Here at Stanford, students not only care about what goes in their heads, but what goes on their heads, too. There are a wide variety of trendy hats, caps and helmets on this campus that can be pretty telling of the wearer. Is she the tea-drinking hippie type? Does he enjoy listening to jazz? Use your cabeza to spot the hidden meaning behind that snazzy sombrero.
The hipster helmet
Safety is sexy…and also trendy? It wouldn’t be Stanford if the students didn’t flaunt their individual style while embracing the practical precautionary headgear too. The whimsical watermelon helmet says, “I’m safe but saucy too.” The type of characters who don this variety of headwear are quirky, free-spirited people who never seem too concerned with the inevitable hat hair. Instead, they’re too busy making some other mundane thing in life exciting.
The casual Stanford cap
It’s Sunday. You’re suffering from more than the typical morning fatigue, you haven’t showered since before the football game yesterday morning and you’re not exactly sure where you parked your bike last night. It’s time to don the Stanford cap and prepare yourself for the week ahead. This classic is seen most frequently around campus–partly as a display of campus pride and partly as a lazy way to hide messy hair. While it’s encouraging to see a sea of Cardinal spirit, the Stanford cap is more useful for staying hidden than being seen.
The thrift store gem
As Mack thoughtfully sang, “One man’s trash, that’s another man’s come up.” These caps sure are up-and-coming these days–all around campus students can be spotted rocking the slightly faded (yet delightfully psychedelic) patterned hats. Frugal and fashionable, secondhand headwear like a bright floral flat brim is perfect for cash-strapped college students. However, consignment stores Goodwill Boutique, Savers and The Shop are all at least 10 minutes away from campus, so individuals who wear these nifty hats probably have access to a car. Good to know if you ever want to go with them to get some well-priced apparel yourself.
The flashy fedora
If you watch “White Collar” or “Mad Men,” you know how just how fed-orable this classy headpiece can be. Paired with the right tailored suit, a fedora can be perfectly retro-chic. Brave men at themed parties often take a swing at rocking the fedora, just to experiment with this difficult-to-pull-off look. But, generally, stylish musicians whose hip rocker vibes are accented by this popular felt hat best achieve this look.
The funky headband
It’s all the rage–just ask Dwight Howard and his band of Instafollowers. Since switching to the Lakers, the basketballer clearly took after Stanford students’ lead and started sporting the popular accessory. Men and women alike adorn their big brains with headbands of all colors and designs. Like the trendy helmets, headbands serve both the utilitarian purpose of pushing back hair and the aesthetic purpose of being really cool and stylish.