By Deborah Arthurs


That Daniel Craig has a lot to answer for. First it was thanks to his skimpy swimming trunks in Casino Royale that men across the nation squeezed themselves into similar pairs on their summer holidays - despite, regrettably, not having a similar torso.

Now he is being held responsible for another fashion flash-in-the-pan: the revival of the flat cap.

Worn by country gents and working class folk alike for decades, the flat cap had all but disappeared from the heads of the nation's men.

Daniel Craig, left, with Rachel Weisz, was blamed for the revival of skimpy trunks among the young - now market experts say his influence has affected sales of flat caps too, while right, Gwen Stefani works the trend

Now though, with Marks & Spencer reporting a 75 per cent hike in sales so far this autumn, it looks as though the fortunes of the humble flat cap may be reversing as the fashion pack make it their own.

Gwen Stefani is another adopter helping to propel flat caps into high fashion, pairing her tweed cap with big shades and leather jacket and transporting the accessory about as far from its comfort zone as it can go.

Young stars such as TOWIE's Mark Wright, JLS and Idris Elber are also picking up on the trend, helping to drive sales both in the UK and overseas.

From left: Hats off to TOWIE's Mark Wright, footballer Jermain Defoe and broadcaster Chris Evans


They wear it well: Actors Brad Pitt, left, and Rhys Ifans adopt the trend

To keep up with demand, M&S say they have increased its range of men's flat caps by a third.

Tony O'Connor, head of menswear design at the store said: 'In the past two years their popularity amongst the younger man has soared.

'Men still love a flat cap - especially those made with British fabrics.'

Sales analysts at John Lewis have also reported a spike in sales, seeing a rise of 18 per cent, the majority of those being in tweeds or checks, while American millinery store Gooring Bros Hat Shop in Manhattan this week reported seeing a surge in popularity for the style.

'Everyone's starting to move into flat caps - what some people call 'driver caps,' he said in an interview this week.

One can only hope they youth don't clear the shelves before granddad gets a look in.



source:dailymail