As much as I want to, I can’t get behind baker boy hats. Don’t get me wrong, I love headwear and think it’s highly underrated. Yet, there’s something about the gently puffed, stiff brimmed caps that seem try-hard, perhaps because their popularity has waxed and waned throughout the years.
Unfortunately for those who feel the same, baker boy hats are very much back on the British sartorial agenda. Lily James and Zoe Saldana have already championed the design this season, asserting the accessory as one to watch for AW24.
My issue with the hats is that they are so easy to get wrong. Opt for an overly voluminous rendition and you look like Toad from the Super Mario franchise. Decide upon a flatter version and you’ll automatically channel East End gangster à la Guy Ritchie. Or Oliver Twist for that matter. If this is what you were going for, then we recommend a grey plaid print.
Their hybrid nature is hard to chew on. The baker boy hat, also known as a newsboy cap or flat cap, has its origins in 19th-century Europe, particularly in Britain and Ireland. Initially worn by working-class men, especially young newspaper sellers (hence the name ‘newsboy cap’), dockworkers, and bakers, it became a practical, affordable headgear.
By the early 20th century, the style gained popularity across different social classes, including the aristocracy, thanks to its association with rural leisure activities like hunting and driving.
In the 1960s and 1970s, the baker boy hat saw a resurgence in fashion, worn by celebrities like The Beatles. Its vintage, casual appeal continues to make it a popular fashion statement today, offering a blend of practicality and style that harkens back to its working-class roots.
Then, the Noughties hit. Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and perhaps most famously Paris Hilton embraced baker boy brilliance, pairing the hat with low-slung, bootcut jeans, butterfly tops and Y2K accessories. Not to mention Keira Knightly’s black variation in Love Actually (solely worn to cover a break out, FYI.)
The hat’s early Aughts connotations are what helped the piece to resonate with Gen Z today, who tend to covet all-things Y2K.
Which is why, like so many other trends spanning cargo pants to camo print, it’s now overdone. Baker boy hats have turned into an ironic statement, often worn by twenty-somethings trying to bring back the early 2000s in today's fashion - much to the chagrin of millennials. And don’t get me started on the tweed editions that shriek inheritance-chic with a signet ring. Tweed scrunchies would be so much cuter.
If they bring you confidence, then by all means do away with my opinion and wear the hat. For trend followers out there, before the silhouette comes bounding back on social media feeds and high streets alike, I urge you to consider other, more timeless options that aren’t a weird Y2K-working class cosplay. Personally, I await the day the humble cloche returns.
Fashion is of course about having fun, but it’s also about individuality. The baker boy has been done time and time again. Isn’t it time for something new?
How to wear a baker boy hat:
How I would style a baker boy hat:
- BLAZER: Remain Denim Blazer, £272, FARFETCH
- HAT: Women's Blue Denim Hat, £550, PRADA
- JEANS: Straight Foil Jeans, £59.99, MANGO
- SHOES: Denim Pointed Slingback Kitten Heels, £135, COS
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