The Fedora Hat

Indiana Jones

A fedora is a men's felt hat that is creased lengthwise down the crown and pinched in the front on both sides. The creasing does not define the hat, however. Fedoras can also be creased with teardrop crowns, diamond crowns, center dents, and others, and the positioning of pinches can vary if they are found at all. Early on, fedoras were sold open crown, meaning they were uncreased, with the owner creating his/her own crease manually. By the 1950s, hat makers started blocking the various creases into the hats when they were made. This is now the standard. The brim goes all the way around the crown and can be left raw edge, finished with a sewn overwelt or underwelt, bound with grosgrain ribbon, or finished with a self-felted cavanagh edge. Traditionally, fedoras have grosgrain hat bands. A trilby hat is similar to a fedora, but typically has a narrower brim, and the back of the brim is distinctively more sharply upturned as a result.

The term fedora was in use as early as 1891. Originally a women's fashion into the 20th century,the fedora came into use in about 1919 as a men's middle-class clothing accessory. Its popularity soared, and eventually it eclipsed the similar-looking Homburg by the 1920s. Fedoras can be found in nearly any color imaginable, but black, grey, tan, and brown are the most popular.

Michael Jackson

Star Style - Matt Bomer

Matt Bomer looks dapper in a suit as he walks to the set of his TV show, White Collar, on Monday (May 23) in New York City.
The 33-year-old actor filmed scenes with his co-star, Willie Garson, during the day.

Johnny Depp Owns Enough Hats to Fill Two Rooms

We knew Johnny Depp loved hats. In fact, he's even been honored for his devotion to his toppers. But we underestimated the scale of his collection. Johnny apparently has two full rooms in his Paris apartment devoted to his favorite accessory.

The collection has gotten so large, that longtime girlfriend Vanessa Paradis has had enough. She's reportedly told the fedora-loving star he has to get rid of them. What would Johnny be without his hats? Hopefully he doesn't decide to keep his collection and get rid of his girlfriend!

Fedora and Trilby Hats – What’s the Difference?

A debate is beginning to develop over what constitutes a fedora. The two have almost become homogeneous due to the changes they have gone through since they were regarded as de rigueur for any self-respecting gentleman. In fact you would be more than forgiven should you not be able to pick out the aesthetic differences between the two.

So next time that impeccably dressed man at the bus stop asks you the differences between a fedora and trilby, simply quote the following. A fedora is conventionally defined by its wider brim, band and bow. Trilbies in contrast possess a narrower brim and ribbon. The confusion between the two has really developed as more American designed trilbies have a wide ribbon similar to that of the classic fedora.
The wide ribbons are not the only feature that has muddled many a man; brim size and crown heights have also become part of the grey area. This trilby-fedora hybrid has laid waste to the pronounced wide brim fedora of yesteryear. Luckily in this case half measures very much do avail with the modern fedora suiting 21st century sartorial dress to a tee – combining very well with the clean cut and slim line approach that so often epitomises the term well dressed.