The Fedora Hat Guide

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Undoubtedly the quintessential gentleman’s hat, a fedora is a must-have for anyone with an interest in classic style. But just how much do you know about fedora hats? In this article, you’ll learn where the fedora originated, the history of the fedora, and how to buy and wear a fedora hat today.

What is a Fedora Hat?

A fedora, which can also be known as a snap-brim hat, is a soft felt hat with an indented crown that is approximately 4-6″ in height and a soft brim 2-4″ wide. You’ve probably also heard the term “Trilby hat” which refers to a hat in the fedora style which has a narrow or “stingy” brim.

Wearing a hat adds confidence as it makes you look taller.

Learn all about the Trilby here

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The crown is typically “pinched” into a point at the front, showcasing one of the fedora’s hallmarks as a hat style, as it can be shaped, creased, sized, or bent in an infinite number of combinations based on the wearer’s preference.

This basic definition has held through most of the 20th century. The fedora shape has also been applied to different hats, such as a woven straw Panama hat, because it is such a classic and desirable style.

Fedora Hat Terminology

There are many technical terms within the world of menswear, with many garments having very specific terms. Luckily, hat terminology is largely the same across the board, so once you know the terms you’ll be able to use them for other hat styles, too. Here are the various parts that come together to make a fedora hat unique.

Crown

The crown, or the very top surface of the hat, can be shaped in many ways. Typically, the front part of the crown is taller than the back part.

The top of the fedora’s crown can take on many different shapes. Most fedora hats are made on a solid hat form and have the style of a rounded crown which is then shaped by hand into the desired crown shape.

Here, you can see some examples of popular fedora hat crown styles; a diamond crown fedora, a center dent fedora, and perhaps the most popular, the teardrop fedora.

Diamond crownCenter dentTeardrop crown

Brim

Fedoras have soft brims that can be worn angled down, up, or most commonly up in the back and down in the front; adjusting the brim to the wearer’s taste earned it the nickname of “snap brim”

The brim of a fedora can also be finished with a range of different edges, as you can see below:

The edge of the brim can be raw where it is simply cut and left unfinished which is great if you want a soft brim that is going to take on a personal style.

A fedora’s brim can also be sewn with one or several lines of stitches which help give the fedora’s brim some structure.For a neat and dapper look, the brim of a fedora can be trimmed with ribbon, which gives you the option to inject a different color or texture to your fedora hat. The ribbon can also be replaced if it starts to fray, which is much cheaper than repairing a raw or sewn edge.A fedora hat can also have the rare “Cavanagh edge”, which is a special hand-felted edge that adds strength to the final brim without stitching it. The Cavanagh edge is no longer produced and hence it is only available on vintage fedoras.

Pinch

The location and the sharpness or softness of the pinch can vary. Some low-end or cheap fedora hats have a permanent pinch that is fused and can look less authentic than a pinch that has been made by the wearer.

Fedora Hat Decoration

Fedoras typically come with a fabric or ribbon band that sits just above the brim, which is typically finished in a decorative bow. The style of this ribbon hatband can change the overall look of a fedora hat quite dramatically. For example, a fedora hat with a wide ribbon and bow has a very vintage look and a fedora hat with a narrow band looks more contemporary.

A wide ribbon lends a vintage feelHere, a slimmer ribbon gives a more contemporary look

If you want an inexpensive way to give your fedora hat a new look, changing the ribbon is a great way to do this.

You can also add colored feathers as a decoration to your fedora hat, which is usually positioned over the bow of the ribbon. Keep in mind that this decoration is usually associated with country pursuits, which will make your fedora hat more casual.

Here, in this DOBBS Hats advertisement, you can see the gentleman on the right wearing a feather in his fedora hat band

Fedora Hat Materials

Although fedora hats can be made out of many materials, the most traditional choice is felt. A natural material constructed of compressed, matted fibers, felt can be derived from a number of sources, such as rabbit, cashmere, or wool.

