I’m a fashion expert – I know exactly why stars from Liam Gallagher to Ben Stokes can’t get enough of bucket hats
HE is one of the greatest cricketers this country has ever produced.
But when The Ashes kicked off yesterday, the buzz about England captain Ben Stokes’s bucket hat was as big as that around his side’s chances of beating Australia in the grudge series.
Ben, 32, sported the blue Glastonbury-style titfer, with the Three Lions crest embroidered on the front, while sat on the pavilion balcony at the Edgbaston ground in Birmingham.
Fans loved it so much they are now referring to him on Twitter as “Bucket Hat Ben”.
You can buy a white one for £25 at the England cricket official online merchandise store, though blue ones like Ben’s have now sold out there.
While bucket hats have been synonymous with music festivals for decades they are a new thing at the cricket — with players and fans traditionally opting for a wider-brimmed look.
But this is not the only sport where the bucket look is making waves.
Manchester United may have lost the FA Cup final to rivals Manchester City this month but their fans did bag free red bucket hats with the team’s badge on from the club — creating a sea of red, white and black heads in the stands.
The jaunty headgear has been popular in Manchester since the Britpop era in the Nineties.
At that time, the city’s music scene was at the forefront of pop culture, with bands including Oasis, the Happy Mondays fronted by Shaun Ryder, and The Stone Roses trailblazing fashion trends.
Sixties mods
Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher was often seen out wearing his pale-blue Kangol bucket hat in the mid-Nineties and sales of replicas soared.
But the Nineties wasn’t the bucket hat’s only heyday.
Also known as a fishing hat, it is said to have been introduced around 1900.
Originally made from wool, felt or tweed, it was traditionally worn by Irish farmers and also fishermen.
It first went mainstream in the early Sixties when the mods — short for modernists — were at the fore-front of fashion.
In post-war Britain they were part of the first generation who could spend money on what they wanted — and bucket hats were part of their subculture.
During the Seventies the hippy movement claimed ownership of the buckets, with flower power emblems and free love symbols adorning beatnik versions.
In the Eighties they then became popular on the rap and hip-hop scenes, with US bands and artists such as Run DMC and LL Cool J wearing them.
It was around this time that “athleisure” brand Kangol launched its signature take on the hat, something it is still famous for today.
Fast-forward to 2023 and bucket hats are cropping up all over the shop again.
Away from sport, showbiz A-Listers such as singer Rihanna, model Bella Hadid and chart-topper Justin Bieber and his wife Hailey have all been pictured out and about in them this year.
Closer to home, Love Island host Maya Jama matched her blue one to her bikini this year while on holiday in Dubai.
So why have they stayed popular, across all different walks of life, over the years?
The simple answer is that they’re adaptable.
Whether you’re at the cricket and need something practical to keep you shielded from the sun, or want something more trendy, they come in all sorts of patterns, colours and fabrics so can easily mould with the changing times.
They’re even popular in fashion-ista circles, too, with big-name designers such as Mulberry, Fendi and Prada all selling versions.
Though a simple black bucket hat from Chanel, bearing its logo, will set you back an eye-watering £950.
But the high street is also awash with styles which certainly won’t break the bank.
One thing’s for sure, whatever amount you decide to invest in a bucket hat, it will never go out of style.
Bucket wishlist
HATS off to high street bargains.
Abby picks the top five unisex bucket hats for under £20.