The humble Brim is one part of a Hat that is most crucial to fit, and it’s also the part of the Hat that sees the most variation, both in terminology and style. In this article I’m going to talk through the different types of Brims you may find on woolly Hats, how they may affect fit, and my thoughts on terminology.
Let’s start at the beginning, shall we?
Well, when we talk about the Brim of a Hat we nearly always do start at the beginning. It may not be the beginning when we’re knitting or crocheting and rather than derail this post I’ll send you towards my article on the different types of Hat construction methods! But essentially, the Brim is the bit that finishes the edge of a Hat. It sits around the head and it can do that in different ways.
What I refer to as the ‘Brim’ of a Hat may also be known as a ‘band’ or a ‘cuff’, and I’ve no doubt there’s other variations to the name too. ‘Cuff’ sounds a little odd to me, you find those on sleeves. ‘Band’ doesn’t quite sound right either because it seems to imply that it’s a solid or even separate section, although it makes more sense to me than ‘cuff’. There isn’t any consensus on what this part of the Hat should be called, unlike the Crown, but even there folks have pre-conceived ideas of how a Crown should be shaped or fitted.
Formal millinery will have different styles and characteristics attached to the different parts of a Hat’s anatomy yet given that a woolly Hat is made of quite different and usually far less structured material, the different parts end up serving a different purpose or having different properties. Formal millinery - and I won’t say ‘traditional’ millinery because traditions are different things to different people - doesn’t take into account the properties of knit or crochet Hats; in fact it invariably doesn’t consider woolly Hats to be millinery at all, even though the word itself literally means ‘Hat maker’. I’m not convinced that rigid adherence to it’s terminology and definitions is helpful when our materials, and their purposes, not to mention how we create and structure our woolly Hats, are so very different. Disclaimer: I’ve completed some studies in millinery as part of a larger textiles degree but I’m not a qualified milliner.
So here’s the thing - the part of a woolly Hat that I’m talking about today isn’t just decorative; it doesn’t always project away from the head, sometimes it hugs it. It needs to finish the Hat and provide support; it often needs to protect the Hat during wear, as well as the wearer. It’s crucial to sizing and it’s the only part of a woolly Hat that needs to actually fit around the head. And given how we have a wide range of finishes that we can add to this edge, not to mention how I tend to mix up styles and construction methods, ‘Brim’ is the best all-purpose word in my opinion - I hope my reasons for this become clear as I talk through a few examples. Besides, a ‘Brim’ is what I’ve always known it as, because regional variations are a thing.
And honestly, it’s OK if you disagree! You’ll find that many designers and publishers use different terminology. My point is is that there isn’t any one definition or terminology that’s correct, not in the woolly Hat world.
The ‘Castiel’ slouch Hat with a ribbed Brim
The ‘Thrifter Beanie’ with a folded ribbed Brim
The ‘Tebe Slouch’ Hat with a folded picot Brim
So then, some examples of Brims!
The first image to the above left shows my Castiel pattern. It has a ribbed Brim that’s often seen on woolly Hats. Bear in mind that it doesn’t have to be ribbed, not in the slightest. But ribbing does the job of providing enough negative ease to keep our Hat on rather well. I think it’s the use of ribbing on a Hat like this that lends itself to the use of the term ‘cuff’.
The second image is my Thrifter Beanie pattern. This one has a folded Brim and just like the first example, the Brim doesn’t have to be ribbed before it’s folded. When it comes to woolly Hat talk ‘folded’ usually implies that it has double or triple fabric. That could be achieved by working this section of the Hat extra long and physically folding it up, or or it could be achieved by permanently joining the fold in place, such as in the third image which is my Tebe Slouch pattern. This one is worked in stocking stitch and features a decorative picot edge to the folded Brim.
The ‘Cabled Cap’ Hat with a rolled Brim
The ‘Rosalind’ Hat with a garter stitch Brim
The ‘Freccia’ Hat with an integrated cabled Brim
Next up we have my Cabled Cap pattern which features a rolled Brim. It sits away from the head a little yet it’s created in exactly the same way as a ribbed Brim, just in a different stitch. When it comes to this part of the Hat we really lean into the properties of certain types of knit fabric - this edge may not be ribbing yet it still fits snuggly and provides a defined and structured edge to our Hat, with just the right amount of stretch. It’s a rather flattering one to wear, too.
Then there’s my Rosalind pattern which has a garter stitch Brim. Garter stitch is rather good for finishing a Hat as it’s soft around the head, has plenty of stretch, yet doesn’t pull in quite as harshly as rib when more negative ease is factored in. Garter stitch is also a fantastic canvas for other decorative features such as slipped stitches, which provide not only detail but structure too.
