A bucket hat. This example has two eyelets on each side for ventilation and the brim is angled sharply downwards.

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A bucket hat, or fishing hat, is a soft cotton hat with a wide and downwards sloping brim which is worn by both men and women. The brim offers shade from the sun for the eyes and face. They are usually made from heavy-duty cotton fabrics such as denim, or canvas. Two metal eyelets are commonly placed on each side of the hat so that it is cool to wear on hot days.

A similar hat is used officially by the U.S. Navy for enlisted service dress uniforms, commonly referred to as a Dixie Cup hat, as in the manufacturer brand, because the brim is flipped upward forming the shape of a paper cup. In some sub culture groups, these hats were modified by flipping the brim downward, forming the similar look of a bucket hat.

They are also favored by competition archers, who require their aim to be unimpeded by glare, and their drawn bowstring to be unimpeded by a wide-brimmed hat.

[edit] Israel

In Israel, the bucket hat dates back to the beginning of the Israeli War of Independence. Israeli soldiers needed something that would protect them from the hot sun. At first, they used the Arab keffiyeh but realized they needed to distinguish themselves from the Arab soldiers. They used a local heavy-duty cotton fabric for simple hats. One should not confuse this hat with the Israeli tembel hat that has no loose edge for shadowing the face and the neck.

Man wearing a bucket hat on a boat.

[edit] Costa Rican chonete

The Costa Rican typical hat called chonete, is very similar in design and made of a type of fabric called lona.

[edit] Popular culture

In American popular culture, the bucket hat is associated with the character Gilligan, from the 1960s television comedy Gilligan's Island, who habitually wore one. Also, Col. Henry Blake of M*A*S*H wore a bucket hat decorated with fly fishing lures.

Bucket hats were also quite popular in old school hip hop fashion namely those from the Kangol brand. Rappers who were often seen wearing this type of hat were LL Cool J, Run-D.M.C. and Sen Dog also most recently Tony Yayo.

Another musician known for his use of bucket hats is Reni, drummer for the band The Stone Roses. The hat is still sometimes called a "Reni hat" in the UK particularly by people who grew up in that musical era. Gregg Alexander from the band New Radicals is also known to wear a bucket hat.

Gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson was also famously known for wearing them, and is depicted as doing so in both films Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Where the Buffalo Roam.

[edit] See also

• Boonie hat
• Tilley Endurables

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