Wikipedia

Fedora

This article is about a hat. For the operating system, seeFedora Linux.For other uses, seeFedora (disambiguation).

Afedora(/fəˈdɔːrə/)[1]is ahatwith a soft brim and indented crown.[1][2]It is typically creased lengthwise down the crown and "pinched" near the front on both sides.[3]Fedoras can also be creased with teardrop crowns, diamond crowns, center dents, and others, and the positioning of pinches can vary. The typical crown height is 4.5 inches (11 cm). The termfedorawas in use as early as 1891. Its popularity soared, and eventually it eclipsed the similar-lookinghomburg.[2]

A fedora made byBorsalino,with a pinch-front teardrop-shaped crown
A fedora made by Borsalino with a gutter-dent, side-dented crown, the front of the brim "snapped down" and the back "snapped up"

The fedora hat's brim is usually around 2.5 inches (6.4 cm) wide, but can be wider,[2]can be left raw-edged (left as cut), finished with a sewn overwelt or underwelt, or bound with a trim-ribbon.Stitched edgemeans that there is one or more rows of stitching radiating inward toward the crown. TheCavanaghedge is a welted edge with invisible stitching to hold it in place and is a very expensive treatment that requires a highly-skilled craftsman.[4]Fedora hats are not to be confused with small brimmed hats calledtrilbies.[2][5]

Fedoras can be made ofwool,cashmere,rabbitorbeaverfelt.These felts can also be blended to each other withminkorchinchilla[4][6]and rarely withvicuña,guanaco,cervelt,[7]ormohair.They can also be made ofstraw,cotton, waxed or oiledcotton,hemp,linenor leather.

A special variation is the rollable, foldaway or crushable fedora (rollable and crushable are not the same) with a certain or open crown (open-crown fedoras can be bashed and shaped in many variations). Special fedoras have a ventilated crown withgrommets,meshinlets, or other penetrations for a better air circulation. Fedoras can be lined or unlined and have a leather,[8]cloth,[9]orribbonsweatband. Small feathers are sometimes added as decoration. Fedoras can be equipped with a chinstrap, but this is uncommon.

History

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The termfedorawas in use as early as 1891. Its popularity soared, and eventually it eclipsed the similar-lookinghomburg.[2] The wordfedoracomes from the title of an 1882 play by dramatistVictorien Sardou,Fédora,which was written forSarah Bernhardt.[10]The play was first performed in the United States in 1889. Bernhardt played Princess Fédora Romazoff, the heroine of the play. During the play, Bernhardt—a notedcross-dresser—wore a center-creased, soft brimmed hat. The hat was fashionable for women, and the women's rights movement adopted it as a symbol.[11][12]AfterEdward, Prince of Wales(later the Duke of Windsor) started to wear them in 1924, it became popular among men for its stylishness and its ability to protect the wearer's head from the wind and weather.[11][12]Since the early part of the 20th century, manyHarediand otherOrthodoxJewshave made black fedoras normal to their daily wear.[13]

Fedoras in early American society

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Douglas Fairbanksin 1918 speaking to a large crowd of people wearing hat styles ranging from the fedora to the bowler

During the early twentieth century, a hat was a staple of men's fashion and would be worn in almost all public places. However, as a social custom and common courtesy, men would remove their hats when at home or when engaged in conversation with women.[14]In addition, the ability to own a hat was culturally considered a sign of wealth due to fashion being recognized as a status symbol. Only those with few economic resources would venture out without a hat.[15]The introduction of a new line of felt hats made fromnutria,an animal similar to the beaver, helped establish the fedora as a durable product. Prices, in the first decade of the twentieth century, for a nutria fedora ranged from ninety-eight cents to two dollars and twenty-five cents.[15] Starting in the 1920s, fedoras began to rise in popularity after the Prince of Wales adopted the felt hat as his favored headwear. As a result, "the soft felt hat replaced the stiff hat as the best seller in the decade". The fedora soon took its place as a choice hat and joined other popular styles that included thederbyand thehomburg.[15]

A notable trend that emerged during the rise in popularity of the fedora was to invert the lid of the hat itself and cut jagged edges across the brim. This style of hat would eventually be called awhoopee cap,and became a popular alternative to the more formal fedora for mechanics and children of the era.[16][17]

During the 1940s, the brims of fedoras started to increase in width, while the British maintained a slightly smaller brim size. The colors of fedoras traditionally included shades of black, brown, and gray. However, this palette would grow at the onset of the second world war to include military themed colors such as khaki, blue, and green. One of the most prominent companies to sell fedoras was the department storeSears, Roebuck and Company.In addition, famous hat manufacturers which still exist today include Bailey,Borsalino,andStetson.[15]

Women and fedoras

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In the 1880s, long before the fedora became popular for men, French stage actressSarah Bernhardtpopularized the fedora for a female wearer. In the playFédoraby the French authorVictorien Sardou,Bernhardt played Princess Fédora Romazoff.[18]It soon became a commonfashion accessoryfor many women, particularly among activists campaigning forgender equality during the late nineteenth century.[19]The fedora was eventually adopted as a defining symbol of the women's rights movement.

