This Winter’s Hat Trends Make the Entire Outfit

While history has always recognized the transformative power of a great hat, the broader fashion world is now catching on.

At fashion week, hats were the not-so-subtle outfit finishers that emerged as one of fall 2024’s runway stars. While many of those hats embraced a maximalist approach—think Prada’s dreamy, draped velvet caps that almost call for a cake topper or Loro Piana’s perfectly structured short pillbox—other iterations stayed closer to the practical, everyday headwear we reach for to keep warm. Like Bally’s knitted beanie—a better version of the one you’d grab when Alexa chimes in with a freeze warning the moment you’re headed out the door.

Though not every runway trend needs to be translated into real life, the fashion and celeb set has officially deemed hats beyond pragmatic ball caps and beanies a great way to feel fancy and flex some personal style prowess. These styles are more than insulation, from retro berets and vintage Jackie O.-inspired pillboxes to Jennifer Lopez’s Mary Tyler Moore-inspired wide-brim bucket hats.

While experienced craftswomen and milliners like Gigi Burris have long understood the shape-shifting powers of a great hat, the broader fashion world is now catching on to hats as the ultimate transformative accessory. A hat is a statement that can lean into a persona or add polish or whimsy. Alternatively, it sends a message without saying anything explicitly. Hats are no longer the things you begrudgingly put on only to take off inside—a simple little hat trend has the potential to be your entire personality—for the day at least.