Today, what with the rise of more flexible working practices, not to mention our side hustles, we all wear a lot of hats, metaphorically at least. But IRL, one hat seems to be more prevalent than any other: the beanie. There are, however, alternatives. Below, we go deep into headgear, but we’re also here for any other style questions you might have. Ping your sartorial quandaries to asky@mrporter.com and we’ll put them to our panel of experts. If there is a problem, yo, we’ll solve it, as your boy Mr Robert Van Winkle might have it.

There was a time when hats were so ubiquitous that a man not wearing one was of note. President John F Kennedy’s reluctance to sport headgear during his tenure earned him the nickname Hatless Jack and seemingly helped kill off the hat industry. However, if you’ve left your home over the past few months – and, between atmospheric pressure and pandemics, you had plenty of reasons not to – it’s likely you’ve noticed the comeback of the hat.

“Hat-wearing during lockdown was inevitable,” says Mr Way Perry, menswear consultant and fashion director of Man About Town magazine. He puts this down to the closure of barbers and hairdressers, but also “disastrous home cuts”. 

“People may have turned to hats to cover up and started to wear them more and enjoy them,” he says. “It’s kind of a positive effect of lockdown for hats.”

If hats have done well out of these strange times, one sort of head coverage has come out on top: the beanie. We get it. It’s a straightforward accessory that is easy to wear, works well with everything else in your wardrobe (hell, even a suit; it’s 2021, after all) and looks good on everyone. But, with spring proper around the corner (sorry, southern hemisphere), this everyman item is about to get a bit stifling. So, what is a man to do?

“The bucket hat is definitely having its day again, with many designer and luxury brands and everything in between having a go,” says Mr Olie Arnold, MR PORTER’s Style Director. “That said, it’s not as easy to wear as a beanie or a cap and certainly skews to a younger demographic, so will not appeal to everyone. For the more mature among us, the trusty cap has had a luxurious makeover. Brands such as Wood Wood, Loro Piana and Lock & Co have been looking at superior fabrics to appeal to a new customer. During the colder months, we saw fine wools, such as cashmere blends, being used. But as we head into spring, some have incorporated corduroy into their design to smarten things up. Others have looked to water-resistant fabrics that will keep you dry when the inevitable downpours start.”

All practical solutions, but for many men, the real obstacle is the hat itself. And when picking a new style, there is a lot to get your head around.

“Scale and suitability” are the most important factors for the average guy to consider when selecting headgear, according to Way Perry. “Each hat holds possible history, taste, socio-demographics, cultural and religious stories,” he says. “A big hat will always draw attention, whereas the smaller the hat, the more sober and discreet your statement can be.”

“It takes quite a bit of confidence to pull off, say, a fedora or Stetson,” says Mr Gareth Scourfield, a menswear stylist whose clients include Messrs Daniel Craig and Richard Madden and Sir Ian McKellen. “Less so for a flat cap or baseball cap.

“Wear it with confidence. Try on as many styles as you think work for your head and face shape. Always measure the circumference of your head with a tape measure, just above the ear. It needs to fit snuggly, but not too tight or so loose it rests on your eyebrows.

“Think what clothes and outfits work with the right sort of headgear. Do you want to pin your affiliations to certain designers with big logos on caps or go more discreet with your choices? There is always a fine line of looking like a pastiche of a WWII spy or Frank Sinatra. You have to own it.”

“It’s trial and error,” says Mr Perry. “I was insistent on wide-brimmed black hats when I was younger, but being 6ft 4in, I looked like Reverend Henry Kane in Poltergeist II. Always take a full-length photo to see how a hat looks because it never looks the same as it does in the mirror when it’s just head and shoulders. Play with where your hat sits in conjunction with forehead and brows because it can change your face shape for better or worse.”

“A shorter crown and slimmer brim work better on taller, slimmer guys,” says Mr Scourfield. “Shorter guys look better with a slightly higher crown and wider brim that can curl up. It’s quite an investment of your time trying on multiple hat styles, but well worth it when you get it right.”

A final thought for those using a hat to hide their hairdo (or don’t). Hairstylist Mr Larry King thinks, perhaps wishfully, that, rather than “take matters into their own hands”, many men have let their hair grow over winter. And because we’ve grown accustomed to longer hair, he predicts that we will embrace new styles when barbers reopen. “A good tip to get through these last few weeks is to use a hairdryer,” he says. “This will allow the hair to hold its shape longer. Use styling products such as a mousse or, for thick, curly hair, a cream that helps de-frizz. Our Volumizing Hair Mist will give you a lighter hold, but will still allow your hair to move.”

For now, though, in the words of Mr Randy Newman (or Mr Tom Jones or Mr Joe Cocker, depending on your worldview), “You can leave your hat on.”