Guide to Hat Styles, Types, Materials & More

Hat Materials

Hats these days come in all sorts of shapes, sizes and materials. Materials can, to some extent, limit the style of the hat. You probably won’t see too many straw flex fits or shower caps, and you can’t expect to find a nylon Viking hat – it just wouldn’t make sense.

Cotton – Cotton is an everyday fabric for everyday use. Cotton shows up everywhere, and in most hats. You can think of cotton as the tomato of fabrics. Why tomato? Because tomatoes grow everywhere and are great in most salads and sandwiches. 

Wool – Made from the hair of sheep, wool is soft and flexible. It is also resistant to fire, who knew? Wool can also be insulating and therefore comes in handy for hats. Wool is making a comeback with 5-panels and snapbacks, and it is also commonly seen in fashion caps.
 
Acrylic – There are many bonuses to an acrylic hat: resistance to sun and moths (yes, moths), plus they’re cheap and colorfast. You will find acrylic in just about every hat style for those reasons.

Felt – Usually derived from wool, felt is used to make yurts, bowler hats and fedoras - evo sells a few of these (mainly yurts, just kidding). Don’t be surprised to see felt show up in a 5-panel, as this material is making a comeback.   

Nylon – Nylon is commonly used to make the mesh backs of trucker hats. Fun fact of the day: Nylon was invented in 1935 and is relatively new to the hat game. It’s made with synthetic polymers… say that 10 times fast.

Polyester – Standard Polyesthylene Teraphthalate, also known as polyester, shows up all over hats in brims, mesh and linings. 

Straw – Yup, evo has straw hats. Usually found in fedora or sun hats, straw is perhaps the oldest hat material in the world! 

Metal – The most shredtacular of hat materials, metal hats are commonly smithed by a large and stern man, usually missing at least one finger. If it can’t take a blow from a Viking war hammer, it’s not a metal hat. 

Hats these days come in all sorts of shapes, sizes and materials. Materials can, to some extent, limit the style of the hat. You probably won’t see too many straw flex fits or shower caps, and you can’t expect to find a nylon Viking hat – it just wouldn’t make sense.– Cotton is an everyday fabric for everyday use. Cotton shows up everywhere, and in most hats. You can think of cotton as the tomato of fabrics. Why tomato? Because tomatoes grow everywhere and are great in most salads and sandwiches.– Made from the hair of sheep, wool is soft and flexible. It is also resistant to fire, who knew? Wool can also be insulating and therefore comes in handy for hats. Wool is making a comeback with 5-panels and snapbacks, and it is also commonly seen in fashion caps.– There are many bonuses to an acrylic hat: resistance to sun and moths (yes, moths), plus they’re cheap and colorfast. You will find acrylic in just about every hat style for those reasons.– Usually derived from wool, felt is used to make yurts, bowler hats and fedoras - evo sells a few of these (mainly yurts, just kidding). Don’t be surprised to see felt show up in a 5-panel, as this material is making a comeback.– Nylon is commonly used to make the mesh backs of trucker hats. Fun fact of the day: Nylon was invented in 1935 and is relatively new to the hat game. It’s made with synthetic polymers… say that 10 times fast.– Standard Polyesthylene Teraphthalate, also known as polyester, shows up all over hats in brims, mesh and linings.– Yup, evo has straw hats. Usually found in fedora or sun hats, straw is perhaps the oldest hat material in the world!– The most shredtacular of hat materials, metal hats are commonly smithed by a large and stern man, usually missing at least one finger. If it can’t take a blow from a Viking war hammer, it’s not a metal hat.