The History And Abuse of The Fedora

[Robert Rath]

The History And Abuse of The Fedora

The meme about nerds and their fedoras doesn?t seem to go away. I figured the topic warrants enough public interest for a discussion ? so screw it, let?s talk about why nerds wear fedoras.

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[lord.jeff]

Great article, very nice to see someone not rushing to completely make fun of the latest fashion trend.

 

[Albino Boo]

As a bald man I wear a hat for the simple reason it keeps my head warm. During the winter I wear a tweed cap for the simple reason you can fold it and shove it in you pocket. In the summer, I wear a foldable Panama to stop my head getting sunburn. I also have a Homburg hat for formal occasions and a bush hat for less formal wear.

I have noticed continental europe older men ie my age older do still wear hats in greater numbers than I have seen in the states and the UK.

 

[Gorrath]

Nice article, I enjoyed the history lesson.

I happen to fit several criteria that stereotype me so I'm not afraid in the least to wear my very favorite hat in public. I wear a black felt wool fedora made by a company called Country Gentlemen. I am a glasses-wearing, fedora sporting, nerdy-looking, atheist, equal rights activist (men, women and everyone else), who dabbles in Libertarian ideas. So I'm pretty much doomed from a stereotype perspective. And I couldn't give a damn less.

If someone wants to judge me by the hat on my head, then they are being foolish. I've lost nothing if someone decides my voice is less important than my hat in judging my character because I am not likely to find common ground with that person anyway. Or at least not enough to form a meaningful relationship.

I also like cuff links, ties, watches, pocket squares, colorful scarves and fancy shoes. In fact, one could argue, if they bought into such ideas, that my love of fashion is feminine. I don't just like men's fashion, I like women's fashion too. I get excited helping out my female friends, my fiance, my sister or mother pick out clothing for themselves. But should someone doubt my heterosexuality because of this love of clothes, again, I don't give a damn. I am straight, but even if someone were to assume I was gay I wouldn't find it an insult. I would think it was kind of silly to equate my hobbies with my sexual preference, but since being homosexual isn't a bad thing, I've no reason to be insulted if someone thinks I am gay.

I also wish makeup was a widely accepted stylistic choice for men. And I don't just mean concealer or blush either. I would love to see people dress in fancy clothes and paint their faces or nails to match. It's body art, and unlike tattoos, a bad choice might only last five minutes.

In short, judging people by how they choose to dress themselves can be just as foolish or idiotic as judging them on any other trait of little significance. Anyone engaging in such behavior should reassess what's important about their fellow human.

 

[vun]

This is what I've been saying, or mostly just thinking to myself, for a while; it's ok to wear a fedora, or any other hat, as long as it fits the rest of your look. And, as the article points out, that usually means it won't due to current fashion trends.

Other hats do work if you're not wearing a suit, though, particularly pork pies and straw hats in general(although straw hats are mostly a summer thing).

 

[Hutzpah Chicken]

That's quite the article there. I only wear a fedora with a black tie, sun glasses, and a Fender Jazz bass (meaning I preform that way). Off the stage, fashion dies quickly to practicality. I have large glasses (what everyone calls "Hipster glasses") because they are durable and I can see the most out of them. Hats, on the other hand, usually are never worn by me. With my hair now just at my shoulders, hats don't quite look the best on me.

 

[Steve the Pocket]

Just a little nitpick: Is Indiana Jones' hat actually a fedora? I know people call it one all the time, but it's really more of a slouch hat (the costume designer in the making-of documentary referred to it simply as "the Australian model").

 

[Doclector]

Wait, so it isn't unusual to wear a hat in private simply because you like wearing it?

*gets up, digs out tricorn*

Honestly, fashion trends always terrified me a little. The thought that at any time the rules could just change, and you walk out of the house wearing a black t-shirt, only to find out that to most people, the black t-shirt has become the mark of the idiot, and everyone hates you simply for wearing the wrong thing.

Creeps me out.

 

[TiberiusEsuriens]

Growing up my brothers and I all shared a Fedora at home, but that was because we are really big Indiana Jones fans. The only time I've ever worn one outside of the house was when I was wearing one that matched my overcoat. While I did get a few names thrown my way, I was fortunate that the worst of them was Inspector Gadget (seriously though, if you live in a snowy area, an overcoat and fedora will keep you completely dry and warm). I still like the idea of it, but classy scarves are definitely more my style and don't attract the unwanted attention.

 

[SKBPinkie]

When the fuck did the internet mutate into a 14-year old queen bee?

Seriously, these are the traits of characters you'd find being bitchy and generally terrible in most high school movies. Why the hell are people embracing that type of behavior?

It's a bit like saying "Oh, you play video games? You probably shit your pants and pee in bottles while playing WoW in your mom's basement".

