Casquettes & Berets

Don't Choose Your Hat as an Afterthought: Picking the Main Piece for Autumn 2026

2026.08.26

Do you treat your hat as the "final piece" you add after your clothes are decided? In overseas fashion media, the view is spreading that hats are no longer a supporting player but a leading item worth investing in. Right now, at the start of autumn, is a good time to choose one main piece for the coming season. Today we introduce that way of thinking, together with concrete tips on choosing from our perspective as a hat brand.

QUICK ANSWER

What to keep in mind this season is a shift in thinking: from "decide on your clothes, then match a hat" to "decide on the hat first". Overseas, there is a growing move to choose hats as leading items, including the choice of material and the way they are worn. If you are unsure, try starting with something like a wool casquette, which easily becomes the main piece in autumn and winter.

TREND SUMMARY

Around hats: what is happening right now

On August 19, 2026, an overseas fashion media outlet published an article saying that "hats are no longer an afterthought accessory". It names 5 styles: the raffia wide-brim hat, the pillbox hat, the crochet skullcap, the knit bucket hat and the corduroy newsboy (casquette). Lined up, the styles are all different, but what they share is a change in attitude: becoming conscious of material choice and how a hat is worn, as something that determines how complete the whole outfit looks. Applied to autumn dressing in Japan, you could call this a switch from "adding a hat with whatever budget is left" to "putting budget and effort into the hat". It is a season when thick knits and coats tend to take the lead. That is exactly why paying attention to the one piece on your head makes the overall impression easier to pull together.

FASHION GUIDE

An explanation for first-timers

In short

When the hat is left until last, an outfit usually comes together in this order: "once all the clothes are decided, add whatever hat is left over". In this order, the hat is nothing more than an accessory pulled along by the colors and materials of the clothes. If you decide on the hat first instead, you can work out the whole day's outfit backward from the hat's texture and silhouette. Start from a knit casquette, for example, and the colors of the outerwear and accessories to go with it fall into place naturally.

On the clothing side, this autumn is a season with more clothes that have a clear outline, such as thick jackets and coats and chunky knits. If you pair strongly outlined clothes with a hat that has a weak outline (a small brim, a thin material), the head alone can look out of place. On the other hand, a hat with a knit or a brushed texture that holds its own against the volume of the clothes makes it easier to balance the whole look. Shift just a little of your budget and effort from clothes to the hat. That alone changes the basis on which you choose.

HAT STYLE

If you want to bring this trend in with a hat

When choosing a hat as the main piece, price and how cute it looks are not the only things to check. WORDS is a hat brand that handles its own design and patterns. For fabrics too, we visit markets and check the feel, thickness and even how they feel against the skin before choosing them. From that position, here is what we can tell you about how densely a material is knit or woven, the silhouette around the head that a pattern creates, and the balance between depth and brim angle.

Density of the material: the more tightly a knit is worked, the less it loses its shape, and the more substantial it feels against the autumn air. When you pick one up, gently pull it with your fingers to check that it does not stretch too much.
Silhouette and depth: a casquette made from a pattern with room at the crown takes on a natural roundness when worn. Too deep and it hides your forehead and dulls your expression; too shallow and it looks unsettled. In front of a mirror, using a depth where a little of your eyebrow line shows as a guide makes it easier to get the balance right.
Brim angle: tilting the brim slightly forward at an angle casts a shadow around the face and sharpens your expression. Bringing it closer to straight up changes the impression to a casual one, so if you can try it on, we recommend checking for yourself by moving this angle a few centimeters.

WORDS / Fab RECOMMEND

Hats to wear with this trend

CLASSIC

Acrylic Wool Knit Casquette

WS-20625

A casquette that responds directly to the "newsboy" named in this trend. The fabric, knitted from wool and acrylic, has thickness and a presence that holds up against the autumn air. Because the pattern leaves room at the crown, it also has the advantage of not feeling tight even when worn deep.

Jacket
Knitwear

¥3,960 (tax incl.)

*Please check the product page for price and stock.

View product Try it on in store

CLASSIC

Melton Wool Casquette

WS-20752

A casquette whose silhouette comes out cleanly thanks to the dense weave typical of melton wool. The brushed surface creates soft shading, so the area around the face does not look dull even over a coat or jacket. Being beige, it also brings lightness among the heavier colors of autumn.

Coat
Jacket

¥4,950 (tax incl.)

*Please check the product page for price and stock.

View product Try it on in store

CASUAL

Melton Faux Fur Watch Cap

WS-50620

A model that adds a faux fur turn-up to a watch cap with volume. It keeps you warm while being balanced to blend in with relaxed outfits such as sweatshirts and blousons. Choosing brown or beige gives a more relaxed look than a casquette.

Sweatshirt
Denim

¥3,960 (tax incl.)

*Please check the product page for price and stock.

View product Try it on in store

MILITARY

Nylon Faux Fur Flap Cap

WS-50615

A flap cap that combines a nylon body with faux fur ear flaps. Because the style was conceived from function, it has a sturdy look when set beside a military jacket or a coat. Worn with the ear flaps up, you can use it from now without waiting for midwinter.

Military jacket
Coat

¥4,950 (tax incl.)

*Please check the product page for price and stock.

View product Try it on in store

TRY IT ON

You can try hats on at our store in Kyoto, 京都の帽子屋 Fab (Kyoto no Boushiya Fab). For depth and silhouette that are hard to judge from photos alone, the surest way is to actually put the hat on and try moving the angle.

Store information Visit the ONLINE SHOP

REFERENCES

Sources for this article

Who What Wear

Hats Are Officially A Must-Have Accessory—5 Chic Trends to Try

Published: August 19, 2026

An article that names 5 styles, the raffia wide-brim hat, the pillbox hat, the crochet skullcap, the knit bucket hat and the corduroy newsboy, and argues that hats are no longer an afterthought accessory but leading items worth investing in.

Read the original article

TREND SUMMARY

FASHION GUIDE

HAT STYLE

WORDS / Fab RECOMMEND

REFERENCES

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