The Halcyonite

By Ella

’25

Over the past few years, bucket hats have been very popular with Asos reporting in 2019, that their sales of bucket hats have risen by a massive 343% ( Moore, 2019). In 2022, they can still be found in many of the largest clothing shops, like Zara, Urban Outfitters, Mango, and others. Since bucket hats are typically marketed in stores towards younger people, teens, and young adults tend to wear them the most (12-24 years old).  But just because something is in style/trending doesn’t necessarily imply it looks appealing (Ashley Tisdale in the 2000’s rocking denim skirts with leggings and Ugg boots. Let’s pray she’s learnt her lesson). However, I have also suffered fashion catastrophes and I’ve learnt from personal experience the negative effects of wearing a bucket hat. However, I soon came to the realisation that just because A-list celebrities are wearing bucket hats, doesn’t necessarily mean that they are flattering and here’s why. 

History of bucket hats 

Bucket hats were invented by the Irish, as useful hats for farmers as they protected the back of the neck and their eyes from the sun. The bucket hat has transformed many times. Some people may say bucket hats have had a glow-up. I disagree. The 60s creation of the bucket hat turned it into a fashionable item. In the 80s and 90s, bucket hats significantly influenced hip-hop culture and were popularised by icons like Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Ll Cool j, and others. And was also seen in famous chick flicks like Clueless. Despite its growing popularity and its 51% increase in searches on eBay in 2020 (Elan, 2020), bucket hats don’t look good on anyone. We may think they look cool on certain famous people because we are inspired by them but if most people wore bucket hats, I would mistake them for a gardener. 

Notable Brands

The fact that several well-known companies manufacture bucket hats is another tactic that might have caused people to be drawn to them. Luxury labels like Prada and Fendi are currently selling bucket hats for £620 and £490 as well as athletic labels like Kangol (which has also been seen on a lot of celebrities).  Considering “the average weekly earnings for full-time workers in the United Kingdom was around £640 pounds a week in 2022” this is absolutely absurd and yet people still buy it just because of the brand name. Many individuals would buy an unflattering item purely because of the brand name. This, in my opinion, is a further explanation for the rise of bucket hats, not from the actual hat itself.  

The media 

When this awful fashion trend began, the media also covered it with searches on the internet going up by 36% between April and May 2020 (Elan 2020). As I previously indicated, several celebrities were spotted wearing bucket hats. As a result, companies that sold bucket hats began to advertise on social media with pictures of celebrities wearing these items that were comparable to theirs. More bucket hats were worn in Instagram photos, TikTok videos, and other platforms as more people began purchasing. 

FOMO 

The bandwagon effect also grows as a result of this rise. The bandwagon effect occurs when commercials make viewers feel FOMO (fear of missing out) and encourage them to be a part of something. The popularity of bucket hats led to the perception that if you didn’t have one, you weren’t stylish or fashionable as more powerful people began wearing them.

Rihanna brings back the bucket hat trend  

Rihanna is “the 21st century most influential musician” (NPR music) and has taken a big part in bringing back bucket hats as she has been seen wearing lots of them over the years, Rihanna is a very influential person for many. Therefore it makes sense that a lot of people would follow her fashion choices as they respect her opinion, and this increased the wear of bucket hats. As much as I love Rihanna, I completely disagree with this fashion choice.

Why are bucket hats bad for the environment?

There are multiple reasons why I don’t like bucket hats and why I chose to write this piece. It started after I interviewed someone named Courtney who shared her heartbreaking story of being a sad 22-year-old who was broken up with, while wearing a matching Hawaiian print bucket hat and t-shirt, she has not recovered since. I knew I had to do something. I don’t think they are flattering, they sit awkwardly on the head and are never fitted properly. They do not look like they should be there and they look like something a gardener or farmer would wear (which was its original intention and maybe it should have stayed there). They usually look very cheap even the luxury brands that go for £600+ and usually seem out of place.   

Interview – 

While my hatred for the bucket might seem only rooted in style, fashion and look, there is actually a bigger reason why I believe the bucket hat should be destroyed. The increase in bucket hats actually caused environmental harm. I think Miranda Priestly from The Devil wears Prada might ask us…Is a bucket hat worth it? And to those who are reading this that love or wear bucket hats. She would say ( as she says in the movie ) “You have no sense of fashion.” 

Bucket hats became a fast fashion trend, which meant that a lot of people were buying them, therefore a lot of brands started making them to sell. However, this increase meant that thousands of bucket hats were being manufactured. “The Target Audience for Fast Fashion Retailers Is Largely Consumers Aged 18 to 24” which is the same age that bucket hats are targeted towards. As soon as bucket hats stop being a trend, it is very likely that people will throw them away causing harm to our environment and increasing fast fashion and supporting the idea that “fast fashion companies generate more pollution than international aviation and shipping combined.” I ask again, is the bucket hat worth it?