There may look like there’s no defined edge to my Freccia pattern yet there is; the cable pattern is different near the edge, there’s more changing between knits and purls which is what creates the elasticity and support in ribbing. So it has a Brim, but it’s more integrated - and this is a method I use a lot in my patterns, and not just with cables.
The ‘Elevation’ Hat with a twisted rib wedged Brim
The ‘Skelter’ Hat with a garter stitch rear split Brim
The ‘Campello’ Hat with a sideways garter stitch split Brim
Next up is my Elevation pattern. Now, this is a ribbed Brim, but it’s also a wedged Brim. A wedged Brim is one that’s wider, or deeper, at one point than another. They’re super comfy to wear, especially on slouch Hats, as the lower depth at the back avoids the fabric bulking up. Furthermore, the ribbing is twisted ribbing which I love - it functions beautifully and the twisted stitches provide much needed structure and prevent the Brim from stretching out too much. In one by one ribbing the stitches can look a little saggy as the tension between the knits and purls change - that all goes when we twist the stitches, and we usually only need to twist the knits.
Skelter is an example of a split Brim. It’s simply a Brim that isn’t completely circular and in this case it’s a garter stitch Brim with the split worn at the back to accommodate long hair or ponytails. It’s a really easy style to wear and similar to a wedged Brim, it helps stop a Hat riding up. Sometimes I’ll mix up a split Brim with a wedge Brim and with those the deeper end of the wedge is worn at the back with the split right down the middle, providing a little more warmth to the neck.
Campello is another example of a split Brim, except the split is worn at the front to create a more vintage style. It features a modular construction and it’s Brim is also knit sideways, i.e. in a different direction to the rest of the Hat. Sometimes Hats like this may be asymmetrical and have one side of the split Brim deeper than the other. Or they may be worn off-centre. Their advantage is that they allow for a deeper Hat to be worn around the neck and ears, keeping us warm, without it sitting too low across the face.
The ‘Dutrieu’ Hat with an symmetrical decorative Brim
The ‘Dulcie’ Hat with a sideways all-over rolled Brim
The ‘Bella’ Hat with a sideways all-over rolled Brim
Following on from split Brims and folding up the fabric for detail, Dutrieu features an asymmetrical Brim that’s most definitely decorative - and it can be, because the body of the Hat is entirely worked in garter stitch so it has plenty of structure and support. Yet despite the Brim being knitted as an appendage to the Hat, it doesn’t quite sit flat with, or away from, the head.
Dulcie ventures more into Brims that sit away from the head. It’s a rolled Brim but that’s more about the property of the fabric than anything else. It’s shaping means that the Brim isn’t required to hold the Hat on the head, at least not all of it, but structurally it’s not quite a wide Brim yet it is an all-over Brim.
Bella is another of my patterns where the Brim sits away from the head, except the Body of the Hat is a different shape to that in Dulcie. It’s not shaped or created in the same way as the rolled Brim on the Cabled Cap either. I explain further in my Hat styles guide about how we can mix and match different attributes of a Hat, but there’s no rule that says a certain Brim style has to fit with a certain Body style.
The ‘Corbelle’ Hat with a bucket style Brim
The ‘Erica’ Hat with a peaked Brim
The ‘Daisy’ Hat with a wide lace Brim
Although it doesn’t look like it, Corbelle is structurally what’s known as a ‘bucket Hat’. Further more, it’s Brim is folded too, for extra structure. I’ve been meaning forever to get better photos of this one, but the reason I’ve selected it is because despite the fact that the Brim sits away from the head when the Hat is flat, as soon as it’s put onto a head that it’s too small for, the knitted fabric stretches out and becomes fitted. It’s an example of how what would be considered a distinctive Brim in formal millinery isn’t always because of the properties of knitting. And of course it’s a helpful reminder that one size doesn’t fit all when it comes to Hats!
Erica is one of a few Woolly Wormhead patterns that feature a peaked Brim. This Brim style does tend to be known by different things regionally, and how it’s known may also depend on other aspects of the Hat, such as it’s closeness around the head. I’ve always known them as ‘peaked Brims’ and when Ravelry first brought in the style categories I had absolutely no idea what a ‘bill’ was, and honestly still find it strange to this day.
