The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word TOPEE
T
O
P
E
E
More clues leading to the result TOPEE
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Hat" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case hat = topee.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does TOPEE mean?
TOPEE noun- A pith helmet.