Cheese Cutter Hat

The traditional cheese cutter hat is making a comeback (Photo: www.prohibitionhats.co.nz)

The Cheese Cutter Hat is arguably the most well known of all retro head wear. And, if you're like me, you love a good quality Cheese Cutter, you'll be glad to hear that this ubiquitous of hats has now been given a streetwise and funky new look.

The Cheese Cutter Comeback

Yes, the Cheese Cutter Hat is definitely making (or has already made?) a comeback. The Cheese Cutter, once considered the accessory of people like your Dad (or perhaps a farmer) is now cool. But not shouty, "oi listen to me!", cool. The ol' Cheese Cutter is a more subdued, restrained cool.

Celebrities making cheese cutters cool again

For quite some time, cheese cutter hats have been considered a bit fuddy duddy. That was until a number of high profile celebrities started donning these distinctive flat caps. There have been many high profile celebs getting in on the action but the most influential is without a doubt, Mr Jackson (image below courtesy of www.bet.com) who has even gone to the extent of creating his own Signature line of Kangol hats. (If you're interested, you can find them here).

Samuel Jackson has made Cheese Cutters cool again! (http://www.bet.com)

David Beckham in a Newsboy (Photo: http://www.bbc.com/)

Brad Pitt looking quite the part in a cheese cutter (Photo: http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/)

But what about New Zealand?

Sadly, I haven't been able to find any photos of Kiwi celebrities wearing cheese cutters (or anything that's not a baseball cap actually). 

But, that's okay. It's our job to change that ;-)

Laurie Turnbull
Owner/Founder
Prohibition Hats NZ
www.prohibitionhats.co.nz
www.facebook.com/prohibitionhats

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How is a cheese cutter different from a duck bill flat cap?

How is a cheese cutter different from a duck bill flat cap?

The cheese cutter classic shape

The cheese cutter hat has a wide brow and a peak which starts right at the top of the hat and protrudes out significantly. If you look at its profile, you'll see it has a 'wedge' appearance which is possibly linked to the origin of the name 'cheese cutter' (history is a little vague on that one).

The origin of the cheese cutter

The cheese cutter shape is synonymous with flat cap hats and can be traced back to the 14th century in Northern England and parts of Southern Italy. There it  was more likely to be called a "bonnet", which term was replaced by "cap" sometime before about 1700.

 

Flat caps were almost universally worn in the 19th century by working class men throughout Britain and Ireland. However, versions in finer cloth were considered to be suitable casual countryside wear for upper-class English men (hence the contemporary alternative name golf cap). 

The Duckbill flat cap

The duckbill (called an 'Ivy' in the USA) has quite a different shape to a cheese cutter.

Its origins are from when Irish and English immigrants arrived in the United States, bringing the flat cap with them. 

However, the origins of the duck bill shape is less clear. It is certainly a derivative of the original flat cap (with the same long peak) but it has been influenced heavily by the more modern hat shapes that came out of the States from the 1990s onwards.

Which fits better - a cheese cutter or duckbill flat cap?

Well, this really comes down to the shape of your head (or, to be more exact, your face).

Cheese cutters have a wide brow so have the effect of shortening your face. Whereas duckbills are ideal for people with a square face as their shallower peak and less roomy brow hugs your head more giving the hat a rounder appearance, softening your chin line. 

The best thing to do is try a few on a see what you prefer! Check out my blog '3 tips for choosing the right hat' as well as our 'hat size chart' for help on how to find the right hat for you.

Shop online for the best deals

Prohibition Hats NZ has the best range of cheese cutters and duck bill flat caps at the lowest prices in New Zealand.

We have a huge range of duck bill hats, traditional cheese cutter hats and loads more. Whatever your style, you'll find it here.

So, for the most stylish flat caps in NZ, shop online at www.prohibitionhats.co.nz/category/cheese-cutter-hats

Make a statement with your hat NZ!

Laurie Turnbull
Owner / Founder
Prohibition Hats NZ
www.prohibitionhats.co.nz
www.facebook.com/prohibitionhats
www.twitter.com/prohibitionhats