The bucket hat was first conceived in the early 1900s as a purely functional item worn by Irish farmers and fishermen as protection from the rain. A few decades later, a standard-issue style made from olive drab cotton fabric was used to protect the necks of troops in the 1940s and during the Vietnam War from the ‘50s to the ‘70s.
If we’re going to talk about bucket hats, we need to talk about LL Cool J, the rapper who started rocking Kangol bucket hats in the ’80s, cementing their iconic hip-hop-style status.
Now, once you start looking for bucket hats, they are everywhere. Asos says its sales of bucket hats have risen by 343% in a year. Globally, orders for its washed bucket are up 339% in spring 2019 compared with spring 2018.
The bucket hat is now a regular on the catwalk along with Dior, it has featured in Craig Green, Prada and Burberry shows.
Jay-Z performs during the BET Awards show Tuesday, June 19, 2001 
