Here's lookin' at you, Kid: a History of the Fedora

Hat amongst hats, the fedora is legendary, gracing the heads of movie stars of the film noir era, being an enduring symbol of masculine style. Worn by gangsters, film noir detectives, and the legendary Indiana Jones, it was also a universal everyday hat for all walks of life for decades. And while some unfortunate appropriations have sullied its reputation recently, it endures strongly to this day.
Version française: • La star du Noir et Bla...
The fedoras I wear in this video come respectively from the sadly defunct Jack Henry in Kansas City (RIP) and made by Stetson Hatters, and from Herbert Johnson herbertjohnson.co.uk
Title sequence designed by Alexandre Mahler
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This video was done for entertainment and educational purposes. No copyright infringement of any sort was intended.

[@astrotrek3534]

Honestly I'd like to see these hats come back not for the style, but simply for the function. Keeps the sun off your back and eyes, and the rain too. I often find myself outside for 15-30 minutes at a time, far too short to put on sunscreen but long enough to be burned in hot enough weather, and wishing I had something to cover my head with. Baseball caps are nice but don't cover the back or ears, and "fishing hats" don't have the right look to them. It'd be nice to see a return of hats like this.

[@wisconsinkraut3445]

I don't think it's ever really gone away, you might also try a slouch hat or Panama if you want to look a little less like a neck beard.

[@Darth_Barnaby]

Then wear one no ones stopping you

[@thomasbeach905]

I have a regular business freezing off precancerous actinic keratoses from the scalps of people who gave up wearing hats in the 1960’s.

[@matt.willoughby]

Lots of people wear them around here in Lincolnshire/Cambridgeshire

[@kkupsky6321]

I remember when no one left the house without a hat. And you could smoke everywhere. Even in hospitals… and coke had its namesake ingredient. Hmm. Humbug.

[@SnepperStepTV]

Its a great looking hat, and i for one refuse to let a group of people i'm not fond of ruin it for me.

[@helendecruz1947]

Maybe when we tell them it's a woman's hat they will finally let off claiming this for themselves

[@b-dogswings8019]

I never leave the house without a hat, and very often, one of my five fedoras will be the chosen headgear.

[@quagsiremcgee1647]

I've found myself in a similar pattern. I've made a rotation of hats I wear to suit the weather. The fedoras I own are all partially paper so I keep them safe inside until summer, then I have a flat cap for when it's raining but not too cold out. Finally I have an Ushanka for winter.

[@Valkanna.Nublet]

"The Fedora is worn with a smart suit, nazi punching archaeologists not withstanding" In Indy's defence, he does wear a nice shirt, it's just that it usually gets messed up.

[@jamesk370]

I have a fedora, and use it as part of my standard rain gear, along with a classic trench coat.

[@h.martinsmith7839]

Play it again!

[@BushcraftingBogan]

While on lunch years ago I went into a hat shop and thought that since I wear a suit it would be nice to have a "work hat". Ill admit that it wasnt cheap and it was fitted but I loved it. Since retirement I havent worn it. I think Im going to break it back out.

[@SerdgioAntonio28-lg1bo]

u aint scared to be the fedora guy ?

[@BushcraftingBogan]

@SerdgioAntonio28-lg1bo 😆 No. I won't be wearing it with jeans and a t-shirt. But maybe to a wedding or some church event. Since I retired it's just been hanging on a hook in the closet.

[@martinstevens5892]

I've always been into hats since childhood and lament their decline in the sixties. I have a bowler, a fedora, a panama, flat cap and a news boy cap, all of which I wear according to season and occasion.

[@altairprime7895]

I've been wearing my black fedora daily for over 25 years, I don't feel dressed outside without it. Received myriad compliments on it over the years.

[@johnathonwright7920]

I have worn fedoras for much of my life. Raised by my grandfather he was of the era in which a man did not go outside without his hat or cap, depending on his occupation. I was a hat man at age five. :). I have noticed both fedoras and the pork pie seem to be regaining some popularity.

