Sunday, May 18, 2014
Q. You used the term "snap-brim fedora" when you were writing about Mad Men styles, so I'll bite -- what is a snap-brim fedora as opposed to others? And in this retro return to fedoras in Mad Men and other TV shows, are there varieties that are more or less current? Also, at 45, would I be pushing "hipster" with one?
A. A snap-brim fedora is the term for a dress hat with a brim that can be snapped down in front, a la Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca.
It is not specifically styled in one way. The brim can be turned up or down -- which is what the "snap" really is. (Do not imagine an actual snap to be attached or a sharp fold. It is similar to turning up your shirt collar.) The hat is often stored "up" all the way around (with the brim curved upward, not flat) and then shaped or formed by the wearer to suit his preference. It's usually worn softly creased on top, with the brim turned up in the back and down in the front. It is "snapped" down by hand for wearing, and you can snap it back up when you put it away. Some fedoras are more rigid, but most have snap brims. Western hats don't.
During the last century, essentially ending around the "Mad Men era" of the 1960s, just about every man wore a dress hat. I'm sorry that men's hats are much less common these days. This swing of the pendulum away from wearing hats came about for a number of reasons.
As most men began to own cars, they discovered their hats bumped into the ceiling of the car and were inconvenient.
Men were paying more attention to their hairstyles and found that hats destroyed the "look" they had worked so hard and paid so much to achieve.
The new popularity of casual dressing quickly made hats obsolete. Fedoras are meant to be worn with suits, shirts and ties, and tend to look incongruous with jeans or chinos.
On the other hand, there are strong reasons for a man to consider wearing a dress hat.
They keep you warm.
They keep you dry in wet weather.
If you are lazy about applying sunscreen, they provide protection from the sun.
When men start to lose their hair, a hat makes them look younger.
They have an air of difference and distinction.
Women love them.
Most fedoras are made of felt, but wearers should switch to straw after Memorial Day. Some more rigid hats are already pre-shaped, but most are meant to be slightly shaped to your preference. A couple of years ago, hip guys were wearing very small, narrow brims. Today's brims are getting a bit wider. But what is most important is that everything balances and is in proportion. When men's clothing silhouettes get wider (wider suit jacket lapels, shoulder padding, wider ties, etc.), everything should fit the look. As styles get narrower and slimmer, again, everything should be in proportion and harmonize with the more slender look.
As to hat bands, feathers are somewhat "old hat," but ribbon bands are very popular and very important. Actually, the hat band is where the personality can come into play. Ribbon hat bands may be quite elaborate; some even have a bow in a different color or fabric from the rest of the band.
Men's hats are a personal preference: They can be a practical way to keep you warm, a camouflage way to cover hair loss, or a way to express your individuality. A big reason that women love them is that they set you apart from the crowd. A hat projects a slight air of mystery and sex appeal. Do not worry that, at 45, you will be pushing hipster styles if you wear one. A man's hat is not connected to age. It is more a sign of his self-confidence.
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High Profile on 05/18/2014