Did fedoras originate with the "upper class"?

[Celia]

I know it's been discussed before, and the historical information on the name Fedora can be found easily, but I still thought Colonel Adams' post was interesting in its own right. From reading the forum and seeing historical information, I had assumed the name Fedora has been used colloquially for soft felt men's hats in the USA for a long time, while his post contradicts that. What is the experience of others from the same generation? Is it a regional thing?

In the UK the name fedora is seen as an Americanism, it only started getting used pretty recently. My English "fedora" is still called a trilby there by my old milliner. On the European continent where the first language is not English the word is rarely used at all, and people often still don't know what it means. In Germany I've heard people say "bogarthut", or just "herrenhut" (gentlemen's hat) or "filzhut" (felt hat), and in a few countries I've heard people refer to the style as Borsalinos, regardless of the make.

 

[alanfgag]

I know it's been discussed before, and the historical information on the name Fedora can be found easily, but I still thought Colonel Adams' post was interesting in its own right.

Agreed, Celia... and the thread I referenced is a fascinating read and a good place to bring up new discussion. The Fedora Lounge is notoriously difficult to search, more so if you don't know a topic exists in the first place. Just suggesting to ask on the "ask a question" thread so we can help direct the conversation to an existing thread without adding a new one to the 15,000+ in the hat forum. ;^)

 

[sebastian czentner]

As i see it, doesnt care much about the time that the term was used. In Argentina the fedora was called "Gacho", meanwhile the tipical "porteño" Hat funyi. Both hats where designed about the same time, the Fedora in 1885 for the Bernhadt play by Borsalino. And the Funyi in 1895 by an italian inmigrant in Buenos aires named Maxxera. As far i know. The trilby i think its arround the same time for an English play, i believe.

 

[Celia]

Agreed, Celia... and the thread I referenced is a fascinating read and a good place to bring up new discussion. The Fedora Lounge is notoriously difficult to search, more so if you don't know a topic exists in the first place. Just suggesting to ask on the "ask a question" thread so we can help direct the conversation to an existing thread without adding a new one to the 15,000+ in the hat forum. ;^)

Oh, I don't disagree with you at all, the thread you linked to is definitely a good starting point for the OP, it provides the historical information he's asking for and is a good read. I was not saying this thread shouldn't be merged with an existing one, just picking up on an what I thought to be an interesting point in the mean time.

 

[Doctor Strange]

I was definitely aware of the term "fedora" as a kid hat collector in the mid-sixties. Of course, to my parents' generation it was typically just "hat" with no further specification required. But as the evidence shows, the term goes way back, even if its usage has waxed and waned in different places and times.

But I don't recall seeing "trilby" used on this side of the pond before the eighties. Of course, it's from an 1890s play too, the one that introduced "Svengali."

("It's like he's some kind of Svenjolly!" - Elaine on Seinfeld)

Celia: if/when you have come here daily for over fifteen years, you may have less patience for seeing new posts for things that have been discussed frequently. Just sayin'...

 

[Celia]

I was definitely aware of the term "fedora" as a kid hat collector in the mid-sixties. Of course, to my parents' generation it was typically just "hat" with no further specification required. But as the evidence shows, the term goes way back, even if its usage has waxed and waned in different places and times.

But I don't recall seeing "trilby" used on this side of the pond before the eighties. Of course, it's from an 1890s play too, the one that introduced "Svengali."

("It's like he's some kind of Svenjolly!" - Elaine on Seinfeld)

Celia: if/when you have come here daily for over fifteen years, you may have less patience for seeing new posts for things that have been discussed frequently. Just sayin'...

Thanks for adding your experience, both about the terminology and the forum. I totally understand it can be frustrating to see the same questions pop up again and again, but I think some people perhaps find it difficult to search the forum, so it's great that more experienced members point them in the right direction. I haven't started any new threads since I've been here (which admittedly is not very long), simply because I've always found an appropriate existing thread. But then I'm one of those people who enjoys browsing through pages and pages of information. I guess I have a lot of patience...

 

[mayserwegener]

I have never come across the term Fedora in any pre WWII European Hat Industry document (news papers, catalogs, ect). Same with Homburg other than PH. Möckel Hutfabrik, Homburg vor der Höhe calling all (Stiff and Soft Felt) their hats Homburg Hats.

 

[rogerstg]

Like Dr Strange mentioned, I suspect that in the 40s and 50s, it was just a hat since that was the most common style by far. In the 70s and on, a hat is a baseball cap, so we need a more descriptive term.

 

[GHT]

The "ask a question thread" would be a good place to ask this question. Your answer, with suggestions for good reading: http://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/fedoras-in-the-19th-century.48956/

Yo Colonel, this question - and a lot of the things you've been posting - have been discussed here many, many of times. Try doing some searches before you put up a new post like this, the Fedora Lounge is a long-running site with an amazingly vast amount of material.

Are the suggestions made above readily available, in some sort of do's & don'ts, for new members to familiarise themselves with? The knowledge of the Lounge members both of their insight and the way they can navigate around the site can feel quite intimidating to a newcomer, it's why I lurked on here for quite a long time. There is a most welcoming feel from members but it can still be intimidating to newbies, something akin to walking into a crowded party where you don't know a soul.

 

[mayserwegener]

The Hat Industry terms Soft Felt, Stiff Felt, Straw Hat are / were universal. For example Wool Stiff Felt Hat. Just translate to the specific language.