A German hat is usually a wool felt hat with a shaped crown and a hatband. It’s trimmed with a feather or a hat pin. At Oktoberfest most people call it a Tirolerhut or a Trachtenhut.
If you’re putting together a German outfit female look (a dirndl or women’s lederhosen) the hat is the piece that finishes it. It’s also the piece people tend to get wrong. They grab a baseball cap or a plastic novelty hat at the last minute and the whole look falls flat.
So here’s how this works. Below you’ll find the names of the main German hat styles and what each part of the hat is called. You’ll also see how to match one to your colors and how to size it. There are outfit examples too. Plenty of people shop for a whole group, so the men’s side gets covered as well.
What Is a German Hat Called?
Short answer: it depends where you’re standing.
Tirolerhut means Tyrolean hat. Tyrol is an Alpine region that sits mostly in Austria with a slice in northern Italy. That’s why you’ll sometimes see these sold as Austrian hats. Trachtenhut means a hat worn with Tracht. Tracht is the German word for traditional regional dress and it covers dirndls and lederhosen and the hats that go with them. In Bavaria you’ll hear Bavarian hat a lot.
Online it gets messier. People search for a german hat or german hats or an alpine hat or a tyrolean hat and mean pretty much the same family of felt hats. If you’ve ever typed oktoberfest hat name or lederhosen hat name into a search bar, the plain answer is Tirolerhut or Trachtenhut. Either one is right.
Want the backstory? The history of the lederhosen hat post covers where these hats came from. For a wider look at lederhosen hats as a whole, that one’s worth a read too.
German Hat Names and Types
Hat styles overlap and makers don’t always agree on names. Still, this table gives you a clean starting point for the main German hat styles you’ll run into.
| Name | Shape | Usual trim | Where you’ll see it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tirolerhut (Tyrolean hat) | Felt body with a medium brim and a shaped crown | Hatband with a feather or a hat pin | Oktoberfest and Alpine festivals |
| Trachtenhut (Bavarian hat) | Felt body with a brim that’s often turned or shaped | Hatband and hat pin and sometimes a Gamsbart | Tracht events and the Wiesn |
| Alpine hat | Broad term for felt hats from mountain regions | Varies by maker | Anywhere classic Alpine styles show up |
| Hunter hat (Jägerhut) | Hunting style in felt and often green | Feather or tuft on the band | Casual Tracht and the country look |
| Flat hat or felt cap | Low flat crown with a small brim or none | Usually plain | Casual wear and a relaxed German country hat look |
A quick word on that Wiesn. It’s what Munich locals call Oktoberfest. You’ll hear it a lot once you start reading about German Oktoberfest traditions.
What’s on a Traditional German Hat
Once you know the parts, hats start to look less alike and a lot more personal.
Wool felt
Most traditional German hats are made from wool. The wool gets pressed into felt which holds a shape well and takes a pin without fuss. You’ll find a wool hat in gray felt or brown or black or dark green German shades. Gray and dark green are common picks for a traditional hat at Oktoberfest because they work with so many outfits.
Hatband and hat pin
The hatband is the strip that wraps around the base of the crown. It can be cord or ribbon or braid. A hat pin goes on the band or on the side. Edelweiss is an Alpine flower and it shows up on pins all the time. One pin looks tidy. Six looks like a souvenir stand.
Hat with feather and Gamsbart
A hat with feather is the easy classic. A Gamsbart is a bigger statement. It’s a tuft that’s traditionally made from chamois hair and chamois is a mountain antelope. The tuft gets tied into a bundle and tucked into the band. On a Bavarian and Tyrolean hat it can look dramatic. If you’re new to this, a feather is the gentler choice.
Oktoberfest Hat Dos and Don’ts
Let’s keep this practical. A felt Tirolerhut is the safest hat for Oktoberfest. A felt cap or a flat hat works for a casual look. Both fit the German look without trying too hard.
