Here's Proof That a Warm Winter Hat Doesn't Have to Be Ugly

In most ways, I’m very much an adult. You know, mortgage, 401K, superfoods salad at lunch. But when it comes to winter hats, I’m as bad as a 7th grader. I’ll do almost anything to avoid wearing a cosy woolen beanie—and my reason now is just as bad now as it was when I was 12 years old: Winter hats just seem uncool.

You get what I mean. They’re unflattering, they're itchy, they totally throw off the balance of your wintertime look...and that’s not even mentioning what they do to your hair. Nope, I’ll go hatless, thank you very much, with my perfectly intact blow-out as my only protection against the sub-zero elements.

Except...this season we’re seeing a major shift in how designers are approaching the winter hat. This new crop of styles not only won’t ruin your winter-wear look, they’ll make your outdoors ensemble, and keep you warm in the process.

Case in point: the rancher. Its structured silhouette upgrades anything from a classic overcoat to an on-trend cape. The beret is making a comeback, too, but in interesting new prints like leopard. So are the bell-like curves of the cloche. 

Ahead, 10 looks—from fedoras to fisherman's caps—that tap into every new winter hat trend.