Fashion Accessory or Symbol of Power? The History of The Fedora

Author's Notes: This was a piece I wrote back in November of 2014. I wanted to revisit it and try to brush up some of the rough edges. As my love of the Fedora has only grown over the years.

I was given the opportunity in 2014 to get back in the music industry as a resident DJ in one of our local bars. I decided back then that I needed more then just my gender to make me stand out. Yes being a female DJ was a rarity, but  I wanted to come up with something that would help people remember me. Even if they couldn’t remember my name, I wanted an accessory that they could connect with and would be easy to spot from the DJ booth.  Something that not just anyone would wear but everyone would love or hate depending on their perspective.  This is how I came up with the idea to wear a fedora and DJ Fedora was born.

I really didn’t know much about  the Fedora except having seen it in movies about gangsters or on Indiana Jones. Yet I thought doing a job that is still mainly filled by males and wearing a hat society associates with powerful men would be funny and sexy at the same time. The hat was an instant success. I received compliments right away and almost every night. When someone new sees the Fedora it’s an instant, "I love your hat.” When the regular clientele spot it they usually say, “Hey it’s the Fedora” and ask to put in some song requests. I grew my collection from one Fedora to four back then and now I'm up to 15 and hope to get some more.

Still I’m a curious soul and I started to wonder about the hat I had upon my head. I wanted to know where the Fedora started, who wore the first one and how did it become such a fashionable accessory? I had to know more about the style I had come to love. The story of the Fedora went farther back in history and was more interesting then I expected.

The first time the word Fedora was used in history was in 1882 when Victorien Sardou wrote the play Fedora. He did this with the actress Sarah Bernhardt in mind. Bernhardt was known for playing both female and male roles and women idolized her for the power she seemed to exude over the stage. In 1889 Bernhardt starred in the lead role as Princess Fedora and part of her costume was a different styled hat, which we have come to know as the Fedora. The woman of the time loved the hat. It was very different to any of the very feminine styles that had come before and it’s popularity took off. They even adopted the Fedora as the symbol for the women’s rights movement.

I have to say I was surprised. I always found the Fedora style to be very masculine and yet I come to find out that not only did it start as a lady’s hat, but a symbol of feminine power to boot. So where did the switch occur to the media showcasing it as a predominantly male hat? Well it seems in 1924 Prince Edward of Britain decided he liked the hat’s style. The brim kept the rain and sun off his face and it was very practical yet stylish to wear with his suits. Other men agreed and soon the Fedora’s popularity skyrocketed. Now this occurred between 1920-1950 where prohibition and the gangsters the media love to make movies and TV shows about were powerful men. Women still wore the Fedora but since it didn’t suit the fancy dresses of the era sadly it faded away with the help of media portrayal of the fashion of the times.

Even men slowly stopped wearing the Fedora as times were changing and informal clothing was becoming more popular. So today’s hats like the ball cap or sun hat really show how are need for comfort killed style. Still the Fedora lives in movies and TV shows and from time to time a few stars like coach Tom Landry will bring it back. Yet in 2016 the Fedora really hit a huge backlash. Vice writer David Allegretti even wrote an article entitled ``I started wearing a Fedora to See if it Would Ruin my Life.`` Mind you none of the events he mentions really has anything remotely to do with the Fedora itself. You can read his article here https://www.vice.com/en_ca/article/8gevn4/i-bought-a-fedora-to-see-if-it-would-ruin-my-life.

I feel like the Fedora has gone through it`s ups and downs and all though it is not considered a fashionable hat anymore, in my mind it will always be part of the romanticized 40`s. If someone feels my hat is tacky or if they don`t understand why I chose to wear Fedoras, I`m quick to defend my choice. I know that this hat is complex and each one I own is unique like me. I am always ecstatic when I see someone else wearing a Fedora and will tell them how much I love their hat. I truly am happy to know I chose a hat with such a rich history. It has come full circle from Princess Fedora to DJ Fedora who will always wear it with pride knowing that it is actually a symbol of female power and not just a simple fashion accessory.

The Incidental Scribe Copy Write 2014