History of hats

by Jeff Lund

@Alaskalund

So, the CK X Official Tech Camper hat has a side zipper for a key card, credit cards, whatever else you want to put in there. Slick and innovative, right? Hats have taken many forms over the course of modern history. Some hat styles have not endured, at all, but that has made them valuable, like Napoleon’s hat which sold for $400,000.

Click here to shop the The CK X Official Tech Camper

One cannot even begin to mention a hat being part of the man without citing Abraham Lincoln. No one flexed in a silk top hat like Honest Abe, but the top hat does have a rich history that might make us all think of arrogant aristocrats or tycoons. These hats were usually made of beaver until the rodent was trapped to near extinction in the 1800s. Silk was the replacement.

Gunfighter legends such as Wild Bill Hickok had trademark hats to go with trademark looks and skill. Butch Cassidy did his thieving in a less rugged hat that made him look like the type of guy who used the calf machine at the gym. But I wouldn’t have said that to his face. When dealing with Wild West folk, there are rules to hat wearing and respecting, maybe more so than any other genre of hat.

The Flat Cap, or Newsboy hat, has gone from ubiquitous and stylish to whatever it is now, but everyone knows someone who rocks one.

National Signing Day is all about hat selection for NCAA football recruits. Choosing a hat is also important even if you are faking your recruitment.

During the incredible Cleveland Indians run to the postseason a few decades ago, Pedro Cerrano used a bat hat during Spring Training. Hats can help you stand out…but maybe not in a good way. Hopefully you’ve got a friend like Benny the Jet.

Cam Newton is all about hats and some look similar to ones worn at the Kentucky Derby. 
Nike tipped its hat to Derek Jeter.  
Bryce Harper threw his hat at Hunter Strickland. 
Indiana Jones refused to leave his hat.

This dude caught a home run with his hat.

Yes, there has been, and will always be, a hat for everyone and CK has plenty to choose from. 

Jeff Lund is a freelance writer from Ketchikan, Alaska. His podcast The Mediocre Alaskan is available on iTunes.