Hat Day

Welcome to my weekly blog where I talk about different ways to wear and use enamel pins! Last week we talked about denim and this week we're going to talk about enamel pins on hats. Hats are probably my favorite go-to for styling pins because not only do pins elevate the entire look of the hat, but hats don't often go in the wash! This means that your pins can stay on there all season long without having to be removed. You can just pin it once, put it in your closet and have it on standby for your next outing! 

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The Snapback

Snapback hats are part of many people's closet staples and adding a pin to one can certainly add more character to any snapbacks that you may have in your hat collection. Since most snapbacks with designs have their designs front and center, placing a pin somewhere on the side or towards the back could be a nice addition to the original design.

 On the other hand, on plain snapbacks, the pin you choose can become the main design focus. So if there's a particular pin you've been looking forward to showing off, this can be a great option for you. In our example here my friend and I wanted to make matching hats for our squad, so we paired zodiac pins with plain black snapback hats. We got our hats from a street stall in Taiwan, but this Aliexpress version looks like it could be a good replacement if you want to recreate the look! 

The style I'm going for here is quite simple and pairs well with many outfits, but I've also seen pin collectors showcase entire collections on their hats, similar to the collection jacket that we shared in last week's blog post. 

Pro Tip: I find that snapbacks provide a bit more space between the actual hat and your head when compared to dad hats which tend to fit quite snug on your head. This extra space allows you to position your pins without having the pin backing right against your forehead! Try keeping this in mind when picking a hat so you can show off your pins, and stay comfortable. Moreover, using rubber backings here would also offer a more comfortable fit!

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Toque/Beanie

Toques/beanies are also a great place for pins as they come in a large variety of colors and knits, but are also almost always plain or are accompanied by small designs rather than large ones which makes it quite easy to match with any type of pin. Here we've got the silver Virgo pin on a black toque from Spring, and some potential pairings of Ivycdraws pins with the UO Watchcap Beanie.

[ Pins shown above are: Dancing Banana, Foodie Egg, Carby Monsta, Music Note, Cute But Dangerous Rex, and Vampire Cat ]

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Wide Brim Hat

Wide brim hats are so much fun. The hat alone already makes any outfit feel one of a kind, but the large surface area can allow for so much creativity. Here we've got the black and gold Wolf Pack pin to add a pop of gold to the brim of the hat. I no longer have the link for where I purchased this hat, but I believe it was from Aliexpress, this one looks pretty similar if you want to create a similar look.

Pro Tip: Because of how wide brim hats look, your pin can actually be placed both on top of the hat, or under the hat. I suggest trying both and seeing what you like best! 

If possible, try matching the pin packing to the color of your hat so that the backside isn't visible as you go about your day!

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Sun Hats

Sun hats tend to have similar shapes to wide brim hats, but since these are mostly worn in the summer try pairing it with a summery pin to celebrate the warm sunny days! My hat is from J Crew and my wood pin is by Mariana Yi.

Decor Tip: I use my hat as wall decor by hanging it on top of my thermostat—It totally hides the old school looking eyesore and transforms the entire look of my wall!

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Fedoras

Unlike wide brim hats where the brim is the star of the show, fedoras have an interesting central shape that can act as a good canvas for pinning. I personally love putting my Antler pins on my fedora so it looks like I have antlers. It sounds kind of silly but the elegant gold shape is quite subtle and cute! 

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Hood

Alright this last one is not really a hat per se but I think it belongs in the same category. This is one place that I wouldn't normally think to put a pin but is definitely an interesting place for a pin. We have the Leo pin on the side of a large hood. 

I suggest only pinning on thicker fabrics on jackets because those tend to be stiffer and hold their shape well. (That way when you put on the hood the stiff fabric will hold the pin in place rather than having the pin hit your forehead— because light weight fabric is flimsy, haha. Hope that makes sense!) Placing the pin in the middle would almost make the pin look like the logo of your jacket, while placing it slightly to the left or the right can create a more asymmetrical design. 

Pro Tip: Think about how you want the pin to sit! If you place the pin so that its upright while you have your hood on, then the pin will be upside down when your hood is off. 

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Whether you're spicing up an outfit with a fun hat, or hiding that second day hair ;) I hope that you'll find this post useful in styling enamel pins. If you end up pinning any hats give me a shout on instagram! I'd love to see the outfits you put together. That's all from me for now! Have a good one :)