[@davidmccrudden4193]

The name Trilby comes from a novel of the same name published in 1894 by George du Maurier - Trilby was the female heroine of the novel which also gave Svengali to the English language. The novel was adapted for the stage and the play was adapted on 7 occasions for the cinema. "Trilby" as an adjective was associated with many items of memorabilia, including feet and shoes.

[@hathistorianjc]

I actually did not know that, thank you for the info!

[@bryan3550]

My father, born in 1902 would never leave the house without wearing his hat. Thank you for now identifying what style it was..! Here in Melbourne, Australia we still have a genuine old-fashioned hat shop in "City Hatters", located beneath the main city railway station - a step back in time!

[@fredsalfa]

I saw an older gentleman in the 80s wearing a hat like this seriously (and not for fun) and was probably the first and last time I’ve seen someone wearing this hat in the city going to work in Sydney. He was looking at everyone thinking why is everyone looking at me? This is the proper way to dress (back in the day he was thinking I’m sure)

[@marvwatkins7029]

Fedoras are great. My dad wore one to work up until the late sixties

[@mrs.g.9816]

My late husband was born in 1958. Still, he loved wearing hats - especially his gray fedora, which he wore with his gray trench coat. I still have his fedora in a hatbox, and it still looks brand new. His other hats? a derby, an Irish tweed flat cap and a Panama.

[@flygirlfly]

Yes, I'm old enough to remember my Dad & Grandfather wearing hats to church. We were never allowed to play with the hats!

[@mortdecai6655]

Splendid video, I used to wear the Fedora quite often a few years back, however, due it's less reputable reputation at the time, I stopped. Nevertheless, this video is quite a convincing point for purchasing a new one.

[@hathistorianjc]

I say don't let idiots ruin it for you. Take it back from them like I try to!

[@h.martinsmith7839]

Reputation, what reputation? First started with a Peach Fedora with a brown band (Brown 3 pice suit, silk Liberty tie and gold Double Albert) in the 1970's when I was in my early 20's. The girls loved it. Still have several. Go out and get a new one ASAP.

[@gringlebandersnatch]

that's the classiest way I've heard someone say 'yall are fucking gross' 💜😂

[@mathewfines8727]

I got my first Fedora at Schwabb's in Memphis Tennessee for 25 cents. I have often wondered who might have worn that hat before I acquired it in the late 70's. I thank you again for the great work you do. This channel is fantastic!

[@chrismorgan1336]

Whilst 'Raiders' was such a great film for many reasons. Jones was based on the Charlton Heston character in 'Secrets of the Incas'. Apart from the footwear, the costume was pretty much identical.

[@Crisetig]

Thank you, I didn' t know this movie

[@lawrencelewis2592]

When I worked at Vassar College, we were all told that Jones was based on Professor Walter Fairservis who was a history teacher and archeologist there. He died in 1994.

[@martinazariancriminaldefen3081]

Well done! My father in law, who has since passed away, would wear a fedora styled hat every day. Your video reminded me of him, this stylish hat and put a smile on my face. Thank you, sir. I tip my hat to you.

[@SomasAcademy]

Wow this channel has grown fast, it was only at like 200 subs when I started watching a few months ago. Congrats!

[@syntropia_regenerator]

They are coming back. The hat shops here in Australia are full of different styles, colours and new materials, there are really awesome choices that match all kinds of apparel now. I have become a fedora wearer now since discovering these new styles. My favourite is my flecked grey and white, will match anything. I also have a pure white one with a black band, I love it but I need to be wearing white with it or it doesn’t work. Wish I could share pics here.

[@grassic]

As a habitual fedora wearer (and homburgs) I tip my hat to you!

[@TiglathPileser3]

Good video on another great hat.