P.S. I don't wear those hats; my head's not the right shape for it. But I won't treat other folk like shit for wearing it, even if it doesn't look good on them.

P.P.S. Not specifically referencing people on this topic. Most of you seem sane, but on places like imgur and reddit you absolutely cannot convince people to get over their hatred of a hat.

 

[TiberiusEsuriens]

Just a little nitpick: Is Indiana Jones' hat actually a fedora? I know people call it one all the time, but it's really more of a slouch hat (the costume designer in the making-of documentary referred to it simply as "the Australian model").

That's another problem the "fedoras are stupid" argument has. The name has been around for so many years that there are different styles and trims, all under the label fedora. These "fedora hat" Google search results have styles varying from Germanic, country, hipster, business casual, Indiana Jones, and beyond. There's a reason why we've started coming up with different names for these hats. They look great, but the moment the word fedora slips out of someone's mouth the general population will vacate the area.

 

[Daniel Laeben-Rosen]

Personally, I have a slouchy wide-brimmed fedora that's just kinda part of my wardrobe. It's nice, but pretty far from a stylish . I bought it roughly 10 years ago, because I finally found a hat that fit me(I've got a stupidly large head), due to just kinda falling in love with it.
I wear it out of habit. It's just been a part of what I have for so long that it's kinda like my security-blanket. It's just "me" in a way.
It's sad though that the current trends and so on makes me less likely to wear it except where I already feel comfortable so I don't give the wrong impression.
I just like wearing it. It's a familiar feeling when I'm somewhere unfamiliar. And it keeps my hair out of my eyes when I can't be arsed to put it in a tail.

 

[Gorrath]

Wait, so it isn't unusual to wear a hat in private simply because you like wearing it?

*gets up, digs out tricorn*

Honestly, fashion trends always terrified me a little. The thought that at any time the rules could just change, and you walk out of the house wearing a black t-shirt, only to find out that to most people, the black t-shirt has become the mark of the idiot, and everyone hates you simply for wearing the wrong thing.

Creeps me out.

Your fear is not unjustified, but if someone thinks you're an idiot because of the color of your T-shirt, then they are missing the irony of the situation.

 

[V4Viewtiful]

When my grandad died a few years ago the only thing I kept of his is a leather fedora (no pinch front) he had since around the time I was born. I only just got a job last year and for some reason I've been wearing it since, I honestly don't know why it's been gathering dust for years and I put it on one day.

For a dude who prefers to be invisible I've been noticed and complimented more on the street. But then social stigma's in the states don't always transfer to England

 

[Daniel Laeben-Rosen]

For a dude who prefers to be invisible I've been noticed and complimented more on the street. But then social stigma's in the states don't always transfer to England

Same here in Sweden actually. Despite wearing my hat just because I like wearing it, I've actually gotten more attention of the welcome kind with than without. Which doesn't hurt,

 

[Berling's Beard]

Great article! I was skeptical at first, but your clear / concise and on-point writing really hit the nail on the head. Well done!

 

[UNHchabo]

I still find watches to be incredibly useful. In order to check the time on my phone I need to take it out of my pocket (tough while sitting down in some pairs of jeans), hit the power button, wait 1-5 seconds for the screen to come on, then put it away.

I check the time on my watch by rotating my wrist.

 

[iniudan]

As someone sensible to light, as I have both blue eye (which is usually sign of low level of melanin) and red hair genes (not ginger, but do still have freckles and my beard is partially red haired), so I am white as a ghost all year long, as I cannot tan, I only burn under the sun.

I wear a trilby to protect from said giant ball of fire in the sky, along with sun glasses. Said trilby is also a good protection against rain and cold (just need a scarf to protect the rest of the head), the two which are a common thing in my part of Canada.

And the hat was chosen, because it look better, on me, then a ball-cap or a tuque.

It also completes the mobster look (in my case, a Luca Brasi look, due to my size), when I am wearing a suit (or just a shirt and a coat, as my shoulders are broad enough to look like I am wearing a padded vest under said coat). Not that I specifically aim for the mobster look, but when you look like me, all suit kind of default looking like a mobster, an high end bouncer or a secret service bodyguard.

 

[hentropy]

I wore a trilby for a while, back when it was considered more stereotypical for hipsters rather than a pretty negative stereotype for nerds. I wore it with whatever, when your hair starts thinning when you're in high school it's something you have to consider. I ditched it partly for practical reasons, it was a bit too tall for my liking and offered little actual shade, and I couldn't wear it with headphones.

I started mixing it with ballcaps and now I've just more or less switched entirely to those. Seems like too much of a liability to wear the more old-style hats nowadays unless you're wearing something that matches the decade a bit more.

 

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

I enjoy hats but I have yet to get a "real" hat. I do like the style of the Fedora, I must admit, but all the baggage that comes with it right now has turned me off from the idea of ever wearing one.

Someday I'll find the hat that's right for me...