Hats often pull a whole look together, but they can do so much more in cinema. Whether that’s stealing the show as a character or becoming a defining piece of a beloved hero, hats in all shapes and sizes have managed to make their way into the hearts of fans everywhere. Having a hard time believing that? Check out the following because they are some of the most recognizable hats in pop culture.
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Mickey's wizarding moment, 'Fantasia'
Walt Disney Pictures
Mickey’s ears are what people love to rock around the theme parks, but let’s not forget how iconic Mickey’s headwear in Fantasia is.
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The Man with the Yellow Hat, 'Curious George'
Universal Studios
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Dustin's trucker cap, 'Stranger Things'
Netflix
Ashton Kutcher made trucker hats a trend in the 2000s, but they were sort of forgotten until Dustin from Stranger Things stepped into the picture.
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Eliza's larger-than-life brim, 'My Fair Lady'
Warner Bros.
To say this hat is one of the grandest is fair.
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Cat's infamous hat, 'The Cat in the Hat'
Dreamworks Pictures
Waldo may own the striped tee, but this kitty has his paws all over that mile-high striped hat.
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That little blue hat, 'Hey Arnold!'
Paramount Pictures
Does it make sense for a child with a football-shaped head to wear the tiniest of baseball hats? No, but Arnold was so cool that he made it work.
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The Sorting Hat, 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone'
Warner Bros.
Dream job? Sorting Hat at Hogwarts.
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Doughboy's Detroit Tigers hat, 'Boyz N The Hood'
Columbia Pictures
Doughboy’s baseball hat was so simple yet so representative of the time when it came to fashion in the ‘90s.
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Louise's bunny ears, 'Bob's Burgers'
20th Television Animation
Not since A Christmas Story has a pair of pink bunny ears been so relevant.
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The sequin dream, 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show'
20th Century Fox
This cap makes everyone want to do the “Time Warp” again!
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Fievel's blue adventure, 'An American Tail'
Universal Pictures
Every kid who watches An American Tail goes through a phase where they want an oversized blue hat just like the lost mouse.
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Heisenberg's pork pie, 'Breaking Bad'
AMC
Walter White did a complete 180 when he rocked his little Heisenberg pork pie hat, didn’t he?
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A trio of sombreros, 'Three Amigos!'
HBO
Wherever there is injustice, you will find these sombreros.
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Jack Sparrow's signature, 'Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl'
Walt Disney Pictures
Pirate hats were run-of-the-mill until Jack Sparrow showed up.
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The flower power, 'Blossom'
Touchstone Television
The hats Blossom wore highlight how unserious and glorious the ‘90s were.
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Indy's brown crown, 'Indiana Jones'
Paramount Pictures
When a hat is known simply as “the Indiana Jones” hat, it’s a clear pop culture staple.
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Rose's Titanic headwear, 'Titanic'
Paramount Pictures/Twentieth Century Fox
Rose didn’t wear it long, but wearing that in the first shot audiences see of you makes a huge statement.
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The royal beanie, 'Riverdale'
Warner Bros. Television Studios
Riverdale took Jughead’s infamous crown and modernized it into a cute beanie that fans could find at their local Hot Topic.
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The shrimp hat, 'Forrest Gump'
Paramount Pictures
There is a multitude of memorable moments from Forrest Gump, but fans can’t and won’t ever forget the red hat he wore when he just kept on runnin’.
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Mad wear, 'Alice in Wonderland'
Walt Disney Pictures/RKO Radio Pictures
There have been a number of Mad Hatters in pop culture, but none of their hats quite compare to the animated one Disney debuted in 1951.
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Three-hour hats, 'Gilligan's Island'
CBS
How well-made were the Skipper and Gilligan’s hats to last that long on a deserted island?
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Wonka's sweet top hat, 'Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory'
Paramount Pictures
Willy Wonka’s top hat is not pure imagination; it’s pure perfection.
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Dionne's sky-high moment, 'Clueless'
Paramount Pictures
The fashion of Clueless is as iconic as the movie itself, including the black-and-white wonder on top of Dionne’s head.
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The gang's continuous looks, 'South Park'
Paramount+
It'd be hard to find someone in the world who wasn't able to recognize the headwear the four potty-mouthed kids from South Park have worn since 1997.
Kendra Beltran went to college with no game plan and found herself falling back on her love of writing soon after graduating all the way back in 2009. Since then, she's written for MTV Geek, Cosplay Central, Collider, Apartment Therapy, and many other sites that allowed her to showcase her love of all things pop culture. When she isn't writing, Kendra is either hosting her show, Crushgasm, baking all the cookies, or spoiling her fur baby, Mason.