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The fedora hat is generally made of soft beaver, rabbit, and/or wool felt, with smooth, brushed, velour, and/or longhair textures. It has a low-to-medium height crown with a length-wise or teardrop/diamond-shaped crease running along the crown’s top from front to back; a short, medium, or wide turned-up or turned-down brim; and the crown is usually ringed with a ribbon – often grosgrain with a flattened bow on the crown’s side.

The fedora is named after the 1882 play Fedora by Victor Sardou in which actress Sarah Bernhardt donned a soft felt hat to play the role of a Russian princess dressed like a boy. Contrary to popular lore, the play did not launch the fad of women wearing fedoras, but rather the hat was immediately marketed to and worn by men with its popularity slowly increasing from the 1880s through the 1910s.

The fedora’s prominence skyrocketed in the 1920s and 1930s, when it was worn by such actors as John Gilbert, William Powell, and Humphrey Bogart in popular Hollywood films. The fedora continued to be popular during the 1940s with support from gangster and Noir films – you simply couldn’t think of a gangster without imagining a fedora on his head!

During the 1950s and 1960s the fedora managed to maintain a menswear fashion presence, albeit an increasingly small one due to changing styles and times. By the early 1970s, as informal clothing became more acceptable and even popular, the fedora went out of fashion for most men, but enjoyed new popularity as womenswear with famous faces such as Lauren Hutton popularizing the look for ladies.

The list of famous fedora wearers is long and varied and includes everyone from gangsters, actors, and musicians to coaches, politicians, and even government employees. The fedora hat is a classic – both timeless and practical – and while other styles have come and gone, the fedora never truly goes out of style.

Written by JauntyRooster

See Also: Homburg , Trilby


1913 ladies Edwardian fedora  - Courtesy of rue_de_la_paix

1913 ladies Edwardian fedora

Courtesy of rue_de_la_paix

1930s Huckel Czechoslovakia wide brimmed fedora -  Courtesy of poppysvintageclothing

1930s Huckel Czechoslovakia wide brimmed fedora

Courtesy of poppysvintageclothing

1930s Borsalino fur felt fedora - Courtesy of thespectrum

1930s Borsalino fur felt fedora

Courtesy of thespectrum

1940 ladies felt tilt fedora  - Courtesy of alleycatsvintage

1940 ladies felt tilt fedora

Courtesy of alleycatsvintage

1940s Borsalino fedora - Courtesy of rue_de_la_paix

1940s Borsalino fedora

Courtesy of rue_de_la_paix

1940s Bonwit Teller fur felt fedora - Courtesy of pastperfectvintage

1940s Bonwit Teller fur felt fedora

Courtesy of pastperfectvintage

1940s Lee felt fedora with windstring - Courtesy of thespectrum

1940s Lee felt fedora with windstring

Courtesy of thespectrum

1940s Borsalino wide brimmed fedora - Courtesy of poppysvintageclothing

1940s Borsalino wide brimmed fedora

Courtesy of poppysvintageclothing

1950s fedora  - Courtesy of stellarosevintage

1950s fedora

Courtesy of stellarosevintage

1950s Champ fedora -  Courtesy of lunajunctionvintage

1950s Champ fedora

Courtesy of lunajunctionvintage

1960s Austrian green velvet fedora  - Courtesy of poppysvintageclothing

1960s Austrian green velvet fedora

Courtesy of poppysvintageclothing

1950s felt fedora  - Courtesy of lunajunction

1950s felt fedora

Courtesy of lunajunction

1950s Strawbridge & Clothier fedora  - Courtesy of lunajunctionvintage

1950s Strawbridge & Clothier fedora

Courtesy of lunajunctionvintage

1950s Wormser Panama straw fedora - Courtesy of thespectrum

1950s Wormser Panama straw fedora

Courtesy of thespectrum

1960s felt fedora  - Courtesy of soulmanvintage

1960s felt fedora

Courtesy of soulmanvintage

1960s narrow brim fedora  -  Courtesy of poppysvintageclothing

1960s narrow brim fedora

Courtesy of poppysvintageclothing

1960s Haband felt fedora - Courtesy of thespectrum

1960s Haband felt fedora

Courtesy of thespectrum

1960s Schiaparelli  rat pack fedora - Courtesy of poppysvintageclothing

1960s Schiaparelli rat pack fedora

Courtesy of poppysvintageclothing

1960s Knox velour stingy brim fedora - Courtesy of thespectrum

1960s Knox velour stingy brim fedora

Courtesy of thespectrum

1960s Bond fur felt stingy brim fedora -  Courtesy of cur.iovintage

1960s Bond fur felt stingy brim fedora

Courtesy of cur.iovintage

1960s Suzy Michelle sculpted ladies fedora   - Courtesy of pinkyagogo

1960s Suzy Michelle sculpted ladies fedora

Courtesy of pinkyagogo

1960s Churchill Pocket Hat fedora - Courtesy of thespectrum

1960s Churchill Pocket Hat fedora

Courtesy of thespectrum

1970s Borsalino fedora - Courtesy of poppysvintageclothing

1970s Borsalino fedora

Courtesy of poppysvintageclothing

1970s tweed fedora  - Courtesy of wyomingvintage

1970s tweed fedora

Courtesy of wyomingvintage

1970s Harris Tweed fedora -  Courtesy of poppysvintageclothing

1970s Harris Tweed fedora

Courtesy of poppysvintageclothing

1970s Mr John ladies fedora - Courtesy of pinkyagogo

1970s Mr John ladies fedora

Courtesy of pinkyagogo

1970s Kangol angora ladies fedora  - Courtesy of pinkyagogo

1970s Kangol angora ladies fedora

Courtesy of pinkyagogo

1970s Kurt Jr ladies fedora - Courtesy of pinkyagogo

1970s Kurt Jr ladies fedora

Courtesy of pinkyagogo

1970s Gwen Pennington Kashmir fedora  - Courtesy of myvintageclothesline

1970s Gwen Pennington Kashmir fedora

Courtesy of myvintageclothesline

1970s ladies fedora hat - Courtesy of thespectrum

1970s ladies fedora hat

Courtesy of thespectrum

1980s Adolfo II straw ladies fedora - Courtesy of myvintageclothesline

1980s Adolfo II straw ladies fedora

Courtesy of myvintageclothesline