[@jannarkiewicz633]

Dang you a passionate. I like the on screen disclaimers

[@mattcallaway2194]

Man I love your channel

[@edi9892]

I hardly ever wear it with a suit, but it's my favourite hat, and will always go with my coats... Fedora, coat, and gaiters are amazing attire for bad weather!

[@joanhoffman3702]

My favorite hat style! I used to wear a brown one that really showed off my long brown hair. I miss that hat.

[@archivist17]

I applaud your defence of the fedora from the creeps! 👏🏽 Thank you for your fascinating vignettes, which explain so much to me, only rarely a hat-wearer, and which I find so engaging.

[@alfredklag4894]

Everyone looks better in a fedora.

[@anitapeludat256]

I agree!

[@ZachRobinson]

Thanks for your video. I got mine after seeing Harry Anderson's judge Stone character wear one.

[@lexdunn4160]

I have been wearing fedoras since the late 70s and have never heard of the negative connotations you discuss. I have worn it in several cities I've lived in: Toronto, Montreal, Halifax and Vancouver, Canada.

[@Kevin-mx1vi]

I have a couple of Fedora style Panama hats, worn either when sitting in the garden on sunny days, or when attending outdoor events in summer because a Fedora protects my head from the sun and shades my eyes, while looking stylish.

[@QV1010]

9:30 for me I would normally wear my bowler hat with a jacket and tie. While I wear my fedora a bit more casually sometimes.

[@josephgonzales4802]

I love the febora hats and that is why I own five of them. I received many compliments when I wear my hats. 👍

[@MrWhit30]

Back in the early 70s I inherited my Grandfather's gray Stetson Fedora.very similar to the one in the video. I wore it proudly in a casual hippie style for years with faded jeans and an old Navy Pea Coat. The leather inner band eventually rotted out and I cant find a hatter to repair it, so its long retired to a hat box. I still wear a cheaper knock off tho. I figure Im an old man, I'll wear what I like.

[@Philobiblion]

030724 I just started following this channel a month or two ago. I like it. I started going bald at age 16, and for the greater part of my adult life have enjoyed being hairless. However, this attitude is mirrored by a behavior that has endured more than 50 years. That is, I cannot leave the house without a hat, unless it is summer, night, humid and unlikely to change until after I'm back. To me, stepping outside without a hat is like going outside without a pair of pants on. I have a small collection of Alpine hats from the 60s and 70s and a substantial collection of Stetson Open Road. Through these niche obsessions, I have learned a lot about hats. For me, these lectures are graduate classes in hat history. Bravo Maestro!

[@drakevimes2033]

Great video! I very like your voice and the way, that you explain and share stories

[@danielvain]

I'm not sure how well you can actually see it in my channel thumbnail to the left here, but I do have my own "Dorfman Pacific," Stockton, CA made Fedora which I purchased in 1994. It is still in excellent condition, (for the most part) as I take good care of it and typically only wear on special occasions; some of those special occasions being when I would perform live on stage as seen in some of my recorded live performance videos, (for example videos labeled with "Live at The Vibe.") My two biggest inspirations for wanting and wearing a Fedora come from the mentioned, Humprey Bogart, as well as the "straight-man" half of the comedy duo, "Abbott & Costello," that of course being Bud Abbott, who typically wore a well-fitted Fedora hat while his counterpart, Lou Costello, would typically wear an undersized Bowler hat.

[@quimicoz]

We don't usually associate the fedora with Superman, but for decades he wore one (as Clark Kent). The same happened with Batman, who wore one as Bruce wayne.

[@TheJohtunnBandit]

I mostly wear mine (felt) while foraging or exploring the prairie, as it is warmer than a sun hat and has better shade than a knit cap. Mesh Stetson for hot days. Thanks for teaching me about the origins, I've had too many people tell me fedoras aren't for women.

[@stuartmenziesfarrant]

Great channel man! Very informative.

