What is a Reversible Hat?

A reversible hat is a type of headwear which may be folded inside-out to show either a different pattern or color, or to have a different fabric on the outside. Reversible hats have been around for quite some time, but have only recently become trendy in the mainstream of the United States. Some reversible hats make use of their dual nature to present patterns which are useful for different circumstances. For example, one side of a reversible hat might be a solid earth tone, suitable for serious occasions or simple everyday wear, while the other side might be a bright cacophony of patterns, great for a wild party, but not particularly appropriate for a job interview.

Other reversible hats use colors which accent one another. This sort of hat, often called a reversible roll brim hat, allows the wearer to roll up the edge of the hat and show the inside color as an accent to the outside color. When reversed, the colors are still both visible, but the accent and primary colors are inverted. Reversible hats may also be used to provide two different outside materials, suited for different conditions. A reversible hat may have one side covered in a waterproof material, for example, so that it may be worn as a rain cap, with the other side made of a simple wool or terry cloth for dry weather wear.

Reversible hats are particularly popular amongst the younger do-it-yourself crowd, with numerous knitting and crocheting instructions available for making a reversible hat. Knitting or crocheting a reversible hat is very easy and involves scarcely more work than a standard hat design. The end result looks essentially like two hats joined at the base, and one of the hats is 'tucked' inside the other hat to make a perfect reversible hat.

A reversible hat may come in every style and material imaginable, from terry cloth to cotton to vinyl, while alpaca and wool hats are the most popular. Many hat manufacturers at this point provide reversible hats as well as their standard designs, either for aesthetic or practical purposes. In general, a reversible hat will be priced comparably to a non-reversible hat, and at most it will cost only a few dollars more.