Types of Hats (courtsey of Biltmore Hats)

The Fedora                 The fedora, named for the Victorian Sardou melodrama of 1882 (Fedora written for Sarah Bernhardt), is perhaps the most versatile of hats. It is appropriate for casual or eveningwear. When first introduced, a fedora was a soft felt hat with a crown that was low and tapered and creased lengthwise with a permanently rolled brim. Today. however, most fedoras have a medium width snap brim (a flexible brim that can be snapped up or adjusted down), with up to two inches of band around the crown. The Fedora we make is sold in in many qualities of fur felt and it is available in many styles It is also available in approximately 20 colours, varying from Black to Winter White including a vast array of up-to-date fashion colours. The hat is also available in many straw qualities.

The Homburg                 The Homburg –named for the German resort spa and resort town of the same name was originally manufactured at Bad Homburg, Germany. A soft, elegant, felt hat with tapered, creased crown and rolled brim that has a bound edge. The British version was made popular by the Prince of Wales. And later Edward VII of England from 1901 to 1910, who went to Germany for the spa. Popularity if the hat revived in the 1930’s, 1940’s, and 1950’s. Worn by British Prime Minister, Anthony Eden, Dwight D. Eisenhower wore it for his inauguration as President of the United States in 1953.

The Porkpie                 The porkpie, or English pastry hat, received its name from the groove surrounding the flattened top of the crown (hence the English pastry allusion). Normally constructed with a snap brim, they were made for the college market in the mid-1930s and were later popularized by Fred Astaire and Cary Grant. They have long been associated with sporting events, especially horse racing, and therefore meant for casual wear.

The Derby                 The derby, named for the Earl of Derby who commissioned it, is a dressy, stylish hat that gives it wearer a definite British flavour. Also known as the bowler, for its English inventor, or the coke hat, for Bill Coke, the early sponsor of the hat.

The Tyrolean                 The genuine Tyrolean hat (from the Tyrol region of Austria) was originally made popular in the 1930’s, but there was a resurgence of interest in it with the Ivy League look of the 1950’s. It has a cord band and plumage and is, once again, most appropriate for casual or sports wear. This is one hat that lends itself particularly to customizing, with its wearer able to dress it up with feathers, pins, and the like.

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