Fedoras continue to be worn by women, but not quite to the same extent as in the early twentieth century. Women's fedoras vary in form, texture, and color. In addition, these fedoras come in almost every color from basic black to bright red and even in the occasional animal print.[20]Along with men's felt hats, women's fedoras were described as making a comeback in an article about 2007 fashion trends. Baseball caps, which had been the staple of headwear, were experiencing a decline in popularity amidst this "fedora renaissance".[21]

Make and form

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Fedora in advert for menswear in the Dutch newspaperAlgemeen Handelsbladon 19 March 1940

Fedoras are usually made by pressing a piece of felt over a mold, and using some kind of heat or sealant to help the felt keep its shape. In the past, molds were created by using a series of wooden blocks to create the shape of the hat, and the felt was pressed on with an iron.[22]The current method is to use metal molds and machinery to create enough pressure to form the shape of the hat.[23]After the general shape of the hat has been achieved, the hat makers attach some sort of decoration, usually a ribbon, between the brim and the crown of the hat. The brim is either left raw, or hemmed.[22]The fedora is considered a soft hat, which means that it is usually constructed from felt, fur, or animal hides.[24]There are variations from hat to hat, but the standard design includes a creased crown, angled brim, a pinch at the top of the hat, and some sort of decoration above the brim of the hat.[25]Men's fedoras especially tend to have stylized brims with edges that are turned down in the front and up in the back. As mentioned earlier, the width of the brim, overall size and color of the hats are subject to change with fashion trends. Women's hats also tend to have more elaborate decorations and slimmer designs.[24]

Because of the soft nature of the hat, many variations are possible with fedoras. One variation of the hat includes the Stetson playboy hat which was common in the 1940s. The Stetson playboy hat involved a marketing success story, with a simple variation on the general form of the fedora becoming a significant trend in America.Al Caponewas fond of the playboy style. Many pictures of Capone depict him sporting a Stetson playboy hat.[25]

Contemporary takes on the fedora include asymmetrical brims, bright colors, eccentric patterns, and flashy decorations.[20]Some fedoras are now made from straw, and other unconventional materials. However, despite the increase of artistic hats, the most commonly worn fedoras are still neutral colored, with simple shape and design.[25]

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Keybook photo ofFrank Sinatraissued byUnited Artistsin 1959

CoachTom Landrywore the hat while he was the head coach of theDallas Cowboys.It would later become his trademark image. Acenotaphdedicated to Landry with a depiction of his fedora was placed in the officialTexas State CemeteryinAustinat the family's request.[26]In addition the Cowboys wore a patch on their uniforms during the 2000 season depicting Landry's fedora.[27]His panel in the Cowboys "Ring of Honor" features a depiction of a fedora where a uniform number is shown for players.

Indiana Jonesre-popularized the fedora in theIndiana Jonesfranchise.[28]The backstory of how he obtains the hat is told in the prologue ofIndiana Jones and the Last Crusade,the third film of the series, and the character who gives him the hat is credited as "Fedora".

The characterFreddy Krueger,from theNightmare on Elm Streetfranchise,also wears a brown fedora.[29][30]

The fedora hat of the ninth president of Turkey,Süleyman Demirel,was a famous part of the president's image.[31][32]

Ice hockey coaches often wore one, most notably coachesPunch Imlach,Toe Blake,Billy Reay,andMurray Armstrong.[33][34][35][36]

In the 21st century, the fedora has made a reappearance in the fashion world along with other types of classic hats such as the porkpie and the homburg. In addition, the fedora has appeared in recent portrayals of movies and television shows that are set in the past, such asMad Men(2007–15),Shutter Island(2010), andBoardwalk Empire(2010–14).Michael Jacksonalso frequently wore a fedora while performing on stage.[37]

By the early 21st century, the fedora had become a symbol ofhipsters.[38]Vicehas referred to the early 2000s as a "fedorarenaissance",with celebrities likeJohnny DeppandPeter Dohertywearing the hat. By 2016, the term "fedora" became derisively associated withneckbeardandincelstereotypes in online culture, with Vice stating "fedoras may be the single most-hated fashion accessory money can buy",[39]despite the fact that the hat in question is nearly always atrilbyrather than a fedora.[citation needed]A popular meme featuring actorJerry Messingtipping a trilby with the dialogue of "M'lady" is often associated with such spoofs of incel culture. A 2016 issue ofThe Unbeatable Squirrel GirldepictsMarvel ComicsvillainMole Manreenacting the "M'lady" meme on the cover.[40]

