Flat Caps

Flat Caps at Village Hat Shop

Newsboy Caps, Ivy Caps, Duckbill Caps, Pub Caps, Baker Boy Hats, Driving Caps, Golf Caps, etc. Shakespeare put it best when he said, “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet…” Flat Caps, no matter their style, shape, or moniker, all feature a cut-and-sewn design generally made of cloth and fitted with a bill/visor. There are three generally accepted Flat Cap styles/silhouettes – The Ivy, The Newsboy, and The Duckbill. The two classic styles are Ivys and Newsboys, while Duckbills are more contemporary.

Ivy Caps feature an oblong or oval crown, usually comprised of two sewn panels. Newsboy Caps have a round crown, usually featuring eight concentric panels joined with a button at their center. Duckbill Caps offer a deeper and more form-fitting silhouette and pre-curved bill, which, when seen from the side, resemble a duck’s bill.

Flat Caps trace their origins to similar soft cap styles worn across Europe and Britain. It wasn’t until the passing of the 1571 English Statute of Apparel, however, that the Flat Cap became a conscripted part of working-class attire. This statute, also referred to as “The Caps Act,” aimed to stimulate the domestic wool industry by decreeing all male English citizens (except nobles) over the age of six must wear woolen caps manufactured in England on the Sabbath and “Holydays” or risk a daily fine. Though it was later repealed in 1597, the Flat Cap had, by then, become an entrenched symbol of non-nobility.

By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Flat Cap had spread across economic and social strata, with finer cloth versions now being considered suitable for upper class Englishmen (namely as casual country apparel), and even becoming part of school uniforms. British Imperialism, and later immigration, helped disseminate the Flat Cap across the world. Today, Flat Caps remain popular and are associated with many seemingly disparate cultural subsections including Prep wear adherents, Hip Hop musicians, Golf athletes, celebrities, hipsters, and more.

Village Hat Shop is a proud purveyor of everything Flat Caps, no matter the style, material, brand, or price point. Shop over 300 unique Flat Cap styles and find your next favorite!

Can’t get enough Flat Caps? Subscribe to our Flat Cap Club and receive (1) specially curated Flat Cap every month, sent directly to your door! For details, see our Flat Cap Club page.

For more on Flat Caps, check out our blog articles:

• Iconic Hats: The Flat Cap
• Flat Caps & Their Many Forms
• Our House Brand Flat Cap Collections Explained