hat as a fashion piece is making a big comeback.

This summer it was all about bucket hats, wide brim straw hats, non-wool berets and baseball caps, while this winter it was reported that the balaclava, knit beanies and baker boy caps were all the rage.

Andrea Charteris, customer service manager at PenCarrie, which stocks hundreds of styles of hats from leading suppliers such as Beechfield, Result and SOL’S, suggests that one of their more popular styles in 2018 was the BB653 Beechfield Low Profile 6 Panel Dad Cap.

“This was a popular product for 2018 due to its great shape and an array of ice-cream colours available. Pastels have been big news in the last 12 months and Beechfield continues to tap into that trend with the new for 2019 Plush Cuffed Beanie (BB418); a soft touch, single layer knit available in five soft pastel shades,” she explains.

Toby Pache, managing director of Sharon Lee, agrees that the class six-panel cap overshadowed everything else in 2018. “I don’t see anything changing in 2019 either,” he says. “The reason is that they suit pretty much everyone’s tastes.”

“Caps have become an accessory suitable for all kinds of activities,” says Roberto Talón, managing director, ROLY. “They are no longer associated solely with sports, but are now used to create more informal looks as they can be combined with absolutely anything.”

Popular styles, fabrics and trends

As mentioned earlier, the baker boy cap was also popular last year – maybe this has something to do with the popularity of TV show Peaky Blinders?

Toby says: “We are seeing a huge amount of interest in more unusual styles like baker boy caps. But to be honest, it’s all about the branding. A simple cap can look remarkable with the right branding.”

Andrea says the popularity of this style of hat could be down to the fabric. “A current popular fabric is melton wool, as seen with the Beechfield Melton Wool Baker Boy Cap (BB629) – a new heritage style that came into play at the end of 2018. The melton wool blend combined with the structured style of the hat makes this a smart accessory for the everyday.”

But what should you be on the lookout for in 2019?

Andrea says that times are changing and so are trends. “It’s important to stay up-to-date with the latest advances in fashion as this feeds printing trends. The latter part of 2018 has shown a focus on fabric: cord, chino cotton, wool, plush and cable knits. Headwear brands are continually introducing innovative new styles in the latest fabrics, fits and colourways to stay on-trend and meet customer demands,” she explains.

While Toby believes that in 2019 sustainability is going to form a huge part of the garment trade, so garment decorators should become more aware in this area, as demand for sustainable fabrics such as recycled polyester is on the rise.

To conclude, Roberto says: “Despite having turned into a trend this past few years, hats and caps are still not fully established as a complement to day-to-day life. People still associate them more with sports or to a specific urban lifestyle, and still do not think of them as a possible accessory to their daily look.”

Perhaps in 2019 we will see a turning point where headwear makes the move into conventional everyday wear.