A bucket hat, or fishing hat, is a soft cotton

Cotton

Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....

 hat

Hat

A hat is a head covering. It can be worn for protection against the elements, for ceremonial or religious reasons, for safety, or as a fashion accessory. In the past, hats were an indicator of social status...

 with a wide and downwards sloping brim which is worn by both men and women. The brim offers shade from the sun for the eyes and face. The hat is usually made from heavy-duty cotton fabric such as denim

Denim

Denim is a rugged cotton twill textile, in which the weft passes under two or more warp threads. This produces the familiar diagonal ribbing identifiable on the reverse of the fabric, which distinguishes denim from cotton duck. Denim has been in American usage since the late 18th century...

 or canvas

Canvas

Canvas is an extremely heavy-duty plain-woven fabric used for making sails, tents, marquees, backpacks, and other items for which sturdiness is required. It is also popularly used by artists as a painting surface, typically stretched across a wooden frame...

. Two metal eyelets are commonly placed on each side of the hat so that it is cool to wear on hot days.

A similar hat is used officially by the U.S. Navy for enlisted service dress uniforms, commonly referred to as a Dixie Cup hat, as in the manufacturer brand. Bucket hats are favored by glider

Glider aircraft

Glider aircraft are heavier-than-air craft that are supported in flight by the dynamic reaction of the air against their lifting surfaces, and whose free flight does not depend on an engine. Mostly these types of aircraft are intended for routine operation without engines, though engine failure can...

 pilots, who require shade in their cockpits but cannot wear wide-brimmed hats because they must be able to see in all directions.

In the UK this style of hat is occasionally known as a "Reni Hat" after The Stone Roses

The Stone Roses

The Stone Roses are an English alternative rock band formed in Manchester in 1983. They were one of the pioneering groups of the Madchester movement that was active during the late 1980s and early 1990s...

 drummer "Reni" (Alan Wren

Alan Wren

Alan John Wren , better known as Reni, is the drummer of The Stone Roses.Reni is considered by many to be the best drummer of his generation and the "single most important drummer in UK indie circles." According to former Hacienda General Manager Howard Jones, he "played the drums like Hendrix...

) who was easily identified by his bucket hat.

In Australia, this hat is referred to as a giggle hat. In Tanzania, it is very popular among elders, especially among the Iraqw people.

In South Africa, it is known as "ispoti" and is very popular with urban black youth, representing being streetwise without copying foreign hip-hop trends.

In Israel, it is known as a "Rafael hat", as Rafael Eitan

Rafael Eitan

Rafael "Raful" Eitan was an Israeli general, former Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces and later a politician, a Knesset member government minister...

, an Israeli general, politician, and former Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces used to wear one. A similar type of hat called a Tembel Hat is dubbed the national hat of Israel as it was worn by Israeli Halutzim to protect from sun burn.

In Sweden, it is known as "Beppehatt" or "Beppemössa", as Beppe Wolgers

Beppe Wolgers

John Bertil "Beppe" Wolgers was a Swedish author, poet, translator, lyricist, actor, entertainer and artist.Wolgers was born in Stockholm...

, a Swedish author and artist, used to wear it and made it popular in the 1970s.