Dad Hats: Trend or Here to Stay?
My name is Josh, and I run the blog Best Dressed Dad. Along with Jon (aka The Kavalier), we represent a relatively small percentage of the male population: fathers who actually give a darn about the way we look.
Although ‘dad clothes’ have made a recent resurgence in popularity, usually when person says something like, “Hey man, nice dad jeans” it’s not meant as a compliment. True, dad clothes (i.e. the stuff your own father is probably wearing) are ill-fitting, outdated, and overall pretty lame. But what about the whole dad hat thing?
If you have been paying attention to headwear in the fashion realm for the past two years or so, you will have noticed a rise in popularity of the dad hat. Everyone from celebrities to high-schoolers seem to be wearing them nowadays.
Photo from Pinterest.com
To make sure we are all on the same page, here's what I mean by dad hat...
The question I’ll answer today is: Are dad hats just a flash in the pan trend, or are they here to stay?
But first, since you follow Jon, I am going to assume a few things about you:
You enjoy menswear, specifically unique brands that are typically online companies.
You care about the image you portray to the world and choose to invest in quality, stylish clothes.
Your personal style is probably best described as "classic" rather than "trendy."
How did I do? Do I have you pegged? :)
I would describe myself in a similar manner, as a guy who enjoys menswear and wants to portray a well put together image to the those around me. I personally love classic items like navy suits, brown wingtip shoes, and light blue oxfords shirts. These pieces have been around forever and aren't going out of style anytime soon. However, I do like to have some fun and take risks on style trends from time to time too. But trends are often just that - a risk, that doesn't pan out. Unfortunately, trendy purchases often end up tossed or donated after only being worn once, which sucks. Feeling like you wasted money on a trendy item of clothing is the worst!
A few years ago I gave the camo shirt trend a try. This wasn't really a good look for a father from the suburbs like me. Needless to say, this shirt hung in my closet unworn for a while before ending up in the "donate" pile.
(My buddy thinks he's slick with Photoshop...actually it's pretty funny)
So, are dad hats just a flash in the pan trend like my camo shirt?
Yes, I it think it is safe to say they are. But just because something is "trendy" does that automatically mean we should avoid it like the plague? Most of the time, yes, because if we didn't ever avoid trends we would waste a lot of money and have an outdated wardrobe pretty quickly. But what about dad hats? Let's get into the second half of the question...
Are dad hats here to stay?
No, dad hats, like the ones defined in the graphic above, are not here to stay. Like most other trends, I think this one will be forgotten in a couple of years. But does that mean that we, the stylish men of the world, should avoid this trend altogether? Again, my answer is no.
Confused yet? Let me explain why the right dad hat is worth having in your wardrobe...
Understand that not too long ago, this headwear was referred to simply as a "hat" not a "dad hat." I think that if you buy the right one, not only will it look cool now, but in a few years you can still be wearing it and not look behind the times. What I am saying is, there is a fine line between a dad hat and just a regular good old hat. So with this trend, I think you can have your cake and eat it too.
Left- Dad Hat | Right-Regular Hat
Do:
Go with a solid color like black, navy blue, or grey
Focus on the details like a leather size adjustment
Be somewhat cheap. This is not an investment piece
Don't
Wear something with a trendy logo, a 90's theme, or an emoji
Wear a hat with a floral print, busy graphic, or a tribal theme
Spend a lot of money. Hats like these are not investment pieces.
Although dad hats are a certified trend, the fact is we're all going to have a bad hair day, or get a terrible haircut, or at the very least, feel lazy on a Saturday morning. So having the right one in your wardrobe is a must.
I'd like to thank Jon for inviting me to guest post. Until next time…
Love your kids and love your clothes,
-Josh
About the Author
Josh is the creator of Best Dressed Dad, a blog and YouTube Channel that focuses on helping fathers start dressing better or keep dressing their best. Follow him here.