WHAT CELEBRITIES come to mind when you think of bucket hats? Liam Gallagher, or LL Cool J, for sure. But Brad Pitt? If he doesn’t, he very well should do.
Over the weekend, the 60-year-old made two appearances at Silverstone, where he was filming scenes for his upcoming racing blockbuster, F1, as well as watching the drizzly British Grand Prix.
On Friday, he paired a quilted Burberry jacket with a Burberry bucket in a Daniel Lee-designed variant of its famed Nova check. Then on Sunday, the actor rocked up to the paddock in a same-same-but-different ensemble; a cord jacket, white tee, butter-yellow trousers and a houndstooth hat. Different day, slightly different headwear!
This is by no means Pitt’s first encounter with a bucket hat. He’s been throwing them on and off his head since the mid-Nineties, opting for styles from Kangol and Puma that pair nicely with gorpy cargos and tank tops. It was the type of look that remains the blueprint for rave-ready, day festival outfits today.
But Grown-Up Brad reintroduced them into his wardrobe back in 2021, wearing one on the sidelines of the US Open with a more mature long-sleeve polo. Hardly a revolutionary look. But one that highlighted the fact that bucket hats aren’t just the headwear of finger-in-the-air two-steppers chugging back water, travelling England fans and men who spend their weekends tugging at a fishing rod, as per their origins.
Then, the very same hat made its Hollywood debut in Bullet Train a year later as the sartorial companion to ex-ex assassin Ladybug. The film’s costume designer Sarah Evelyn has said in interviews that the headpiece was Brad’s idea.
Since then, Pitt’s off-duty attire often includes the flared accessory, whether that’s to cover some unruly hair or to complete a more polished look. He’s sticking with it, even as the menswear trend cycle has moved definitively in favour of a slogan-laden baseball cap. That’s just a testament to how engrained the accessory is within Pitt’s style. In fairness, he makes a good case for its comeback – and you have to admire the dedication.
If you’re new to this type of silhouette, keep it simple by going for neutral tones devoid of print. You may even match the effortless cool Pitt exudes in them – a bucket list moment, for sure.
A version of this story originally appeared on Esquire UK