A range of different fedora hat materials as seen at Optimo Hats in Chicago

Keep in mind that just like suiting fabrics, not all felt is going to be the same quality. But typically speaking, rabbit or beaver felt are considered to be the best type of felt for fedora hats. This is due to their soft yet durable properties, along with a natural water resistance which will make your fedora very practical.

Why is it Called a Fedora Hat?

The modern-day use of the term “fedora” is far different than its historical use. Today, many people use the term fedora to describe any men’s felt hat, which reflects on the general decline of hat-wearing among men that we see nowadays.

Have men stopped wearing hats?

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Things weren’t always like this, as at the turn of the 20th century, hat-wearing was required of every gentleman, and strict dress codes dictated the appropriate headwear for each social situation. A gentleman of stature would have a rotating collection of hats that likely included varieties like a top hat, a bowler hat, a Homburg, a Lord’s hat, and flat caps in addition to a soft felt hat.

The origins of the Term

Fedora

The term “fedora” first emerged in the early 1890s, when it was connected with a play titled Fédora in which actress Sarah Bernhardt wore a creased, soft felted hat. So it seems that one of the most popular hat styles for men was first worn by a woman! 

Until this point in history, soft felt hats were mostly worn by lower and middle-class men who likely owned only one hat that needed to be multi-purpose. An early 1900s snippet of Success Magazine declared the fedora to be a country hat, which signified that it was more casual in nature.

Due to the fedora hat’s malleability, and therefore nearly endless possible variations on the hat, vintage fedora ads rarely call the hat by this name but rather a model name created by the hat maker. For example, by 1940, more than 2 million men had bought a Stetson “Playboy” hat, a line which was made up mostly of variations on the fedora.

This Stetson Playboy hat advertisement showcases the popularity of the fedora

However, the fedora hat wasn’t immediately the popular choice for men. The Homburg still dominated as the formal felt hat of choice for the upper classes thanks to prominent Homburg wearers such as Winston Churchill, but in 1924, the then Prince of Wales, Edward VIII, was spotted wearing a fedora.

The Duke of Windsor was a particularly stylish gentleman, and could often be seen wearing interesting combinations

Who Wears a Fedora?

The fedora hat enjoyed most of its common use and popularity in the middle of the 20th century. Beginning in the 1920s, when men’s classic style was approaching its heyday, the fedora was becoming an irrevocable fashion icon for gangsters like Al Capone and Hollywood characters film stars like Humphrey Bogart.

Perhaps one of the most famous gangsters, Al Capone may well be the reason the fedora and gangsters are linked in timeHumphrey Bogart in the 1942 film, Casablanca, pairing his fedora with a trenchcoat for an iconic look

Only upper class and aristocratic men maintained loyalty to the old system of a different hat for each occasion; for the average man, the fedora was an all-occasion workhorse that men wore for formal and informal occasions alike.

Clothing was far more formal in history than we’re used to in the 21st Century. Here, a crowd on the beach showcases how hat-wearing was an expectation and part of society

The popularity of the fedora soared in the 1920s, peaked in the ’40s, and began declining in the 1950s and ’60s. After JFK famously forwent wearing a hat while giving his inaugural address (though he did wear one at other points during that day), hat sales were rumored to have declined slightly.

Trim Trilbys

Narrow-brimmed fedoras and trilbies dominated the 60s, as we see Sean Connery’s James Bond sporting a signature trilby for his first few Bond films in this decade.

In the 1980s, the fedora hat surged in popularity single-handedly to one fictional character: the adventurer-archeologist Indiana Jones.

The trilogy of Jones movies was set in the 1930s, and Indy’s character was written as an homage to the action heroes of that bygone era, and you can see the similarity between Harrison Ford’s fedora hat and Humphrey Bogart’s fedora hat in the 1948 film, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre.

Humphrey Bogart once again dons a fedora on screenHarrison Ford in his role of Indiana Jones. The fedora is an iconic element of the character’s wardrobe

Harrison Ford’s iconic performance as Indiana Jones is so connected with the fedora hat that it has become one of the hat’s most defining fashion history moments.

