What to consider before going head-first on the rising hat trend.

It’s blinking cold right now in London, where MR PORTER is headquartered, and, as a result, the number of hats on show in the office is on the rise. Beanies, flat caps and snapbacks are increasingly foremost in our thoughts, as well as perched on our heads. This is a boon for those of us who – how can we put this delicately? – could do with a bit of coverage where the follicles aren’t as fecund as they once were; less so for fans of hair styling products. But is this a climatically charged blip or could it be symptomatic of a wider trend, a broad acceptance of headgear in the workplace as office attire becomes increasingly democratised? One reader hopes to find out.

Will hats be more popular?

**@jakobnilsen, via Instagram **

Good question, @jakobnilsen. Now, we’re inclined to believe that this query comes from a good place; that you’re an honest punter looking to bolster your wardrobe – and possibly style out a cold snap (judging by the flag emojis, you’re in either Norway or Poland, so this probably applies) – and not a bullish investor hoping for insider tips on the clothing market. We will say that, a cursory glance at popular culture over the past century or so suggests the golden age of the hat has long since tailed off. Once, the iconic Borsalino was so prevalent among men of a certain (not entirely lawful) profession that it became the shorthand and title for a 1930s-set gangster film starring Mr Alain Delon. Today, as with most enterprises, the wrong ’uns have gone online, where the dress code is looser – although, happily we still stock the handmade Italian hat.

For a deeper dive, Google has only been mining our collective data for a couple of decades, and since 2004 shows a slight rise in interest in the word “hat”, peaking during the past three Decembers. This would suggest any short-term windfall felt by hat manufacturers is localised within the Christmas period. By way of comparison, “shoes” report much stronger readings over the same timeframe, and while “sneakers” have fared worse, its stock is rising more rapidly, certainly over recent years.

But while we’d argue that hats might never be as popular as they were a century ago and may lag behind shoes – which are, it should be noted, something of a necessity when leaving the house – there is something to be said for a new headwear revival.

The myth that the human body loses most of its heat through the head was debunked some time ago, but in the current climate – as we went to press, the polar vortex remained entrenched in the US, while other parts of the world report frigid conditions, Australia withstanding – when exposed to the elements, we’ll gladly turn to a cashmere beanie. And headgear will be no less a necessity in summer, providing respite from the sun’s glare when global temperatures rise, as Oceania-based readers can confirm.

Combine that with a move to a more liberal approach to officewear – assuming you still work in an office – and a hat is far less likely to raise eyebrows.

As for which mode of headgear is right for you, this is a personal choice. The beanie might see you through an immediate weather-related fix, while the baseball cap has only grown in stature along with the rise of high-end sports gear and streetwear (brands such as Off-White and Heron Preston are your go-to here). The hat that defined the second summer of love, the bucket hat, has itself seen a lot of appreciation of late – see Prada, Acne Studios and Valentino. But for a true outlier, blazing a trail for others to follow, and head first, no less, the Borsalino is the one for you. All those hoodlums of the 1930s can’t be wrong (other than, you know, in the eyes of the law, of course).