[@megapangolin1093]

Marvellous romp through the complexity which is style and fashion. The Fedora is an aspirational hat, one feels special wearing one for special occasions. The Goodwood Revival is onesuch event. It is a delight to see men of all stripes sporting hats like this and seeking to convey their individuality to the utmost. Great video. Thank you.

[@abhisheknakhwa]

I really enjoyed this. Thank you.

[@martinabenfield]

I really enjoy your videos. Very entertaining and informative. Thank you.

[@jonathanraven5939]

When I worked as a private chauffeur. I wore a Fedora instead of the traditional peaked cap traditionally worn by chauffeurs. No retired , I still wear them.

[@aidenlapina2614]

Earned yourself a new subscriber good sir!

[@johnkay3824]

Really interesting social history - thank you for posting, very entertaining and informative.

[@Jsmith2024]

When I was a boy in the 1960s, my parents bought me a new fedora every year for Easter. BTW, I have a friend now in his lower 20s who wears one--very stylish and wide-brimmed.

[@jeandarbyshire4391]

I’m a 78 year old woman and I love my fedora better than any of my other hats! Wear it often.👍🏻❤️

[@theowaigel8588]

Excellent Video... I started wearing hats some 15 years ago when no one repeat absolutely no one was wearing a hat. I worked my way up through a couple of western style Stetsons which I still own and wear but the ultimate hat is a black Borsalino which will only be worn on special occasions with a matching outfit. Me wearing a hat (or a motorcycle crash helmet) has become so iconic people expect me to do it and I am more than happy to oblige. You'll never see a baseball cap on my head.

[@jamesblinzler7421]

I love these style of hat, I have a few. My favorite is a straw fedora with a locust thorn adornment. It’s kinda in btw an alpine and fedora.

[@TygerTigerable]

And with your covering of that particular bit of recent hat history, I enthusiastically sub & recommend your channel to friends. I really, really enjoy it when a historian/presenter includes information about women's involvement in history, as usually that's relegated to a "special" topic or a specific person rather than as a tandem/part of it.

[@1joshjosh1]

Another interesting video! 🎩

[@bolshevikproductions]

Blues Brother’s wear a trilby not a fedora.

[@mikeyb4610]

Your passion for hats is amazing…your knowledge of their origins is incredible…and your presentations are inspiring, interesting and enlightening…thank you for another journey into the history of another piece of head wear …more please 🧢🎩🎓🪖

[@marcelluswilinski1671]

Great except for the end lol. I wear my fedoras with regular causal wear. Flannels. Button up shirts etc. Whatever you like. And wear whatever style hat speaks from the soul 🤠🤠

[@hathistorianjc]

Hey, wear whatever you like! Just be a good person while doing it. As they said in the Blues Brothers, "if the sh*t fits, wear it."

[@pauldenali6367]

I agree. I was enjoying this video until it went off the rails with that weird rant about jerks and women haters who wear fedoras. While I have no use for jerks or women haters I have no idea what that has to do with wearing a fedora and that rant kind of ruined the video for me. Too bad as I have enjoyed other videos from the Hat Historian.

[@michaelamos4651]

Brilliant video. Love a hat. Very interesting 👌

[@joemedley195]

I’ve long been a fan of the Fedora. Thanks for the vid. (Also nice to see my home represented. Go KCMO!

[@beanixdorf6977]

Wow, thanks for the info. I’ve always loved the fedora

[@rvail136]

I have 3 fedoras. A formal black one i wear to Schul. A battered brown one ive had for 30 years, and a straw one. All are Stetsons. Despite films, one uses the brim to remove and handle the haat rather than the crown.

[@SusanHukel-rm4lg]

I'm female,but I think fedoras are cool.I had one in pink with a grey hat band.I loved how it looked.

[@JeremiahsFiles]

I’ve always recognized Carmen Sandiego by her crimson fedora ever since I was very young. When Bert from Sesame Street danced to Doin’ The Pigeon, he wore a brown fedora with one of Big Bird’s feathers on it.

