Types of Hats for Men: Panels, Fabrics and Fit

A cap looks simple until you put two side by side. Count the panels, feel the fabric, check the peak and the strap, and caps that seem identical from across the street turn out to be built in very different ways.

This guide covers how a cap is put together, the main types and fabrics, and every style we make, so you can choose the one that matches how you dress.

Five panels, a reinforced front and a crest that stands up. Featured: Gentlemen's Club Hat (Red/White).

Jump to:

• The parts of a cap
• Five-panel vs six-panel
• Structure and profile
• What caps are made from
• Our caps, style by style
• Trucker caps and the Americana look
• Sizing and fit
• Caps and jewelry
• Caring for a cap
• FAQs

The Parts of a Cap

Six parts decide how a cap looks and feels. Once you know them, product descriptions start to make sense.

• Crown. The body of the cap, made from fabric panels stitched together.
• Button. The small covered disc on top where the panels meet.
• Peak. Also called the bill or brim. It shades your eyes, and ours all come pre-curved.
• Eyelets. Small stitched holes in the panels that let air in. Not every cap has them.
• Sweatband. The band inside the base of the crown, sitting against your forehead.
• Strap. The closure at the back: fabric, leather, or a plastic snap on trucker styles.

Crown, peak and the seams that join them. Featured: Gentlemen's Club Hat (Red/White).

An adjustable strap with metal hardware. Featured: Gentlemen's Club Hat (Red/White).

The sweatband does the quiet work. Featured: Gentlemen's Club Hat (Red/White).

Five-Panel vs Six-Panel

The quickest way to tell caps apart is to look at the front.

Five-panel

One wide panel covers the whole front, unbroken from side to side. That gives a clean surface for a crest, script or monogram. Most of our range is five-panel: the Gentlemen's Club, Yacht Club, Signature, Clover and Italian Gentleman's Club caps.

Six-panel

Six wedge-shaped pieces meet at the button, so a seam splits the front in two and the crown comes out rounder: the classic baseball profile. Our Varsity and Distressed caps are six-panel. The CD Baseball Hat is built the same way.

Structure and Profile

Two more things change how a cap sits: how stiff the front is, and how tall the crown is.

Structured or soft

A structured cap has a reinforced front panel that keeps its height even on a shelf. A soft, unstructured cap has nothing stiffening the crown, so it relaxes onto your head. Most of ours combine the two: a reinforced front that keeps the crest upright and a softer back for comfort. The Varsity is the most structured cap we make; the Distressed is the softest.

Low, mid or high profile

Profile is the height of the crown. Low profile hugs the head and looks relaxed, which is why our Distressed sits there. Mid profile, where most of our caps sit, is the everyday middle ground. High profile stands taller at the front and gives the embroidery more presence, as on the Wool Signature and Clover.

What Caps Are Made From

Cotton twill

A tight diagonal weave that's hardwearing and takes color well. It's the backbone of our range in three weights: mid weight on the Signature and Clover, premium twill on the Gentlemen's Club and Yacht Club, and thick heavyweight twill on the Varsity.

Corduroy

Raised vertical ridges give a cord cap texture you notice from a distance. It's a natural fall and winter choice and looks at home with knitwear and wool coats. We make the Gentlemen's Club, Signature and Italian Gentleman's Club caps in thick cotton corduroy.

Corduroy ridges that show up at a distance. Featured: Gentlemen's Club Hat - Cord (Black/Yellow).

Wool blend

Warmer, softer and slightly brushed to the touch. Our Wool Signature Hat uses a custom wool blend in gray mélange.

A soft wool blend in gray mélange. Featured: Hats.

Washed cotton

Cotton twill that has been pre-washed, dyed and distressed so it feels broken in straight away. That's the fabric behind our Distressed Hat.

Our Caps, Style by Style

Listed by how many sold across our three stores over the past year.

Gentlemen's Club

Our best-selling cap by a distance. Premium cotton twill, five panels, contrast stitching and our Gentlemen's Club crest on a reinforced front, finished with metal hardware on the strap. The red and white and black versions lead the way, and there's a black and yellow corduroy edition for colder months.

The same crest in black. Featured: Gentlemen's Club Hat (Black).

Yacht Club

A cream crown with a colored peak and the Yacht Club crest in gold thread. The two-tone build gives it a nautical, off-duty feel that suits summer. Choose cream and green, cream and black, or all black.

Cream crown, colored peak. Featured: Yacht Club Hat (Cream/Green).

The same idea with a black peak. Featured: Yacht Club Hat (Cream/Black).

Distressed

Our most relaxed cap: six panels, a low profile and pre-washed cotton twill that's dyed and frayed for a worn-in look. It comes in washed black, black and more.

Varsity

Thick cotton twill in a heavyweight build, six panels, tonal stitching and a CD monogram in satin embroidery, closed with a leather back strap. It's our most structured and hardwearing cap, in black and olive.

Our most structured cap. Featured: Varsity Hat (Black).

