Also called “cut and sew,” these styles are made from fabric by the yard that is cut and sewn into shape. A wide variety of materials can be utilized to make fabric hats, including cotton, linen, polyester, rayon, silk, and wool, with or without patterns (we love unusual caps and focus our Stetson Europe collection around specialty fabrics and eccentric prints), and a wide variety of weaves. Most caps can take a beating and, with the exception of linen, be folded into a coat pocket by tucking the brim into the back inner edge of the hat. They’re a great way to transition from a baseball cap to hats (our top recommendations can be found in our Basics collection). Hang them from a hook or store them with padding during the off season to reduce wrinkling.
Stetson Europe put together a beautiful video showing how they make caps in their Germany factory. It's well worth a watch.
Cotton
Cotton fabrics come in a variety of weights from heavy canvas to light and breathable dress-shirt weights. Most of our cotton styles are lighter weight materials that breath well for spring, summer, and fall, but, depending on the color, can be worn year-round. We have lined and unlined options – choose unlined for maximum breathability.
Linen
Linen is breathable and hard wearing, but wrinkles easily. It’s a wonderful material for summer caps. Many of our linen caps have a subtle texture for added interest. For maximum breathability, look for unlined options. These hats should be stored with tissue or cloth padding to hold their shape and keep wrinkling to a minimum.
Polyester
Polyester is often blended with cotton or wool to add durability and reduce cost. It often adds a bit of texture as well. Polyester is a great fiber for staying warm, so if you’re concerned about breathability, skip it. If you’re looking for something to keep you warm in the winter, polyester is the ticket.
Rayon
Rayon is an unusual material, being both a natural fiber and a man-made material, processed from wood pulp or bamboo. It has a feel similar to silk, is as breathable as cotton or silk, and often blended with both fibers to keep cost down. One thing to be aware of is that rayon loses strength when wet, so if your cut and sew hat gets soaked, lay it to dry as soon as possible to prevent stretching out of shape.
Silk
Silk is a bit of a wonder fiber – it’s cool in hot weather and warm in cool weather. Our best selling pure silk hat is similar to a menswear suiting material, but many of our other styles are lighter weight. In lighter weight materials, look for blends with cotton or linen for increased breathability and durability.
Wool
Wool is a breathable natural fiber that makes beautiful woven fabrics. It comes in a wide range of qualities from heritage Harris Tweeds to introductory price point caps, that are ideal for colder weather. Most of our wool caps, casquettes, and buckets are lined, which is especially important for folks with curly hair (wool has an amazing ability to interfere with curl patterns).