Hats in Disney Film
Hi Guys & Dolls!
This here is a post I have been waiting to write for some time. As a lot of you know I used to work at a hat shop and know quite a bit about them. I’ve always wanted to blend my two loves together and do a deep dive about Disney characters and their hats, but to talk about hats we have to know a bit about them first right?
If you are a bit of a novice allow me to guide you through just a bit of what you need to know, where you should go shopping for hats, and some favorite Disney characters in hats. Hopefully, by the end of this post, you’ll have the basics down and maybe even think about getting one for yourself.
There are many parts to a hat, but since we are just starting out let’s start with your main three parts:
Pinch: A natural crease that is lengthwise down the crown and "pinched" near the front on both sides. It’s the part of a hat you don’t want to touch as it can severally damage it over time.
Crown: The crown of a hat is the portion that sits on top of the head above the brim. There is a hefty amount of crown styles from center dents to diamond dents. In basic terms the shape atop your hat.
Brim: A hat brim will run along the bottom of the crown. It extends out perpendicular to the hat. Generally, a fedora brim will be about 2 to 3 inches wide however some styles like a wide brim fedora can be as long as 10 inches wide. Brims are usually curled up slightly or flat.
OLIVIA FLAVERSHAM - BERET
Pictured: Olivia Flaversham - Photo: DisneyStyle.com
Now let’s see what works with your face shape. I suggest learning what yours may be first. Most people already do but if you need a refresher click here.
What Works for your Face Shape?:
Oval-Shaped Faces: For this face shape you’ll wanna try a hat with a short crown, wider brim, or both if you prefer it. Having these styles will help to avoid elongating the profile of your face. Try a fedora with a brim on the shorter side.
Square-Shaped Faces: Try to avoid flat or angular styles. You will absolutely LOVE! Hat shapes with curving lines.
Diamond-Shaped Faces: shorter crowns and medium width brims are just the ticket for this face shape.
Round-Shaped Faces: A lot of folks out there have this face shape. It’s quite common! So you’ll wanna see about balancing it with a boxy crown or a wide brim. Try a Porkpie style, which you’ll learn more about below!
Now that we know what works for your face shape lets get into some hat styles, now these are not all the styles out there but these here are used quite a bit today and/or have become popular because of movies or tv.
Fedora: In what maybe is the most popular style hat out there the fedora has many customizations, styles, brim lengths, and more. You truly can create a one of a kind style with some money, but you can also find a great everyday style for minimal prices too. Over the years it has become a common fashion accessory for many women, and even among activists fighting for gender equality during the late nineteenth century. Fedoras are a defining symbol of the women's rights movement.
Examples: Indiana Jones, Rodger & Anita Radcliffe, Joe Gardener (Soul, 2020).
Flatcap: is a rounded cap with a small stiff brim at the front, and has origins in Britain and Ireland. Fabrics used to make the cap include wool, tweed, and cotton. Other materials can include leather, linen, or corduroy. The inside of the cap is commonly lined for comfort and warmth, however lighter weight styles may have no lining, like linen for example.
Examples: Jack the lamplighter, Bert the Chimney sweeper, Frank (Jungle Cruise, 2021), Horace & Jasper.
Cloche: 1920’s ladies style, but it didn’t start off that way! Its name is derived from cloche, the French word for "bell". It’s a round shape with no brim usually with a ribbon at the side. This style usually sees popularity every few decades. The Cloche became popular once again in the 1960s, and then in the late 1980s, a new more modern versions of the style were made like Patrick Kelly's version with a buttoned brim. In the Fall of 2007 collections of many designers featured the style and Elle magazine called the hat the "Haute accessory of the moment" later that year.
Examples: Tiana (The Princess & the Frog, 2009).
Straw: It’s got all of the characteristics above but is a straw material. These hats tend to be great in the summertime as they are lighter in weight. There are tons of different types of straws, and if you see a haberdashery about one make sure to ask for more detail.
Examples: Literally everywhere you look in The Princess & the Frog, Dapper Dans (a Boater style similar to the one pictured with me below in the polka dot dress).
Beret: Usually are soft and round, woven with a ball of hand-knitted wool. Mass production of berets began in 19th century France and Spain. Berets are often worn as part of a uniform in many military and police units worldwide, but will also be worn very casually especially in the U.S. as more of a fashion statement.
Examples: Oliva Flaversham, Beret Girl, Donald Duck
Me in a wide brim fedora from Goorin Bros.
Now, where do you buy hats! Firstly, I highly recommend not going the “one size fits all” route. Get a hat that fits well. Several of the places below have staff that’ll size and fit you into your perfect style. Once upon a time that would have been me. Alas, I got fired. That’s another story for another day.
Some Great Places for Hats:
Medium Brim fedora from Goorin Bros.
Straw Boater style from Tarte & Bean.
Stinky Pete, Mad Hatter, Jesse & Woody, Donald Duck all have one thing in common. They wear a hat and they wear it well! Granted all of the above and more wear very different styles. Donald no doubt wears a leather-lined beret, Mad Hatter is in a top hat & Pete, Jesse & Woody all wear cowboy styles.
You’ll find that characters like these wear a hat because of their perceived professions or what they have been themed to thanks to Disney Animation. In Mad Hatter’s case, his choice of the hat was thanks to a book.
A personal favorite of mine is Olivia Flaversham from The Great Mouse Detective. She absolutely Is a style and trendsetter and makes berets look flawless. Berets, in general, tend to be one of my favorites, I wear them quite often and own 10+ in various colors. There’s something about them that screams cool, calm but fun.
Another style that’s fun but has never worked for me (my face is too wide) is the Cloche. It’s a 1920’s style that Is primarily for women. You’ll see below Tiana who wore this type of hat heavily at the beginning of “The Princess & the Frog”. The film takes place in the mid-1920s so it captures the time period well.
TIANA- 1920’S CLOCHE
Pictured: Tiana - Photo: DisneyStyle.com
It makes sense that Tiana would complete her look with a hat as it fit the time period. Cloche styles were incredibly popular and the more elaborate the richer you were. Hats were a sign of wealth back then, especially if made with finer materials.
So where does all of this leave Disney style lovers & Influencers alike? In my opinion, it leaves us with an opportunity to up our game with this accessory.
You’ll see on my feed I often wear hats because I style them and pair them with items that make sense (color palettes and such). They for me are also a confidence booster. I don’t hide in them. I embrace them.
I believe you’ll wanna do the same. Just wear a hat. In time you’ll figure out how you want to style it, but you’ll never know until it’s on your head.
So now that you know quite a bit about hats, styles, and why some Disney characters wear them, do you think you’ll incorporate more hats in your fashions?
