Bad Hair Day? Try a Bucket Hat

I’ve long been fond of both bucket hats and Oasis, with Mr. Gallagher’s influence pervading my childhood in Northern England. Family car journeys were soundtracked by “Definitely Maybe”; at elementary school dances, I wore bucket hats in pastel pinks and blues by Kangol—a company established in 1938 and known for its affordable headwear. Today, I cycle through a muted navy version, a denim one from Japanese label OrSlow and a waterproof iteration once owned by my grandfather. I wore it on a recent mountain hike.

The unisex bucket hat, characterized by its face-protecting brim, cake-shaped crown and laid-back vibe, originated in 1900s Ireland as wet-weather protection for farmers and fisherman. Today, it’s better known as a cool, offbeat accessory that combines outdoorsy utility and urban swagger—an appealing fusion during lockdown, when many city dwellers spent more socially distant time outside. Celine, Ganni and Gabriela Hearst each proposed takes for spring, and British designer Jonathan Anderson conceived a quilted khaki-green version with toggle straps for Eye/Loewe/Nature, his range of functional garb with metropolitan flair.

Stephanie Kramer, 38, a research assistant at a New York museum, wears her navy Burberry bucket hat to walk her dog on rainy days. “If I put my hood up,” she said, “my peripheral vision is not very good.” Her hat, she added, poses no such problem. Ms. Kramer also appreciates her bucket’s ability to hide messy hair. “You can just plonk it on top,” she said.

Recently, Jessie Batty, 25, did just that during a workweek so hectic it left her no time to shampoo. Ms. Batty, who works in public relations in London expediently hid her unstyled strands beneath a bucket by French brand Jacquemus. “Crisis averted!” she joked, adding that bucket hats “add a fun element to your outfit without being too much.”

Versatility is what draws Ollie Olanipekun, 36, to the headwear. Mr. Olanipekun, the CEO of Flock Together, a London bird-watching community for people of color, wears muted Gore-Tex versions from Snow Peak while on avian excursions; in the city, he gravitates to more colorful styles. “I’ve got around 20; all shapes, all sizes, including a bright yellow one from Kangol,” he said. When without binoculars, he styles his hats with a leather jacket, “really good slacks” and Clarks shoes.

Mr. Gallagher wasn’t the only music icon who embraced the bucket hat. During the ’80s and ’90s, the caps were also favored by Run DMC, the Beastie Boys and, in the 2000s, pop stars like Britney Spears. Today, everyone from Tyler, the Creator, to Rihanna and Ella Emhoff sport them. Yet despite the style’s popularity among celebrities, it somehow doesn’t connote an image that’s too mainstream or conventional. “I associate it with people who have a left-field mindset,” said Mr. Moss, the designer. “It’s rebellious.”

But there’s a knack to finding the right one. Unless you’re a mix-and-match savant, Mr. Moss warns against kooky prints, which can look horribly contrived. Bucket beginners should “just keep it basic…navy, ecru and military green always look great,” he said. “If you want to be a bit of a dandy, you’ve got colors like red to spice it up.” Try the hat on before you commit, stressed Mr. Olanipekun. He calls buckets “one of the hardest things to buy online” because you can’t know if they’ll flatter your head by simply staring at a screen. He also advised against one-size-fits-all styles because they frequently fit no one.

Hunting down the ideal bucket might seem a tedious affair, but Mr. Olainpekun insists it’s worth it. “When you find the perfect hat that matches your outfit, you walk out of the house feeling energized,” he said. “It’s the cherry on top.”

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