The Hats Are Hatting—8 Ways to Wear 2025's Most Elegant Accessory

Certain trends come more naturally to people than others—hats aren't one of them. Over the course of the last few fashion seasons, headwear of all shapes, colors, and patterns have infiltrated the runways, and in turn, the streets outside them. Pillbox styles walked the catwalk at Alaïa, followed by Altuzarra some seasons later, and Chloé one season after that. At Prada's F/W 24 show, models donned feathered and velvet conductor hats in a nod to the past. That same season, Chanel debuted plaid and tweed driver caps styled with matching floor-length coats. Gucci's S/S 25 runway show saw shady sun hats in coordinating materials to '60s Mod ready-to-wear. Name a brand in 2025 and they're probably making hats, but as playful and differentiating as they may be, they're not the easiest accessory to master for every day.

Fortunately, the chic outfit creators we look to on repeat for inspiration have already figured them out, posting their favorite ways to style every variety of chapeau on Instagram for us to copy and tweak to fit our style. There are cloche hats and berets, pillbox hats and driver caps—essentially, every hat you could possibly want to wear is covered in the mix of outfits with hats below. Ready to become an expert yourself? Start scrolling.

If a vintage, old-world glamorous aesthetic is the one you're going for in 2025, look no further than this cloche-hat outfit worn by Paris-based creator Sylvie Mus. Her chocolate-brown cloche is sleek and sophisticated, especially when paired with this knee-length, ivory coat with big, '60s buttons and a high neck collar. Add a matching turtleneck to further emphasize the neckline, as well as tights, kitten heels, and a shoulder bag. Done.

I wore a bevy of hats during New York Fashion Week last season, but this was by far my favorite. The cream Mains de Vapeur take on a pillbox hat made for the perfect outfit finisher. With it, I wore a navy-blue cocktail dress by Emilia Wickstead, black mules, and a black-and-cream Saint Laurent Manhattan bag. Without the hat, this look wouldn't have been the same, which is the power this accessory wields when done correctly.

Miu Miu's berets were one of fall and winter's most sought-after toppers, and for good reason. Here, London-based creator Marilyn Nwawulor-Kazemaks styled her taupe version with a gray-and-burgundy color palette, including a floor-length, hourglass-shaped coat, Alaïa's suede Le Teckel Clutch, and classic, point-toe pumps.

Oslo-based creator Annabel Rosendahl is a great person to look to for hat inspiration given where she lives. Norway, after all, has a very cold climate, and yet she always makes dressing for low temperatures look easy—hats included. Here, she paired a gray beret with a leather-and-fur jacket, brown suede tote, baggy trousers, and a pair of The Row platform boots. With a few tweaks depending on what you already own, this ensemble is easily mimicked.

If you want to skip the early steps of figuring out how to style a hat in 2025, just go straight to a leopard print option like this pillbox version on Christie Tyler. Essentially, to style it, just keep the rest of your outfit pretty minimal, with Tyler donning an all-cream look, including a boxy coat, trousers, and a V-neck sweater. Black accessories and shoes help to break up the otherwise monochrome ensemble. This way, the chapeau gets to shine.

It's never a bad idea to see how Elsa Hosk goes about styling a trend you're interested in incorporating into your wardrobe. She never fails to impress. With this outfit, she styled a Miu Miu gray beret with more pieces in the same color, including a floor-length coat, button-down shirt, and trousers. To balance out the look and bring in the hat's white logo, she added a white bag from The Row and matchign sneakers.

Going with a monochrome ensemble is a good path to follow, no matter what type of hat you're looking to style. With this look, the Brooklyn-based founder of the substack Magasin, Laura Reilly, paired her The Row driver cap with a matching cream blazer and skirt, only contrasting the trio with black pumps.

My co-worker, Anna LaPlaca, also debuted a hat or two during New York Fashion Week in September, donning this Gigi Burris version to a Bevza event on the Upper East Side. She styled it with a cream scarf, white tank top, trousers, and flip flops. The hat (and brooch she secured the scarf with) added personality to the look, a trick fashion people are swearing by this year.

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