Do you suddenly feel the urge to buy a hat and surprise everyone with your new look and style? If you desire so, then do not confuse yourself with which one to buy and which to avoid. The safest option would be to purchase a fedora hat. It is known for its versatility, and you can match it with any classic outfit of your choice. You can never go wrong with creating a new look if you even have a minimal sense of style. If you happen to spot a person flaunting a hat, it would be a fedora, in most cases. Even, many people consider it to be the most fashionable of all hats. Due to its massive popularity, hatters started to explore the various features and gifted the world with many types of fedoras.
A fedora hat
Most people will refer to it as a brimmed hat. The world of fashion has witnessed many forms of it in the past decades. But whatever the variations may have been, it remains the typical hat with a medium-to-wide brim and possesses a structured teardrop crown that may have a dip in the center.
How it came into being
Fedora came into existence in the 1890s when a play of the same name was staged. In this play, a female actress wore a felt hat that was, at that time, the head attire of men of the middle and lower classes. Gradually, in the 1920s, it gained popularity as movie stars were seen donning them. Many gangsters made it their hallmark. Slowly, fedora hats became an accessory which people incorporated into their wardrobes. And with the emergence of the pop-culture in the 1980s, the fedora again enjoyed the limelight. It made its appearance from time to time only to make people long for it more than the other hat styles. Ever since heritage menswear has gained prominence, the fedora has remained in fashion rotation as an accessory.
Today we have a fedora that has a softer texture, yet has a definite structure. With a crown measuring about four to six inches and two to four inches as brim length, modern-day fedoras are a must-have accessory for any fashion bug. Wool and felt has been the preferred material choice for making such a hat. But for breathability, cotton and straw are also now used. You may also find a hatband in some of them, which adds elegance to it.
Types of fedoras
Fedoras can be of the following types.
- Classic fedora
It is one of the most popular hat styles in the world. Classic fedora highlights the features of a typical fedora hat and is mostly made of wool.
- Straw fedora
While shopping for women’s or men’s straw fedora, keep in mind that it may be a synthetic or natural straw that has been used to weave the hat. Depending on the straw type and tightness of the weave, the price will vary. People opt to buy a straw fedora because of its comfortable nature and the breathability it allows.
- Pork pie fedora
Also known as “stingy brim,” the pork pie style of fedora is a favorite among many hat users because of its snap brim. This style made its appearance in the 1990s and since then has been accepted by the fashion world whole-heartedly. Many Hollywood celebrities are seen wearing them either while playing a character or just to match an outfit while going to premieres.
- Safari fedora
By safari fedora, we earlier understood a hat having a rounded pith headpiece. But as people started to prefer wider brims, this feature was incorporated into the style. They are very similar to the straw fedoras, but unlike the latter, you will also find a safari fedora made from wool or felt. The moment you wear this headgear, it gives you the feel of being an adventurer like Indiana Jones.
- Trilby fedora
A trilby has a shorter brim with a higher crown. This feature has made it popular among hat lovers as it comes with a pre-snap shape and is easy to carry. Trilbies were initially made out of straw or tweed, but today you can also have a felt or wool version of it.
Conclusion
Hats are in fashion now, and fedora has the potential to turn any outfit into outstanding fashionable wear. Earlier, you had to be cautious about choosing the right hat for the occasion you would have liked to attend. But with fedora hats, you do not have to worry about all that. It just suits any occasion. The things that you have to keep in mind while purchasing a fedora are –
- your head size (the hatter will be able to help you out in this regard, or you can also take the help of the hat size measuring online calculators)
- the hue of the hat (to match with most of your outfits)
- your preferred material
Once you have decided on all of these, you are good to buy one for yourself.
