It might appear a bit odd today, but the dark blue “flat hat” of the past still evokes fond memories among sailors and is very much a part of U.S. Navy tradition.

Easy to recognize is the more familiar white hat, nicknamed the “Dixie cup hat,” but the distinctive “flat hat” came first, and was standard issue for more than a century.

Easy to recognize is the more familiar white hat, nicknamed the “Dixie cup hat,” but the distinctive “flat hat” came first, and was standard issue for more than a century.

Records of the Naval Historical Center show that the flat hat was authorized in 1852, was standard throughout the American Civil War, and remained in use long after white headgear – much later given the “Dixie cup hat” appellation – was introduced as an alternative in 1886.

At first, flat hats were made of dark blue wool known as Metcalf serge. If the skipper permitted, a white cover could be attached to the top of the hat to protect the wearer from sunlight during periods of warm weather. After white hats were added to Navy issue, many sailors received both flat hats and white hats. The choice between the two depended upon the whim of skippers at sea and shore-based commanders.

“My father wore the hat in and around Boston in 1918. The hats in that era flared out quite far at the top. He said the hat was ‘girl-bait.’ The wider the flare the saltier you were.”

Prior to the U. S. entry into World War II, most flat hats, but not all, had unit or ship names embroidered on the front. This practice was ended in January 1941 to make it more difficult for potential adversaries to learn the whereabouts of U.S. ships. Thereafter, flat hats were embroidered with the legend “U.S. Navy.”

In old pictures, the flat hat and its accompanying hatband appear unremarkable. “In fact, the hat bands were very distinctive,” said retired Master Chief Petty Officer Al Crawford, who has studied the history of the headwear. “In early years, the hatbands came in many colors, including red, green, yellow and light blue.”

“All three of my brothers and I wore them during World War II,” said retired Master Chief Petty Officer Allan LeBaron. “They were common in the 1st Naval District, headquartered in New Hampshire, because they were much warmer than the white hat in the winter.

“My father wore the hat in and around Boston in 1918. The hats in that era flared out quite far at the top. He said the hat was ‘girl-bait.’ The wider the flare the saltier you were.”

Crawford said he has seen a preserved example of a flat hat worn aboard the battleship USS Maine, famously blown up in the Havana harbor in Cuba on Feb. 15, 1898, in an incident that helped start the Spanish-American War. “The hatband accompanying the flat hat for this ship was green, with ‘USS Maine‘ written in gold,” Crawford said.

Coast Guardsmen wore the flat hat, too. “It was our dress hat for winter,” said retired Coast Guard Master Chief Boatswain’s Mate Maurice Poulin. “Most of us were comfortable with the hat. It was easy to take care of. When you folded it, it was flat. You folded it and kept it under your mattress, pressed down.”

“My father wore the hat in and around Boston in 1918. The hats in that era flared out quite far at the top. He said the hat was ‘girl-bait.’ The wider the flare the saltier you were.”

In the 1950s and 1960s, the hats were still a part of Navy attire, but were rarely seen.

“I was issued one but never wore it,” said former Aviation Machinist’s Mate Allan Meyne, who was in the Navy from 1956 to 1960. “We were never required to wear it, not even for inspection. It stayed in my sea locker.” Meyne said that was typical of the early Cold War years.

The Navy officially retired the flat hat on April 1, 1963.