A baseball cap is fine for the walk to the tent. It just doesn’t match a traditional outfit. Plastic novelty hats and caps with Deutschland printed across the front are the same story. Deutschland is simply the German word for Germany. These read as costume party gear and not Tracht. That’s the part most people miss. A real hat for Oktoberfest makes a plain dirndl or a pair of lederhosen look intentional.
Picture one hand on a stein and the other tipping the brim at a friend. That’s the moment a proper felt hat earns its place. For wearing tips there’s a full post on how to wear an authentic lederhosen hat and it’s easy to follow.
Not sure how the rest of the day should look? Our post on how to dress for Oktoberfest walks through the whole outfit.
Picking a Hat for a German Outfit Female Look
Do women wear these hats? Absolutely. Nothing says a Tirolerhut is only for men. In most cases a Bavarian hat or an Alpine hat works with a dirndl or with women’s lederhosen.
If you’re wearing a dirndl you’ve got an apron and a blouse and maybe some embroidery to pick colors from. Pull one of those into the hatband or the feather. If you’re going with women’s lederhosen the hat can carry the color while the shirt stays simple.
Size and shape matter too. A wide brimmed hat can feel big on a petite frame. Some people like a smaller brim with a dirndl for that reason. That’s a styling opinion and not a rule. Try a few if you can.
Here’s a color match table to start from.
| Your outfit | Hat color that works | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| Dark green dirndl | Gray felt with a red or cream band | The gray calms the green and the band adds contrast |
| Red dirndl | Dark green felt or gray felt | Green and red sit well together in Alpine styles |
| Brown women’s lederhosen | Gray felt or dark green felt with a feather | Both stand out against brown without clashing |
| Navy or blue dirndl | Gray felt or brown felt | Neutral hats let the dress do the talking |
| Light or cream outfit | Dark green or brown felt | The darker hat anchors the look |
How to Size a German Hat
Sizing a hat isn’t hard. It does take about five minutes though.
- Grab a soft measuring tape and wrap it around your head just above your eyebrows and ears.
- Write the number down and match it to the maker’s size chart. We don’t list hats here, so use the chart from wherever you shop.
- If you land between sizes go up one. You can pad the inside with a thin foam strip under the sweatband.
- Try it on with your real hairstyle. A braid or an updo changes the fit.
A felt hat should sit snug without pinching. If it leaves a red line on your forehead it’s too small.
Lederhosen and Hat: Outfit Examples
Here are a few combos that tend to work. They’re ideas and not rules.
| Look | Hat | Rest of the outfit |
|---|---|---|
| Man in lederhosen, classic | Gray felt Tirolerhut with a feather | Checked Bavarian shirt and a Tracht vest and wool socks |
| Mens lederhosen, casual | Flat hat or felt cap | Plain shirt and wool socks and Haferlschuhe |
| Women’s lederhosen | Dark green felt hat with a hat pin | Simple blouse and a vest |
| Dirndl | Felt Trachtenhut in a color from the apron | Blouse and apron and a small bag |
Haferlschuhe are the traditional Bavarian shoes you wear with lederhosen. Loferl are the knee high wool leg warmers some people wear with them. If you want to see how a hat fits into a lederhosen outfit, browse our men’s lederhosen collection and pick the color of your hat from there.
Whether you wear german lederhosen or a pair of lederhosen for men or lederhosen women styles, the same rule holds. Pick one color from the outfit and repeat it on the hat. That’s how a lederhosen and hat pairing looks planned.
If you’re after german attire lederhosen for Oktoberfest or oktoberfest lederhosen for a festival closer to home, the hat is where you can show some personality. The lederhosen oktoberfest look works best when the hat feels like part of the outfit and not an afterthought.
Why Leather Quality Matters for the Rest of Your Outfit
A hat gets the attention. The lederhosen carry the outfit.
