A Lesson on Hats

Fedoras are gaining in popularity here. In our tropical climate, any hat is a good bet when outdoors.

Wikipedia says: A fedora is a felt hat most commonly worn by men (but women wear it too nowadays).

The hat is typically creased lengthwise down the crown and "pinched" in the front on both sides. Fedoras can also be creased with teardrop crowns, diamond crowns, center dents, and others, and the positioning of pinches can vary. The typical crown height is 4.5 inches (11.4 centimeters).

The brim is usually approximately 2.5 inches (6.3 centimeters) wide, but may be wider, can be left "raw edged" (left as cut), finished with a sewn overwelt or underwelt, or bound with a trim-ribbon.

The term fedora was in use as early as 1891. Its popularity soared, and eventually it eclipsed the similar-looking Homburg (explanation on this to follow).

Fedoras can be found in nearly any color, but black, grey, tan ("fawn"), and dark brown are the most popular. The fedora as a personal statement has made impacts on American and global culture: Indiana Jones popularized his fedora in the Indiana Jones franchise. In music, Michael Jackson frequently wore a fedora in public appearances, concerts and video clips.

A Homburg is a formal felt hat characterized by a single dent running down the center of the crown (called a "gutter crown"), a stiff brim shaped in a "kettle curl" and a bound edge trim.

The Homburg is made from stiff felt and has a grosgrain hatband and brim trim. The original Homburg was of slightly more generous proportions than the modern version.

Here's an image of Hugo Resinger holding a fashionable grey Homburg hat, 1907. Painting by Anders Zorn.

And now we come to Kangol Caps.

Kangol is a clothing company famous for its headwear. Founded by Jaques Spreiregen in 1938 in Cleator, Cumbria, England, Kangol produced hats for workers, golfers, and especially soldiers. They were the major beret suppliers to the armed forces during World War II. The name Kangol is derived from the K from silk, the ANG from angora, the OL from wool. Kangol products have graced the heads of the rich and famous, including the Beatles and Arnold Palmer, and later Princess Diana.

Here's a picture of Samuel L. Jackson wearing a Kangol cap/beret at the San Diego ComicCon 2008. As Jules Winnfield, he wore a Kangol upside down in the movie Pulp Fiction.

Source: Wikipedia