I don't feel I need a hat to feel professional, but several studies over the years have suggested that airline crew in a hat give out more confidence to the traveling public. Oh public...
I hate the things, but what I hate the most is that cx choose the cheapest milliner in China to make them, and we end up looking like demented South American generals, whereas a properly made uniform hat can be quite fetching to the ladies. That I believe is their ploy, as in many ways in the last ten or so years the demeaning of the pilot workforce has been the aim of many managers outside of flight operations.
When we tried to get rid of the hats around 12 years ago (using cost as the reason, they cost HK$456 at that time) the then DFO said that the edict came from London that CX pilots shall wear hats.
So there it is then.
