We’ve always been impressed by Ne-Yo's hat game. From fedoras to trilbies, it’s rare to catch a glimpse of the star without one of his dapper toppers. So when we shot him for our February issue’s Man of Style feature, we had to know just how massive his collection really is.
“I easily have hats in the double-digit thousands,” he told InStyle. “But I’m really organized with them. I have them boxed by the year.” Besides making it easy to find certain styles, his methodical ways also make sure that he doesn’t repeat anything too often either.
“I’ll think, I wore this hat for a show and this other one for a shoot, so I can’t wear it again,” he says. "That’s the thing about being in the public eye, you can't have a favorite hat or favorite suit because once you are photographed in it, you feel like you have to kiss it goodbye. It sucks.”
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Though his personal collection centers mostly around the fedora, on the set of our shoot, he was open to trying out a new chapeau: the baseball cap. “I have never seen so many hats on a shoot,” says stylist Emil Rebek, who dressed the star in brims by New Era, Neil Barrett, and Salvatore Ferragamo.
“Our initial dilemma was whether or not to stick with the fedora style that he loves, but ultimately we decided that the sport caps looked better with the clothes,” Rebek says. "And when it comes to hats, Ne-Yo knows what works."
To read our full Man of Style feature with Ne-Yo,pick up the February issue of InStyle, now available on newsstands and for digital download.