Fedora hats have become a staple male fashion accessory right from the days when formal dress codes and hat-wearing were a part of etiquette or current fashion. You would hardly find a man who knows his style leaving home without a fedora. Interestingly, fedora hats attract women in the same way as men, and although it was a women’s hat, in the beginning, today it is the hat of choice for both men and women. The versatile headpiece that made its first appearance on the stage about 150 years ago in a Broadway production has remained one of the most popular hat styles because of the ease with which it matches with almost every outfit and makes up dressing up look so easy. At the same time, the hat is most suitable when you want to move around in a casual dressing.
Although the fedora hat is stylish by all counts, how it will look when you wear it depends on knowing how to make you look your best when wearing a fedora. To get the most from your chosen fedora, you must have a clear idea about the hat features and the specialty of the design so that you do not confuse it with a Trilby as many people do.
In this article, we will have a close look at the quintessential hat to understand its evolution and gain some knowledge about choosing the right one and wearing it in the right way.
Fedora hat – What is it?
Fedora hats belong to the mid-range with respect to their size, and the design is characterized by a 2-3 inches wide pliable brim and an indented crown marked by a pinched center crease on the two sides. Traditionally, fur felt was the chosen material for fedoras. However, as hat makers introduced newer materials to add variety to the style and make the hats more versatile, wool felt and straw became popular. In addition, twill, cotton, leather, and even synthetic blends are among the new materials for making fedora hats. Since fedoras are open to countless variations, to identify fedoras, you must concentrate on its basic features discussed here rather than trying to recognize it by considering the fabric or a specific style.
The journey of fedoras
Hollywood has always been the epicenter of fashion. It is no different for fedoras that owe their popularity to the Hollywood stars of the 1950s and 1960s like Frank Sinatra, who created his style that revolved around the fedora he wore. The continued patronization of fedoras by Hollywood celebrities and movie stars like Fred Astaire and Humphrey Bogart immortalized fedoras as an indispensable fashion accessory. However, Indian Jones changed the aesthetics of the hat that acquired a new style through the rugged looks during the 1980s.
The trend continues as fedoras find wide favor with the present-day Hollywood celebrities cutting across the gender lines. Jessica Alba, Justin Timberlake, Ne-Yo, Miranda Kerr, and Johnny Depp are only a few of the tinsel town famous faces who uphold the modern appeal of fedoras that passed all the tests of time.
Choose the right brim size
Although fedoras are smaller than many other summer hats, it does a lot of good for those who seek protection from the sun rays and the reason why it ranks among one of the most preferred summer hats. The brim size of the fedoras not only impacts the sun protection but also influences the style. According to the experts at Americanhatmakers.com, choosing the most proportionate hat is the secret of creating the most elegant and attractive style, and the choices are between the wide brim and short brim fedoras.
Wide brim fedoras – For maximum sun protection and creating a classic style, the wide brim fedora is the obvious choice. The wide prim creates enough shade that extends up to the shoulders and cuts off the harmful UV rays that cause skin cancer. In addition, if you have elongated facial features, a wide brim fedora perfectly balances it to produce smart looks.
Short brim fedoras – Fedoras with brim width not exceeding 2 inches come under short brim fedoras. And these hats are the ones that have a close resemblance to trilbies that generally have the maximum brim width of 11/2 inch and confuse people. Short brim fedoras suit small head sizes, but those with a broad head and round, fuller face must not try it.
How to wear a fedora
From the fit to the hat material and the hat price, there are many things to consider for selecting the proper fedora that makes you look gorgeous.
The hat must be comfortable to wear, and to ensure the right fit, choose a hat size that fits your head perfectly. It should be neither too tight nor too loose but sit with the optimal comfort so that you need not worry about the hat blown off by a sudden gush of wind. To test the right fit, pass a finger between the hat and your head, and if you find that the finger slides gently by maintaining a small space between the surfaces, you have the correct size.
Fedoras are for all seasons, but the material must be suitable for the season. You cannot use one type of fedora for all seasons. Consider where you will wear the hat and the season so that you can select the most appropriate material that addresses both the functionality and aesthetics. For beachside weddings and staple summer wear, a straw top hat is ideal. Have a range of fedoras in your wardrobe that you can wear throughout the year by choosing the suitable material, and a black fedora is a must-have because you can wear it at any place and at any time of the year.
Pay a reasonable price, typically in the range of $60-$70, to ensure the excellent quality of the hat and understand the lingo of the hat makers so that you can identify different items and fabric to choose the one that is best for you. Also, choose some neutral hues for the hats so that you enjoy their flexibility and versatility the most.