During the same decade, the fedora was reinterpreted as a thoroughly modern accessory by pop star Michael Jackson, who typically wore a fedora hat in all black, but is also known for a white fedora hat with a black ribbon in the famous Smooth Criminal music video that pays homage to the gangster era.

Are Fedora Hats Still Stylish Today?

As it’s more common to see people wearing a beanie or baseball cap nowadays, the question remains: how can you wear a fedora hat today? In our opinion, the fedora looks best when it is paired with well-cut, classic menswear that has a certain degree of formality. Take a look at some old pictures from the heyday of hat-wearing: most men pair them with a suit and a tie, which holds the fedora firmly in the category of more formal attire.

Formal hats such as the top hats are very rarely seen nowadaysLovers of classic style will always enjoy the unique look of a fedoraIs a baseball cap perhaps too casual for Preston’s tastes?

It’s quite strange, how a hat that was considered casual in the 1920s is now considered formal in the 2020s! But, as we’ve discussed before, clothing, in general, is becoming more casual. This means that when you wear clothing that’s higher on the formality scale, like a suit and a fedora hat, you’re more likely to stand out from the crowd.

Here are a couple of tips for wearing a fedora so you look great:

Fedora Tips

1

Pair Your Fedora with Jackets

Fedoras look best with jackets. So you want to look for something that’s tailored, with some structure to it, and defining features such as a collar and lapel. Think of something like a sports coat, suit jacket, blazer or overcoat.

2

Keep your overall look classic

Since the look of the fedora has a vintage quality, it makes sense to pair it with similarly classic clothes. Avoid jeans, and instead focus on double-breasted suits, vests, collar bars, and leather gloves in contrasting colors.

3

Avoid the gangster look

Because of Hollywood’s portrayal of the classic gangster from the ’20s to ’40s, you definitely want to avoid channelling this look when wearing your fedora. So unless you’re assembling your Boardwalk Empire costume for Halloween, steer clear of pairing a fedora hat with aggressive chalk or pinstripe suits.

4

Wear your fedora in the right season

Although in past decades fedoras were worn year-round, the hat can wear a little too hot in the summer months. This is due to its ability to trap air and keep you feeling warm. Instead, go for a Panama hat in the fedora style when you encounter hot weather and a felt fedora hat for the rest of the year.

5

Take off your hat indoors

It’s only part of your “outside” outfit. That’s right, even if Hollywood stars do it, a hat shouldn’t be worn indoors. For a man serious about classic clothes, hats are accessories that are only worn outside, or in transit between destinations.

6

Choose to wear either a fedora or sunglasses

You may have limited use for sunglasses in the cooler months, but again, since the hat is such a strong statement, it’s better to limit your accessories to a hat OR sunglasses, but not both. Leave that look to the Blues Brothers.

How to Buy a Fedora Hat

Many of the companies that make and sell fedora hats nowadays do so in a mass manufactured way. It can be challenging to find a traditional hat maker that is going to focus on producing a top-quality fedora, so we’ve done the research for you! Here are our tips and tricks to help you find a fedora that’s worth wearing for years to come:

Optimo Hat ChicagoBeautiful Optimo Hats Store

Avoid buying from fashion brands, department stores, or other non-specialized retailers. Even though fast fashion is just that – quick and easy – it’s also never going to give you the best results, as it’s produced quickly and cheaply for maximum profits. If your budget doesn’t stretch to a brand new hat from our list, you’ll be much better off looking for a pre-owned vintage fedora hat from the same list of makers either from eBay or through a vintage store.

Choose a natural felt fedora. Choose a natural material, such as wool or fur, for the material; it will hold its shape longer, age better, and be warmer than synthetic materials. Fur felt is undoubtedly the gold standard for your fedora hat to be made from.

Choose a classic menswear color. Avoid bright colors, black and white, and instead choose gray, navy, or shades of brown. These hat colors are far more versatile, and you’ll be able to wear your fedora more often as a result. If you’d like a pop of color, change the ribbon to a striped pattern or racing green, or add a small feather over the bow. These details are far easier and a lot less expensive to change than replacing an entire hat you’re not happy with.

