A flat cap is a rounded cap with a small stiff brim in front, originating in the British Isles. The hat is known in Ireland simply as a cap, in Scotland as a bunnet, in Wales as a Dai cap, in New Zealand as a cheese-cutter, and in the United States as a golf cap.

What is the point of flat caps?

Supposedly, the flat cap first became popular after a short-lived law passed in England in 1571 that obliged everyone to wear a woollen hat to boost the wool trade, which does perhaps explain its utilitarian form.

Why is it called a flat cap?

The style can be traced back to the 14th century in Northern England, when it was more likely to be called a "bonnet". This term was replaced by "cap" before about 1700, except in Scotland, where it continues to be referred to as a bunnet in Scots. ... Flat caps were worn by fashionable young men in the 1920s.