In film noir

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Humphrey Bogart wearing a fedora in the filmCasablanca

The fedora was worn by film actors such asEdward G. Robinson,George RaftandHumphrey Bogart.[41]The fedora was a characteristic offilm noirand has been the chosen accessory of movie detectives and criminals alike. It was worn by Bogart as Sam Spade inThe Maltese Falcon(1941) and Philip Marlowe inThe Big Sleep(1946). Peter Eliopoulos wrote inThe 1930s: The Reality and the Promise:"The popular Bogart-styled fedora was worn slightly cocked, it was pulled down just above the eye line, so that the wearer peaked beneath the brim and through the cigarette smoke that gathered momentarily before curling itself around the top of the hat."[42]

Billy Wilderwrote and directed the filmFedora(1978), which takes its title from the female lead character played byMarthe Keller.In addition, fedoras are a strong theme throughout the picture. Most of Wilder's film's feature fedoras prominently in promotional materials as well as in the finished films.[43]

Gangsters and jazz

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Mugshot ofAl Caponeby theBureau of Investigationin 1929

Fedoras were much associated withgangstersduringProhibitionera in the United States, a connection coinciding with the height of the hat's popularity between the 1920s and the early 1950s.[11][12]In the second half of the 1950s, the fedora fell out of favor in a shift towards more informal clothing styles.[11][12]In addition, well-known gangsters such asAl Capone,Charles Luciano,andBenjamin "Bugsy" Siegelused the fedora to create a "tough guy" image[citation needed].

Fedoras were an important accessory to thezoot suitensemble which emerged onto the American fashion scene during the 1940s. Zoot suits were mainly associated with Mexican and African Americans and were largely worn in segregated minority communities. As a result, this style soon spread to local jazz musicians who adopted this look and brought it to their audiences.

Inthe movieof the same name, The Blues Brothers (who arebluesmusicians rather than jazzmen) wear black scant-brim fedoras as part of their black suit "uniform".

The association of the fedora with the zoot suit and gangster culture has caused the general public to view it according to this limited connotation.[44]

Michael Jackson

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American singer-songwriterMichael Jacksonwore fedoras during his iconic performances includingBillie Jean,Smooth Criminal,[45]DangerousandYou Rock My World.Moreover, he wore fedoras during his public appearances forfashionaestheticsand covering of hisscalded headas a result of combined effects oflupusand thePepsi incident in 1984.The fedora quickly became his style in the global outreach and people still attribute the hat to him worldwide.