Consider vintage hats for better quality. Vintage is a great way to score a deal on a fedora hat featuring higher-end materials or unusual details, such as a high crown. Buying vintage will also help you get a truly classic look at a price point that allows you to build a collection. Older hats are often of much better quality too, and the sweatband can easily be replaced or cleaned, meaning you can add a fantastic fedora hat to your wardrobe for less money than buying the equivalent from new.

Buy a hat from a genuine hatmaker. There are many hours of training that go into becoming a hatter, and you can see the difference in a quality fedora made by a skilled craftsman. See the list below for sources of fedoras from companies that specialize in the production of hats.

Buy a sized hat, not an S-M-L hat. Genuine sizing is a hallmark of a serious hatmaker, and the hat will simply fit better. Not sure what hat size you are? Take a look at our conversion chart below!

Fedora Hat Sizes

Another benefit of the fedora being a soft hat is that it’s easy to measure yourself for one. Simply take a measuring tape and place it around your head above the top of your ears to get the circumference measurement needed. Regardless of your overall head shape, after a short wear-in period, your fedora will start shaping to your head to give you the perfect fit.

If you are in-between sizes, we suggest you go with the next size up, otherwise, the hat can put pressure on your head and you might end up with headaches.

Keep the fit

Over time, a fedora hat may shrink, which is because a good fedora is made from natural fibers. This is completely normal, and if this is the case you can either bring it to a hat blocker to have it stretched, or you invest in a wooden hat stretcher so you can keep your fedora in the right size at home.

Brands for Fedoras

If you want to buy a new hat, things are a little different. A great hat brand should offer 100% fur felt, country-specific production, and a sterling reputation for hat making. Most remaining hatmakers distribute their products to hat stores around the world, so you may need to find a local hat store since they don’t always have direct-sale websites. For a great list of custom hatmakers around the USA, check out the Fedora Lounge’s complete list here. Here are a few brands worth considering:

Brand NameLocationWhat’s Available?BorsalinoItalyReady to WearSignesSpainReady to WearAkubraAustraliaReady to WearMayserGermanyReady to WearStetsonUSAReady to WearLock & CoUKReady to Wear, BespokeHerbert JohnsonUKReady to Wear, BespokeOptimo HatsUSAMade to Order, BespokeLeon DrexlerCanadaBespoke

Fedora Hat FAQs

What is the difference between a fedora and a trilby?

The trilby is like the fedora hat’s “little brother.” The main difference is that a trilby has a shorter crown and brim but has many of the same features of a fedora, such as being a soft hat with a pinch at the front of the crown.

Is the fedora out of style?

We certainly don’t think so! While there has been a decline in hat wearing over recent years, a fedora or any other type of classic hat can still be worn well if you follow the principles of classic style.

What is a fedora guy?

The “fedora guy” is an unfortunate internet meme that surfaced in the mid-2000s. Effectively, it showcases a stereotypically “uncool” guy attempting to replicate the golden age style by wearing a cheap, mass-manufactured fedora hat. The message given is that cutting corners or quick solutions will not yield the same results of working towards or fully investing in the desired outcome. 

What’s the difference between a Stetson and a fedora?

Simply put, Stetson is a well-known brand that manufactures hats and was famous for their models of fedoras that they made during the golden age of menswear.

When can I wear a fedora hat?

Nowadays, a classic fedora can be worn almost anywhere. As it’s no longer considered a casual hat, a fedora will always be considered more formal, until you are at an event that requires the most formal hats, such as a bowler, Homburg, or top hat, in which case you shouldn’t wear a fedora. Apart from that, you can wear your fedora wherever you wish!

How to pack a fedora hat for travel?

The easiest way to pack a fedora for travel is to wear it! Some fedoras are “crushable” or rollable, which means they can be packed for travel in a suitcase, or in a hat tube. Whilst it’s useful to know these hats exist, a fedora will always look best atop your head, where you won’t have to worry about leaving space for it in your luggage!