History Main / HatOfAuthority

* Averted by Charlene Bellis in the ''WesternAnimationThomasAndFriends'' DarkFic ''Fanfic/SodorsLegendOfTheLostTreasureBadEnding'', who succeeds Sir Topham Hatt after the [[WesternAnimation/SodorsLegendOfTheLostTreasure Harwick]] Disaster. She doesn’t usually wear a hat, but is nonetheless every bit the controller her predecessor was.

* ''LetsPlay/EmpiresSMP'': While most of the rulers and leaders wear crowns to demonstrate their authority should they choose to do so, there's a couple who use hats to do so instead.

In a [[ChainOfCommand hierarchical organisation]], especially of a military or religious nature, and in some professions, it's often easy to tell who's in charge by comparing the size of their hat (or other headgear). Especially in historical stories, the overall grandiosity of a hat is also a factor: plumage, gold braids, and metal emblems are indicators of ConspicuousConsumption and show wealth. The pompous [[{{The Generalissimo}} Generalissimo]] may still have a hat like that today. [[note]]In most militaries today, big, grandiose hats covered in gold braid are only worn on parade uniforms for special events, or by ceremonial units (e.g., the guards at the unknown soldier's tomb) who wear intentionally old-fashioned uniforms as an homage to the unit's history. [[/note]] If only one person has a hat, that one is definitely the leader. Conversely, if every member has protective headgear but one, the bareheaded one is the leader, because HelmetsAreHardlyHeroic.

* In ''Film/{{Napoleon}}'', the title character's iconic bicorne is apparently the only way people recognize his authority, as he's taken for a peasant ''by people who came to thank him'' for saving France when he takes it off.

* ''TabletopGame/WarhammerFantasy'': The Chaos Dwarfs faction runs on this trope. Chaos Dwarfs ''love'' their giant hats, and the higher the rank a Chaos Dwarf commands in Hashut's priesthood and hierarchy, the larger, shinier and blinged-out with skulls and spikes said hat tends to be. On the opposite side, [[ArmyOfThievesAndWhores the Infernal Legion]] (which is made up of shamed and dishonoured Chaos Dwarfs given the choice between joining the Legion or execution) have uniform and standard full-faced helmets literally welded to their heads, preventing the use of any other headwear.

* ''VideoGame/PeretEmHeruForThePrisoners'': Although it is a relatively ordinary backwards baseball cap, [[PlayerCharacter Ayuto]]'s hat is what gets him noticed by Professor Tsuchida and hand-picked as the group's scout, with Tsuchida remarking that said hat was what made him stood out.

%%* ''VideoGame/CaveStory'': Jack wears one of these.

In military groups where everyone has a helmet, the leader's will be marked out in some way, probably by being [[LawOfChromaticSuperiority a special color such as red or gold]], and it will have extra stars or doodads on it to boot. This is rare nowadays as it is like wearing a "shoot me" sign for an enemy [[ColdSniper sniper]], as they are trained to shoot leaders as a priority.

In a [[ChainOfCommand hierarchical organisation]], especially of a military or religious nature, and in some professions, it's often easy to tell who's in charge by comparing the size of their hat (or other headgear). Especially in historical stories, the overall grandiosity of a hat os also a factor: plumage, gold braids, and metal emblems. The pompous [[{{The Generalissimo}} Generalissimo]] may still have a hat like that today. [[note]]In most militaries today, big, grandiose hats covered in gold braid are only worn on parade uniforms for special events, or by ceremonial units (e.g., the guards at the unknown soldier's tomb) that wear intentionally old-fashioned uniforms as an homage to the unit's history. [[/note]] If only one person has a hat, that one is definitely the leader. Conversely, if every member has protective headgear but one, the bareheaded one is the leader, because HelmetsAreHardlyHeroic.

In a [[ChainOfCommand hierarchical organisation]], especially of a military or religious nature, and in some professions, it's often easy to tell who's in charge by comparing the size of their hat (or other headgear). Especially in historical stories, the overall grandiosity of a hat os also a factor: plumage, gold braids, and metal emblems. The pompous {{Generalissimo}} may still have a hat like that today. [[note]]In most militaries today, big, grandiose hats covered in gold braid are only worn on parade uniforms for special events, or by ceremonial units (e.g., the guards at the unknown soldier's tomb) that wear intentionally old-fashioned uniforms as an homage to the unit's history. [[/note]] If only one person has a hat, that one is definitely the leader. Conversely, if every member has protective headgear but one, the bareheaded one is the leader, because HelmetsAreHardlyHeroic.

In a [[ChainOfCommand hierarchical organisation]], especially of a military or religious nature, and in some professions, it's often easy to tell who's in charge by comparing the size of their hat (or other headgear). Especially in historical stories, the overall grandiosity of a hat os also a factor: plumage, gold braids, and metal emblems. The pompous Generalissimo may still have a hat like that today. [[note]]In most militaries today, big, grandiose hats covered in gold braid are only worn on parade uniforms for special events, or by ceremonial units (e.g., the guards at the unknown soldier's tomb) that wear intentionally old-fashioned uniforms as an homage to the unit's history. [[/note]] If only one person has a hat, that one is definitely the leader. Conversely, if every member has protective headgear but one, the bareheaded one is the leader, because HelmetsAreHardlyHeroic.

In a [[ChainOfCommand hierarchical organisation]], especially of a military or religious nature, and in some professions, it's often easy to tell who's in charge by comparing the size or overall grandiosity of their hat (or other headgear). If only one person has a hat, that one is definitely the leader. Conversely, if every member has protective headgear but one, the bareheaded one is the leader, because HelmetsAreHardlyHeroic.

In a [[ChainOfCommand hierarchical organisation]], especially of a military or religious nature, and in some professions, it's often easy to tell who's in charge by comparing the size or overall grandiosity of their hat (or other headgear). If only one person has a hat, that one is definitely the leader. Conversely, if every member has a hat but one, the bareheaded one is the leader, because HelmetsAreHardlyHeroic.

In military groups where everyone has a helmet, the leader's will be marked out in some way, probably by being [[LawOfChromaticSuperiority a special color such as red or gold]], and it will have extra doodads on it to boot.

As it happens, in a hierarchical organisation, especially of a military or religious nature, it's often easy to tell who's in charge by comparing the size or overall grandiosity of their hat (or other headgear). If only one person has a hat, that one is definitely the leader. Conversely, if every member has a hat but one, the bareheaded one is the leader, because HelmetsAreHardlyHeroic.

* In various wars, officers in authority took to ''not'' wearing a distinct uniform and/or hat because the enemy was aware of them and would target said fancy hat-wearing people as a priority.