[@thomasbeach905]

Retro or not, it is eminently practical.

[@jamesewanchook2276]

you are a great presenter.... cheers from Vancouver!

[@CAP198462]

One cannot forget the image of the fedora as the “spy hat.” The black and white spies in the mad magazine comic Spy vs. Spy both wear fedoras. In addition the Linux Operating System has spins called Red hat and Fedora; both featuring art of a character wearing the fedora. Which reminds me, another notable fictional character who wears a fedora is Carmen Sandiego.

[@gatech69]

My father always wore a Fedora, and overcoat as he would walk to the bus stop, it was a picture of him walking home that I would always remember., he passed many years ago, I still have his Fedora ❤

[@petem7118]

When all the men in my family wore hats I used to play with them from the coat stand when they visited…. My lasting memory is just how soft they were but how deceptively heavy they were compared to how they looked…..

[@davidkermes376]

my father resisted wearing hats unless it was quite cold outside. he was an army officer during ww ii, and i think he hated headgear due to the regimentation. he had originally been a reluctant draftee, and although he was eventually sent to officer training school i don't think he ever really felt comfortable with uniforms. he didn't talk about his service time, and when he was retired from his reserve obligation i was surprised to learn of it. between the advent of family automobiles and the end of ww ii i suspect a lot of men decided they'd never wear head gear again.

[@pbingre]

Well done!

[@logandavis4719]

Been waiting for this one! Are those two hats custom? Or are they factory makes? Either way there both good but my personal hat taste is vintage fedoras with those boxy crown and wide brims like the second one you wear. I have a Barbisio and let me tell you its real soft rabbit and has a hairy look. I should get it checked out by a pro cause I swear it could be crushable.

[@hathistorianjc]

Nice. These two are factory makes, by Stetson and Herbert Johnson respectively. The boxy crown is cool, though I do feel the lower one fits my face shape slightly better

[@alexrosen4357]

@@hathistorianjc Is the Herbert Johnson Poet in the video the "Raiders Turn" model?

[@bioux101]

I'm loving your videos. One comment though, it seemed to me that some of the thin brimmed 'Fedoras' you featured were actually Trilby's(not the lame guy patterned hats!!)

[@robertreynolds1044]

I've been wearing an Indiana Jones style fedora for over twenty years, greeting people with Howdy! My name is Bicycle Bob and I approved this message.

[@RamblinRick_]

Just discovered your channel and am binge-watching. I've always wanted to wear a fedora. However, my view was that it MUST be worn with a suit jacket or vest. Can't be worn with just a shirt (especially short-sleeve). Glad you agree that the suit jacket is a requirement. I don't wear suits. Haven't for a couple decades since leaving the workforce as an IT project manager.

[@thecharlemagnekid9997]

Its no coincidence that a hat which symbolizes stylishness class and sex appeal was appropriated by people who lack all of those things. The desire to look classy is driven by insecurity about ones own class. Dont just dress like a gentleman act like one.

[@bowen13]

I dont think wanting to look classy is all about insecurity, people like to look nice

[@kdeltatube]

Revive the Fedora tradition!!

[@johnmurdoch8534]

I wear a fedora of the vintage type basically daily. The look is timeless. I hate how hats today are relegated to affectation..i like how hats and suits were just what a man wore ..my grandfather was aome country farmer yet he wore that and oftentimes a suit and this was hardly him being a dandy

[@toddd7444]

great videoooooooooooooo

[@MultiTomcat67]

I got lucky finding my fedora (new) at a flea market soon after the economy dropped. It's brown, something like that archeologist's, but with a braided leather band. Good for sun & rain protection most of the year but too hot for S. California summers.

[@HNXMedia]

The actions of people wearing certain clothes should never be imparted onto the clothes themselves or the designer. If so, Hugo Boss would not even exist.

[@davidward5225]

Well done

[@KarlWitsman]

Well said, Sir. Well said. The fedora deserves more good attention.