At Lederhosen Outfit our lederhosen are made from genuine leather and made to order. We care about original leather and high quality work because you’ll be sitting in them and dancing in them and probably spilling a little beer on them. Genuine leather tends to soften and develop character with wear. That’s a big part of the authentic Bavarian style.
Not sure what to look for when you buy? A few things help. Real leather usually has small natural variations in the grain. The edges look like leather and not like coated plastic. It’s also worth reading the product description closely. Our post on how to identify genuine leather lederhosen goes into this in more detail.
Check the individual product page for its stated leather type and materials and construction details. Details differ from style to style so the page is the place to look.
Common German Hat Mistakes and Fixes
- Wearing a hat that’s too big. It slides around and you end up holding it. Add a foam strip or go down a size.
- Too many pins. One or two looks tidy.
- Colors that fight. Pick one color from your outfit and repeat it.
- Treating a baseball cap like a Tracht hat. Swap it for a felt cap or a flat hat for a closer match.
- Leaving a damp hat in a bag. It can lose its shape. Let it dry in the open air.
Caring for a Wool Felt Hat
Felt is easy to look after once you’ve got a routine. Brush it lightly after wearing. Let it dry naturally if it gets damp. Keep it away from radiators and car dashboards. Our post on caring for your lederhosen hat has more tips if you want them.
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Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is a German hat called?
A traditional German hat is usually called a Tirolerhut or a Trachtenhut. Tirolerhut means Tyrolean hat and Trachtenhut means a hat worn with Tracht. Many shoppers simply search for a German hat or a Bavarian hat and end up in the same family of felt styles.
2. What hat goes with lederhosen?
A felt Tirolerhut or Trachtenhut is the classic pick for lederhosen. Match one color in the hatband or the feather to your shirt or vest or socks. A lederhosen hat in gray felt or dark green is easy to pair with most browns.
3. What’s the difference between a Tyrolean hat and a Bavarian hat?
The two overlap a lot and the names often get used for the same hat. Tyrolean hats are tied to the Alpine region of Tyrol while Bavarian hats are tied to Bavaria. Shape and trim can change from maker to maker so read the product description before you buy.
4. What’s the tuft on a German hat?
That tuft is called a Gamsbart and it’s traditionally made from chamois hair. It’s a classic touch on a Bavarian and Tyrolean felt hat. You’ll also see plain feathers when someone wants a simpler look.
5. Can I wear a baseball cap with lederhosen?
You can wear a baseball cap with lederhosen and nobody’s going to stop you. It just won’t look like a traditional outfit. A felt cap or a flat hat gets you much closer to the German look.
6. What is an Alpine hat?
An Alpine hat is a broad term for felt hats from mountain regions like Bavaria and Tyrol. Most have a shaped crown and a hatband and some kind of trim. Tirolerhut and Trachtenhut both fall under it.
7. What are German hats made of?
Most traditional German hats are made from wool felt. Wool felt holds its shape well and takes a hat pin or a feather easily. Some casual hats use other fabrics so read the product details.
8. How do I size a German hat?
Measure around your head just above your eyebrows and ears with a soft tape. Match that number to the maker’s size chart. If you’re between sizes go up one and add a thin foam strip inside the sweatband.
9. Do women wear German hats?
Yes, women wear these hats with dirndls and with women’s lederhosen. Pick a color that echoes your apron or blouse or embroidery. A smaller brim can feel more balanced on a petite frame.
10. How do I care for a wool felt hat?
Brush your hat lightly with a soft brush after wearing it. If it gets damp let it dry at room temperature and keep it away from heaters. Store it crown down or on a hat stand so the brim keeps its shape.
Last Thoughts
The right German hat doesn’t have to be fancy. A simple gray felt Tirolerhut with a feather does a lot. Pick a color from your outfit and check the fit and skip the novelty caps. That’s most of it.
When you’re ready to complete your Oktoberfest outfit, browse the Oktoberfest outfit collection to find genuine leather lederhosen that are made to order. Then pick a hat to complete the look.
