Hats have been a staple fashion accessory for men since the early 20th century and remain highly popular even today. Although it is not a must-have accessory like it used to be up to the 1960s, men would rarely venture out of their home without a hat. Men still consider hats, especially the fedora hats, to give completeness to their outfits. Despite being traditional, fedoras are still the favorite of both men and women who depend on the appeal of the stylish and sleek appearance of the hats that raises the fashion quotient.
The appeal of fedoras is quite understandable from its long history since the 1880s when the hat made its first appearance on the stage worn by an actress Sarah Bernhardt while portraying the role of Princess Fedora Romanov in the play named Fedora. The hat was an instant hit with the female audience, and women are still in awe of the timeless appeal of fedoras. Although the dimensions of the traditional hat have changed with time, if you look at the straw fedora hat womens, you will discover that the basic design features of the center creased and soft brimmed hats are still intact.
Fedoras linked to women’s rights movement
On looking closely at the design features of fedoras, the masculine undertones become pretty evident, but what started as women’s hats gained much more popularity due to wide patronization by women. Suffragettes and the women’s rights activists of the late nineteenth century adopted it widely as a symbol of assertiveness and liberation. It impressed the general women so much that they started wearing fedoras to enhance their fashion. Finally, fedoras became a defining symbol of the women’s rights movement that helped create a class of its own among fashion lovers. Despite being a much wanted unisex fashion accessory, fedora hats have a much deeper connection with women.
The distinctive marks of Fedora
Although the typical Fedora design is not unique and its close resemblance with the trilby hats can often be somewhat confusing when used by men. The most glaring difference between fedora and trilby are the brims. While the trilby has brims with shorter edges with a slight upward tilt at the back, fedoras have wide flat brims. The style of wearing the hats is also significantly different. Fedoras protect the face from the glaring sun by providing a shade due to its wide brim. Naturally, wearing it more towards the front of the head is the norm, whereas a trilby hat is pushed further back, making the forehead more visible.
Fedora hat materials
Durable felt or cotton has been the staple choice of Americanhatmakers.com for making fedora hats for years because these can stand in all kinds of weather conditions. Fedora hat materials remained true to the tradition for many years, but to meet the demand of the changing times, straw fedoras are also quite popular nowadays. Since comfort is the prime consideration in selecting hat materials and as people are now moving a lot, the preference for lightweight and foldable materials has been the reason for choosing straw to make fedora hats. In addition, the softness of straw fedoras makes them easy to fold and pack it quickly in a backpack while traveling.
Fedoras are always relevant
It is no mean feat for any hat style to last for more than 150 years, as demonstrated by the fedoras. It only points to the timeless appeal that it holds for both men and women. Men hijacked the style from women and made it their own during the 20th century that carried over to the new millennium with the same zeal. The popularity of fedoras received a boost in the 21st century as influencers and celebrities started endorsing it widely, thus enabling it to draw the spotlight in the fashion world.
Convenience and grace
Besides the style, fedoras are popular because of their size, neither too big nor too small. Coupled with the ease of wearing puts the hat much ahead of other hats in the popularity list. The size of the hat makes its handling easy, and you would never feel any inconvenience to carry the hat in hand when not wearing it. In addition, the soft materials used for making fedoras perfectly complement the tender and soft feminine qualities that make the hats most attractive to women who enjoy its cozy comfort that offers considerable protection from the sun.
The ideal fedora for women must have the traits and features that define feminine fashion with a broader but softer brim that seems to the perfect hybrid between the floppy and the classic fedora. In addition, those spending more time under the sky can enjoy more sun protection from straw fedora hats with wide brims that provides shade to the entire face that even might extend up to the shoulders if the brim is wide enough.