[@Shoehandler1142]

I started wearing fedoras 4 years ago and the benefits couldn’t have been more awesome: Sun out of your eyes so you can see No rain or snow getting to your eyes Looks amazing when dressed accordingly (don’t wear with a graphic tee or shorts please!) Keeps your head warm in winter and cool in summer And makes a excellent conversation starter As a plus, for my adhd crowd, it’s a great fidget toy as long as you keep it reasonable.

[@JeffLarkin]

I wear my fedoras almost daily and regardless of my outfit. I love the way they fit and look and it's always easy to pick me out in a crowd. I'll acknowledge that they work best with a nice suit, but I rarely even wear a collar, much less a jacket. Thanks for the history lesson.

[@1977TA]

A video is about the stylish and classy fedora is not complete without mentioning Dick Tracy. His signature yellow fedora and matching overcoat make him look badass.

[@zacarivelasco2752]

NGL this man's style in every video is fucking impeccable, I wish to one day be so effortlessly stylish

[@Tinker1950]

Obviously failed, right at the very start.

[@christopherlyons5900]

The king of hats. And to this day, peasant that I am, I can't carry it off. Maybe a Homburg?

[@lynnglidewell7367]

I have many Fedoras and wear them regularly on both casual and dress occasions.

[@JewishKeto]

I love wearing a fedora. They are elegant and it breaks my heart seeing fewer men wearing them

[@dodgeman777]

The only hat I can think of that has a paranormal entity attached to it

[@webluver]

Out of curiosity, you mentioned in the video how a well-fitted hat will help the wearer look better, and a poor-fitted hat look worse. Have you any sort of knowledge on how a hat SHOULD be fitted? Is there a science or style guide to how certain hats should be worn for different faces, body types, etc.

[@hathistorianjc]

there are some resources around. Here is one video example kzbin.info/www/bejne/aGrXlJmBfLGUrrc

[@dandeshane5991]

Nothing says classy style like a snappy chapeau !

[@jamesewanchook2276]

Good channel...

[@djohawkeyes4776]

you are such a nerd, i love it

[@Wilkins_Micawber]

Back when I was 16 I had a trilby. I had another back in the early 2000s. I now wear a flat cap on colder days changing to a Panama that I love wearing when appropriate.

[@skeptigal4626]

I think the fedora is really becoming and practical.

[@VanRamsey]

It's sad that today it's just about impossible to find a GOOD LOOKING, affordable fedora. The brims are too FLAT and mushy and they don't "snap" to the right shape, and the crowns aren't high enough. I want that Dana Andrews vibe. I want that Dan Duryea style. Or as close as I can get; I know they look better on some heads than on mine. Great show!

[@lawrencelewis2592]

Andrews? Duryea? You have good sense as well as taste.

[@johnn58]

I have never found a hat that looks good on me.

[@RogerOThornhill]

Actually the fedora first came back before it had completely faded away. Even as some older men wore fedoras into the early 70s, some in the hippie movement, perhaps inspired by the counterculture touchstone "Bonnie and Clyde", reappropriated the hat, sometimes ironically, and this trend continued with rock star types, as well as smart dressers (the 1970s was the peak nostalgia era for 30s-40s movies and especially their tough guy heroes like Bogart and Cagney). The Blues Brothers were merely 2 in a long line of 70s/80s hipsters that dared to wear the fedora as a beautiful piece of "costume".

[@ek-nz]

Oddly enough, just about every hat stand outside a chemist and rack of hats in a surf shop in my city today is full of fedoras, often with quite wide brims these days. I bought a cheap one as a sun hat this summer. I’ve worn fedoras for ages, and my favourite came from Harrods in 2006 (came home with a few hats from that trip) but they used to be quite hard to get. I got quite a nice “Indy” one at an indoor market in Sydney in around 2014.

[@jimmydesouza4375]

I feel sorry for that M'lady guy. Imagine that being what you're known for.