National Felt Hat Day
Don a felt hat to boost your fashion and put yourself in the shoes of previous generations who wore hats far more regularly than most do today.
Revive the timeless felt hat trend by positioning it as a vintage-inspired fashion statement and heritage accessory for style-conscious consumers.
- 'Felt Hat Styles Through the Centuries' — showcase fedoras, berets, cowboy hats, and derby styles with historical context
- Partner with fashion influencers to style felt hats in modern outfits and challenge followers to share their own hat looks
- Host a virtual or in-store felt hat styling event with DIY decoration ideas and hat-themed party recipes
- Educational content on the history of felt hatmaking and the 'Mad Hatter' mercury poisoning story as a conversation starter
As far back as the 15th century, felt has been a common material for hats. The concept of making a felt out of wool or animal pelts and shaping it into headwear seems to have gotten its start in Normandy, France eventually making its way through Belgium and to London, England. By the 19th and early 20th centuries, felt hats had become a standard, especially for men to wear outdoors.
National Felt Hat Day encourages everyone to don a felt hat in tribute to this historically significant, but now somewhat neglected accessory. It’s time to bring the popularity of the felt hat back by celebrating and honoring this important day!
Folks who are looking for other reasons to celebrate the beauty of head coverings all throughout the year might enjoy participating in National Hat Day in January, Wear a Hat Day in March or National Straw Hat Day in May.
Wear a Felt Hat
Get on board and celebrate National Felt Hat Day by popping a felt hat on your head. Try a felted fedora, a cowboy hat, a fez, a derby hat or even a felt beret. Whatever the style, color, shape or fashion, just be sure it’s a hat that is made out of felt in keeping with the day!
Throw a National Felt Hat Day Party
Gather friends, family or coworkers around to celebrate this delightful day by hosting a party for National Felt Hat Day. Invite guests to wear their own felt hat to the party. Decorate with a hat theme using hats purchased at a costume shop or a party store. And don’t forget to create fun snacks along the theme, like sugar cookies cut out into hat shapes or turning a hat into a bowl full of dip! Have some fun with the playlist for the party by choosing songs that go along with a hat theme, such as Phil Colllins’ classic song Wear My Hat, Big Hat No Cattle by Randy Newman, or Joe Cocker’s tune You Can Leave Your Hat On.
Learn More About the ‘Mad Hatter’
While many people only think about the Mad Hatter as a character from the beloved tales of Alice in Wonderland, the concept of a hatmaker who has lost their mind is actually not completely made up. In fact, for several hundred years, the mercury nitrate that was used to create felt for hatmaking was actually poisoning these creative hatmakers, causing them to have many symptoms such as confusion, emotional instability and hallucinations. It wasn’t until the 1940s that the use of this dangerous substance was completely banned.