Hats have traditionally been worn by gnomes and, along with their beards, are possibly the signature item. They are quite tall in nature and have a pointy section at the top.

Some people think that gnomes have magical abilities and that the source of these is their hats. However, there are also plenty of people that think that the hats do not have anything to do with this and that they wear them to show their pride in their own kind and to boost their confidence.

It is at around the age of 40 when they choose the hat that they will wear for the rest of their lives and so it is an important time so they spend a great deal of time and effort choosing this and thinking about what it will represent to the rest of their community.

There are some amazing garden gnomes on Amazon. Take a look at these here or continue reading more about their hats below.

What is a Gnome Hat Called?

There does not appear to be a specific name associated with the hat that they wear so people generally refer to them simply as a “gnome hat” or “pointy hat”.

What Color are Gnome Hats?

The color of hat that they wear will usually be based on the family or faction that they belong to. This is a way for fellow members of the family to recognize each other and communicate accordingly. Some people believe that gnomes get their magical powers from their head gear but this has not been confirmed and many people believe this to not actually be true.

What is true though is that they place a lot of importance on them and if they lose them then it is akin to losing a member of the family as they are this attached to them. However, they are able to replace it with another one.

Here is a description of the various different types of colors that you may come across:

Yellow

It is thought that when gnomes are born, or shortly after, that they receive a custom-made yellow hat which shows their age and is resized as they grow up. When they reach forty years old they are thought to have “come of age” and then resize the hat which represents the family or faction that they belong to. It is at this age that make gnomes will also grow their famous long, white beards.

Red

This is the color that they most often wear and it is the most traditional and is worn by those gnomes that value this kind of thing highly. They are most likely to be the gnomes that will play an important role in keeping traditions alive and being a dependable member of the community.

Some people also associate red gnome hats with ancient Mediterranean fisherman folklore in which they would wear red hats at night if they did not wish to be seen (white hats if they did). As gnomes often do not want to be seen as they do not want people to see their magic being used or to know where their homes are, they will usually be seen wearing their red hats.

Green

These are thought to be worn by those gnomes that spend most of their time in the wild and are particularly good at woodsmanship and spend their time tending to trees and similar things in nature.

Modern Gnome Hats

In modern times, gnomes have been made which feature a wide range of different colors and so do not really fit in with old traditions. Many of these modern gnomes are based around modern themes such as sports teams, hobbies such as motorcycling or characters from movies and TV shows such as zombies. As you would think, the colors in these can vary widely!

For example, the biker gnome that we have featured on our cheap gnomes page has a black hat to match the rest of the outfit and to be an accurate gnome version of a biker. This does not have any link to traditional gnome outfits but is purely to fit the aesthetic of that particular model.