In religious communities

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Orthodox Jews

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DevoutOrthodox Jewishmen fulfil theirreligious obligationof head-covering with the hats similar to the fedora, aWestern-invented headgear.Lithuanianyeshivastudents in the first half of 20th century wore light hats during prayer and sometimes even while studying, as evident in a rare footage of thePonevezh Yeshivaand a photo of theLomza Yeshiva,both in Eastern Europe. Both the footage and the photo show students studying in their hats. Hasidic Jews wore black hats, albeit not fedoras, and in the later half of the 20th century, non-Hasidic (Lithuanian style)yeshivastudents began to wear black fedoras (or dark blue or gray). Today, manyyeshivastudents and Orthodox men wear black fedoras for prayer and many even while walking outside.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ab"fedora".LexicoUK English Dictionary.Oxford University Press.Archived fromthe originalon 2020-03-22.
  2. ^abcdeKilgour, Ruth Edwards (1958).A Pageant of Hats Ancient and Modern.R. M. McBride Company.
  3. ^Cotton, Elizabeth (1999).Hats.Stewart, Tabori & Chang.
  4. ^abThe Hatted Professor: the Cavanagh EdgeRetrieved 10.16.2024.
  5. ^When a Fedora That Isn't a Fedora Is a FedoraArchived2017-03-12 at theWayback MachineRetrieved 03-09-2017.
  6. ^Super feltArchived2016-06-16 at theWayback MachineRetrieved 2016-03-16.
  7. ^CerveltRetrieved 2016-03-14.
  8. ^"Observations on Fedora Sweatbands, Size Tags, and Fedora Dating Tips".Publius Forum.2 January 2011.
  9. ^SweatbandsArchived2016-03-14 at theWayback MachineRetrieved 2016-03-15.
  10. ^Encarta Dictionary, Microsoft Encarta Premium Suite 2004.
  11. ^abcd"History of Fedora Hats".History of Hats.RetrievedJune 24,2014.
  12. ^abcdRath, Robert (March 6, 2014)."The History And Abuse of The Fedora".The Escapist.Archived fromthe originalon May 14, 2017.RetrievedJune 24,2014.
  13. ^Shields, Jody; Dugdale, John (1991).Hats: A Stylish History and Collector's Guide.Clarkson Potter.
  14. ^Schoeffler, O. E. (1973).Esquire's Encyclopedia of 20th Century Men's Fashions.McGraw-Hill. pp.323–342.
  15. ^abcdAmies, Hardy (2007).ABC of Men's Fashion.V&A Publications. pp. 21, 44,57–58.
  16. ^"WHATEVER HAPPENED TO… THOSE HATS?".Chicago Tribune.1998-07-12.Retrieved2024-11-19.
  17. ^Jughead and Friends Digest Magazine.Archie Comic Publications, Inc. February 2008.
  18. ^Marciano, John Bemelmans. 2009.Anonyponymous: the forgotten people behind everyday words.New York: Bloomsbury. p. 65.ISBN9781596916531
  19. ^"History of Fedora – Who Invented the Fedora Hat?".historyofhats.net.RetrievedApril 6,2019.
  20. ^abNestoras, Bessie (2013)."Fall for Autumn".Gifts & Decorative Accessories:120–130. Archived fromthe originalon 2022-05-07.Retrieved2019-04-06– via BYU Library.
  21. ^Briere, Rachel R. (2007). "Crowning Glories: The Fedora is Making a Comeback Against the Baseball Cap".The Sun (Lowell, MA)– via Ebscohost.
  22. ^abUpdike, Robin (2017). "A Hat for all Seasons Wayne Wichern".Ornament:48–53.
  23. ^Cohen, Edie. "Heads Above the Rest".Interior Design:192–199.
  24. ^abLukszo, Ula (2011).Noir Fashion and Noir as Fashion.Indiana: Indiana University Press. pp.54–81.
  25. ^abc"Fedora Felt Hat Guide — Gentleman's Gazette".gentlemansgazette.18 August 2017.RetrievedMarch 17,2019.
  26. ^"Thomas Wade Landry".Texas State Cemetery.RetrievedMarch 4,2013.
  27. ^"ESPN DALLAS Hall of Fame - Tom Landry no longer top of mind".ESPN.January 2, 2010.RetrievedSeptember 23,2012.
  28. ^Hellqvist, David (September 4, 2014)."The Hats: Heads Up".Port Magazine.RetrievedOctober 10,2013.Harrison Fordsported aHerbert Johnsonfelt fedora as Indiana Jones inRaiders of the Lost Ark.
  29. ^Reed Tucker (October 29, 2016)."How a strange man in a fedora inspired Wes Craven's Freddy Krueger".The New York Post.RetrievedApril 30,2019.
  30. ^John Squires (April 24, 2019)."Freddy Krueger Kicks Off Cryptozoic's New" Vinyl Terrorz "Toy Line".Bloody Disgusting.RetrievedApril 30,2019.
  31. ^Anadolu Agency."Turkey's 9th President Suleyman Demirel dies at 91".Getty Images.
  32. ^"HATS: A POLITICAL SYMBOL OF TURKISH HISTORY".RetrievedNovember 27,2017.
  33. ^"Linesman John D'Amico sits on top of the boards as head coach George..."Getty Images.Retrieved2023-11-06.
  34. ^"Montreal Canadiens coach Hector Toe Blake on bench with team during..."Getty Images.Retrieved2023-11-06.
  35. ^"Chicago Blackhawks head coach Billy Reay during game vs Boston..."Getty Images.Retrieved2023-11-06.
  36. ^"Murray Armstrong Hockey Fund".University of Denver Pioneer Movement.Retrieved2023-11-06.
  37. ^Millar, Jamie (5 August 2015)."The best fedoras from film and TV history".British GQ.RetrievedApril 6,2019.
  38. ^Rutenberg, Jim (August 5, 2012)."Montauk's Hipster Fatigue".The New York Times.pp. ST1.RetrievedNovember 19,2015.
  39. ^Allegretti, David (November 21, 2016)."I Wore a Fedora for a Week to See if It Would Ruin My Life".Vice.RetrievedFebruary 2,2025.
  40. ^Ryan North (w), Erica Henderson (a). "The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl"Squirrel Girl Vol.2 10,vol. 2, no. 10 (July 27, 2016). Marvel Comics.
  41. ^Eliopoulos, Peter (2016)."The Fedora: A Statement of an Era".In Bennington, J. Bret; Da Silva, Zenia Sacks; D'Innocenzo, Michael; Pugliese, Stanislao G. (eds.).The 1930s: The Reality and the Promise.Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, UK: Cambridge Scholars Publishing. p. 186.ISBN9781443892780.
  42. ^Eliopoulos,The 1930s: The Reality and the Promise,p.186
  43. ^Phillips, Gene D. (2010).Some Like it Wilder.Kentucky: The University Press of Kentucky.
  44. ^McClendon, Alphonso D. (2015).A Stylish History of Jazz.London: Bloomsbury Academic. pp.15–42.
  45. ^"Michael Jackson - Smooth Criminal (Official Video)".youtube.Retrieved2025-01-26.
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