A bucket hat (variations of which include the fisherman’s hat, Irish country hat and session hat) is a hat with a narrow, downward-sloping brim. Typically, the hat is made from heavy-duty cotton fabric such as denim or canvas. Bucket hats are also made of  heavy wool such as tweed, sometimes with metal eyelets placed on the crown of the hat for ventilation.

The bucket hat or fishing hat is said to have been introduced around 1900. These hats were traditionally worn by Irish farmers and fishermen as protection from the rain, because the lanolin from the unwashed (raw) wool made these hats naturally waterproof. From the interwar years onwards, these “Irish walking hats” were quickly adopted internationally for country pursuits because, when folded, they could fit inside a coat pocket.

Fashion accessory

In the 1960s, the bucket hat was adapted as a ladies’ fashion item, in common with the pillbox, bakerboy, and cloche styles, suiting the fashion for more bouffant hair. Milliners such as Lilly Daché created designs in felt or other stiffer fabrics to capture the “mod” look.The older tweed Irish walking hat remained popular among professional men until the 1970s’.

The hat became popular with rappers in the 1980s and remained part of street fashion into the 1990s. More recently, it has re-emerged as a fashion catwalk item after being sported by celebrities.