Anyone who knows me knows that I am inspired substantially by the pop culture and fashions of the 1980s. Take one scroll through the playlist on my iPod and you’ll be flooded with all of the anthems of the time (Michael Jackson, Prince and Cyndi Lauper to name a few). From acid-washed denim, to Buddy Holly inspired large-framed glasses, neon-colored windbreakers and gargantuan sized “MC Hammer” pants–I love it all.
Luckily for me, majority of those looks have come back full force. Maybe not as “cheesy” as they were once seen, but a bit more toned down and modern for the time. One look that I’ve taken a hold of–and refuse to let go of–is the classic fedora hat.
The fedora was originally made popular in the 1950s by Gene Kelly, made cool again in the 1980s by singers like Michael Jackson and then brought back to life once again with the help of stars like Justin Timberlake in the new millennium.
For me, the hat serves a multitude of purposes. Not only is it stylish and fashionable–it’s quite versatile. I can be completely dressed down in jeans (acid-washed of course), a sweater and combats then throw the fedora on for good fun. Or I can be semi-casual in a pair of dress pants, collared button-down shirt and suspenders and still add the hat to be a little quirky.
And then the fedora is also great for “bad hair days”–which I happen to have a lot of. Since I have a shorter cut with bangs, the hat just seems to work perfectly. And if you wear it at a tilt, just covering the back of your head–it doesn’t look like you’re trying to hide what’s underneath.
Fedoras come in all shapes and sizes, literally. But I choose to stick to the original, classic look. This includes a brim that trails around the entire crown of the hat with a crease down the length of it. Sometimes the hat can have a band around it and be creased in various different styles, including the teardrop, diamond and center. They’re usually made of felt, but ones made of straw are becoming increasingly popular.
Any which way you get it, the fedora is a style just about anybody can pull off–male or female– and is definitely a staple in my closet.