As far as I know ‘peaked Brim’ is rather English and ‘billed Brim’ is American but I suspect there’s more differences than that; one being that a peaked Brim doesn’t determine how the rest of the Hat looks or fits. Again, this is another reason I think that it’s hard to apply not just formal millinery terminology to woolly Hats, but Hat styles or terms in general. Not only do the properties of knitting, or crochet, change just about everything within a Hats’ structure and fit, but we can mix and match different attributes and elements to our liking because we’re making everything, including the fabric, from scratch.
Daisy is a Hat pattern that fits more closely with formal millinery or non-yarny Hat styles. To some folk, this is the definition of a Brimmed Hat. I’ve always known this style as a ‘wide Brimmed’ Hat and that’s how you’ll find it referred to on this website and within my workshops, books and patterns. Because, well, the Brim is wide! One thing you’ll notice with this style is that the Body and Crown of the Hat is snug and well fitted - because the Brim sits perpendicular to the head we need the rest of the Hat to make up for what Brim functions are missing i.e. fitting well and staying on the head. That said, the Brim still fits around the head because it has to; it just doesn’t offer the same kind of support.
The ‘Molly’ Hat with a wide lace Brim
The ‘Cornice’ Hat with integrated earflaps in the Brim
The ‘Karenin’ aviator Hat with a folded up Brim
My Molly pattern is structurally almost identical to my Daisy pattern, yet it doesn’t have any instructions to wire the Brim. You can of course do so should you wish, but in my mind the absence of the wire doesn’t make it any different style wise - it’s a wide Brimmed Hat, just the same, with a close fitting Body. Molly and Daisy are both knit sideways, too, so that Brim isn’t worked separately, it’s worked concurrently.
Cornice is a pattern that challenges what this part of a Hat is all about. That deep garter section is serving the exact same function as we might expect of a Brim - it finishes the Hat and it provides well fitting edge - yet it also has integrated earflaps.
Karenin is another pattern that challenges how a Hat’s anatomy could be described, how it’s parts may be defined. It’s Brim doesn’t feature integrated earflaps but does cover the ears and neck. It’s not quite a split Brim like we saw with Campello but it functions in a similar way. It’s a classic aviator style, yet if it wasn’t for the folded up section of the Brim at the front it’d be considered a helmet style.
The ‘Encircle’ Hat with a folded sideways Brim
The ‘Korra’ Hat with a sideways garter stitch Brim
The ‘Arkanoid’ Hat with a tiny folded Brim
Encircle is another Hat featuring a modular construction. It has a tube, a double fabric strip, worked sideways with the body worked upwards from there. When I hear the word ‘band’ used with Hats this is the sort of thing that comes to mind - it’s literally a band applied to an edge.
The Brim in Korra is more obvious than in many of my sideways knit Hats as it’s worked in a different colour, yet it’s not worked separately at all - it’s not worked at the beginning of the knitting, or at the end, and neither is it an applied edge worked as a separate piece of fabric. This is the joy of sideways Hat knitting where we work a little bit of the Brim, a little bit of the Body and a little bit of the Crown in every row. As soon as we turn garter stitch on it’s side it’s properties change and it behaves as a one by one ribbing would.
Arkanoid doesn’t appear to have a Brim at all, except it does, albeit a tiny sliver of one. It’s actually a folded Brim and on this Hat the Brim itself doesn’t need to provide a great deal of structure or support because the ribbed stitch pattern that lends itself to the Hat’s name provides that for us. There are quite a few Woolly Wormhead patterns where the Brim seems insignificant or missing altogether and it’ll be because the Body does the work that a Brim would usually do.
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This isn’t by any means a definitive list of the Brim types you’ll find on woolly Hats, but I hope it gives you some idea of the possibilities! I really like to delve into the finer details and I cover more about Brim types, amongst other things, in my Hat Extras series.
To the wider discussion about what is and isn’t a Brim I hope, that with terms such as ‘split Brim’, ‘folded brim’, ‘wide Brim’, ‘rolled Brim’ and so on, you can appreciate why I think ‘Brim’ is such a good all purpose word for this part of a Hat’s anatomy, why other terms feel more restrictive or less adaptive… a ‘wide cuff’ or ‘rolled band’ just doesn’t sound right to me. So many terms in Hat knitting have evolved around vertically knit bottom-up Hats yet you may have realised by now that I tend to mix things up a bit!
More importantly though I think we do our art, our craft, a disservice by trying to make it fit a mould that wasn’t created with it in mind. Instead of trying to bend what we do to fit something that it isn’t, why not redefine or create our own terminology that better describes the properties and functions of the Hats we knit and crochet?
eta/ the Hat featured in the main title image is my Laccio pattern.
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