Heavyweight twill in olive. Featured: Varsity Hat (Olive).

Signature

Our script embroidered across a five-panel front. The Signature Hat in black uses mid weight cotton twill with red and white stitching, the red corduroy version adds texture, and the gray wool blend is the warmest of the three.

Script across a five-panel front. Featured: Signature Hat (Black).

The signature in red cord. Featured: Signature Hat - Cord (Red).

Italian Gentleman's Club

A white corduroy take on the Gentlemen's Club with an Italian-inspired crest. The Italian Gentleman's Club Hat is the brightest cap in the range and works best with tonal neutrals.

White cord with an Italian-inspired crest. Featured: Italian Gentleman's Club Hat - Cord (White).

Clover

A taller, high-profile five-panel in black cotton twill with contrast red and white embroidery. The Clover Hat gives the front more height and presence than our mid-profile styles.

A taller profile with contrast embroidery. Featured: Clover Hat (Black).

CD Baseball Hat

Only available on our US store. The CD Baseball Hat is built like the Varsity: thick cotton twill, six panels, tonal stitching, CD satin embroidery and an adjustable leather back strap, in a heavyweight cap that holds its shape.

Heavyweight six-panel, US only. Featured: CD Baseball Hat (Black).

The full line-up sits together in our hat collection.

Trucker Caps and the Americana Look

The trucker cap is the one style built around airflow. Its front is a tall, often foam-backed panel, ideal for a big logo or patch, while the back panels are open plastic mesh. It closes with a plastic snap strap, the pop closure that clicks into place.

The shape started in rural America in the 1960s and 70s, when farm supply and feed companies gave caps away with their names on the front. Drivers picked them up at depots and truck stops, the name stuck, and by the early 2000s the trucker had moved from the cab to the street.

A lot of today's caps borrow from that Americana look: high fronts, mesh backs, snap straps, varsity lettering and badge-style patches. It sits naturally with denim, workwear jackets and plain white tees.

Snapbacks and fitted caps

Two close relatives are worth knowing. A snapback has a flat peak and the same plastic snap at the back. A fitted cap has no strap at all and is bought in a set head size, so it needs to be measured properly.

Sizing and Fit

• Start with the strap. Our caps come in one size, and the strap at the back does the adjusting. Set it so the cap stays put without leaving a mark.
• Match the profile to your face. A longer face can carry a high-profile crown; if you prefer a lower look, go for a mid or low profile.
• Wear it level. The peak should point forward and sit level with your eyebrows, not tipped back on your head.
• Leave the curve alone. Our peaks come pre-curved and don't need any extra bending.

Caps and Jewelry

A cap already adds a lot to an outfit, so keep the jewelry fine. A slim chain no wider than 3mm, such as the Connell Chain, sits neatly at the neckline, and one bracelet is plenty at the wrist. Let the metal follow the cap's details: gold with the Yacht Club's gold crest, silver with a black Varsity or Signature. There's more on keeping it pared back in our take on minimalist jewelry.

Caring for a Cap

• Read the label. Every cap we make is dry clean only. A washing machine can warp the peak, soften a reinforced front and fade embroidery.
• Brush the texture. Go over twill and wool with a soft brush to clear dust. On corduroy, brush along the ridges, not across them.
• Air the sweatband. Once it's been worn in the heat, let it dry out in the open before putting it away.
• Store it crown up. A peg or a shelf keeps the front from being crushed.

Cap FAQs

What is the difference between a five-panel and a six-panel cap?

A five-panel cap has a single wide panel across the front, leaving a smooth, unbroken area for a logo or crest. A six-panel cap is split by a seam up the front and has a rounder shape.

What is a structured cap?

One with a reinforced front panel that holds its height off the head. Unstructured caps have nothing stiffening the crown, so they sit softer and lower.

What is a trucker cap?

A cap with a tall front panel and mesh panels at the back, usually closed with a plastic snap strap. It started as a promotional cap given out by American farm and feed companies and became a streetwear staple.

What does low, mid or high profile mean?

It describes how tall the crown is. Low-profile caps sit close to the head, mid profile is the everyday middle ground, and high-profile caps stand taller at the front.

Are your caps one size?

Yes. There's a single size, and an adjustable strap at the back lets you tighten or loosen it.

Can you put a cap in the washing machine?

Not ours. Our caps carry a dry clean only label, because a machine wash can bend the peak, soften a reinforced front and fade the embroidery.

What is the best cap for winter?

Corduroy and wool. Both are warmer and heavier than cotton twill, and their texture sits well with knitwear and wool coats.

Which cap should I buy first?

A neutral five-panel in cotton twill, in black or navy, goes with nearly everything. Add a cord or two-tone style once you know how often you reach for it.

Finding Your Cap

Start with the cap that matches how you dress most days. A black five-panel for everything, a two-tone Yacht Club for summer, cord or wool when it turns cold, and a Distressed when you want it to look like you've had it for years.

The whole range is waiting in our hat collection.