For this reason, singer Gregory Porter often wears a hat

Gregory Porter is a Grammy-winning jazz musician and actor, best known for his song “Liquid Spirit,” which appears on the soundtrack to Avengers: Age Of Ultron.

He is currently promoting his new album ‘Christmas Wish’ and recently appeared on This Morning, The One Show and BBC Breakfast to talk about the album and what it means to him.

The album has a very personal meaning for the singer and the title song is a tribute to his mother and her kindness.

The 52-year-old said on X (formerly Twitter): “Christmas Wish is a tribute song to my mother. She would cook the most fabulous dinners on the holidays, we would pray over the food, then she would pass it on and we would eat the leftovers.”

He added: “It was such an honorable thing and a great memory, so I have to put that memory into a song.”

Early reviews describe his album as a “soulful, festive gift,” and Porter seems to be well on his way to a successful holiday season. But as he’s been interviewed numerous times, his fans can’t help but ask one question: what’s the story behind his flat cap?

The flat cap – a Kangol Summer Spitfire to be precise – was worn by him for most of his career and was modified to cover both his head and the sides of his face.

Why does Gregory Porter always wear a hat?

As ubiquitous as Porter’s hat is, it wasn’t initially a style choice.

Speaking to Jazz Weekly in 2012, the singer admitted it had a real, practical purpose: “I’ve had skin surgery, so that’s been my look for a while and it’s going to be for a while. People recognize me by that now. It is what it is.”

He also told The Metro: “At first I did it to cover some surgical scars, but now it’s become my style. I was in Denver and it was cold. I was wearing five layers of clothes and a hat.

“It got warmer and I thought, ‘Actually, this is comfortable, this is a look.’ I started singing in a jazz club in Denver and people were like, ‘Oh yeah, that’s the guy with the hat.’ So it became a thing.”

In 2015, the singer said he buys his own hats and has a wide selection to choose from – but they usually feature the modified strap around his ears and chin.

It’s safe to assume that Porter took inspiration from this trademark look, and why not? He looks great in it.

Update: The title of this article originally referred to this style as a balaclava.

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