After just coming back from Newcastle, (not exactly the warmest city) I realised that I was missing something. Something that could not only have contributed to keeping me warm but also added and extra ‘oomph’ to my personal style and swagger.

What was it? Simple, a hat. Immediately after returning, I began browsing both online and in the real world for that exclusive piece of head gear. I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of styles and designs that were on offer. The great thing about hats is that they instantly give your look personality. Very often, a simple hat can be the crowning touch, literally and figuratively.

Hats can be a little daunting as they are statements in their own right, so you should start off with the understated — blacks or the greys if you’re not used to wearing a hat. Now let’s get to it shall we…

1. TRILBY

The Trilby, or Fedora, is a classic hat. A Staple. It will NOT go out of fashion. So the real question you need to ask yourself is ‘Is it me?’ Once you have that sorted out and you find you can make it work be sure you try it on. Nothing is worst than an ill-fitting hat. Not even finding this in your crisp packet. Trilby’s compliment all different looks, and is really set off by a good pair of specs, something like  Oliver Peoples sunglasses. Stick with classic black and grey cotton designs to compliment your suit and pair the trendier patterned straw styles with your casual outfits.

2. KNITTED BEANIE

The knitted beanie is the king of all winter hats. Why? Well it’s simple really; it fits snug, it comes in a variety of patterned designs yet the shape is simple and elegant. Finally, it’s versatile. It’s perfectly acceptable to wear a fitted beanie with a blazer and shirt as it is pairing it with a hoodie with jeans.

Recently designers have been playing with the design of the beanie. Consequently a popular choice nowadays is the loose fitting ‘tea cosy’ beanie. Again, like all hats, try it on and make sure it fits your head and face shape. Make sure it doesn’t drop over your eye brows or form a peek on top of your head. Unless it’s the tea cosy style, the beanie should fit neat and snug on your head.

3. BASEBALL HAT

A classic American style. The baseball hat has hit ‘New’ heights. The most popular style with out a shadow of a doubt is the fitted ‘New Era’ style and the designs are virtually infinite. Plus many stores allow your to print your own designs or text to really help create a more individual and personal piece. There are three main rules we like you to stick by.

1. Make sure it fits. Only American rappers can pull off the over-sized look (and if your ears are like mine, ears that rivals piccaola, then for heavens sake, tuck them in)
2. NEVER wear one with a suit. (we’ve witnessed what they look like with those that chose this combination and we were having nightmares like this)
3. Keep them clean. Turning your black hat brown due to sheer filth isn’t going to make it onto Style Survival Skills!
4. FLAT CAP

A classic hat that has as many names as there are characters in the Chinese alphabet. Newsboy, Driving, Kangol, even Old man hat. The flat cap isn’t for everyone but it’s a piece that constantly re-establishes itself on the runways and streets.

Its heritage is found over on these shores so for you UK lads out there, wear it with a sense of national pride, but don’t go over the top please. They can be worn with a variety of styles so pick one up and experiment.