Why the Indiana Jones hat?

[Tango Yankee]

For some reason this morning I started wondering about why the Indiana Jones hat was the one that got a lot of people interested in wearing hats again back in the '80s, and why it's expected to cause another hat-wearing fad after the next movie comes out.

Any movie set in the '50s or earlier has hats. In the '70s there was "The Sting", with Robert Redford and Paul Newman both wearing fedoras. Both were popular actors, but there wasn't a demand for a Paul Newman hat. Too close to the '60s? Gene Hackman as Popeye Doyle wore a cool porkpie in "The French Connection" but still, not upsurge in hat wearing--perhaps because he was "the Man" and again, it was too close to the '60s.

Perhaps that's not it. In 2002 Tom Hanks wore a great hat in "The Road to Perdition" but there wasn't an upsurge in hat wearing in response to the movie.

Was it the marketing? Someone was smart enough to decide to license official Indiana Jones hats, and people bought them. Did marketing fuel a demand for the hat, or was the hat marketed in response to demand?

Did the hat simply strike a chord in wanna-be adventurers who realized that if they couldn't be an adventurer they could at least have a cool hat?

Was it because it was seen that you didn't necessarily have to wear a suit and tie to wear a fedora?

Why that hat?

(Apologies if this has been discussed before. I did a bit of a search, but with almost 500 threads I wasn't able to go through them all... )

Cheers,
Tom

 

[Spellflower]

I think you've listed some good reasons. Personally, I've always been a bit annoyed at the association, and didn't even think of IJ's hat as being a fedora until I started shopping for my first fedora and found that almost every hat store online has something they're claiming is an IJ hat.

As for why IJ, well, it's not just that he wears a hat, it's that his hat is his trademark, like Luke Skywalker's light saber. A lot of people seem to really like the idea of playing at being a character, especially now that it's become more acceptable for adults. Some people spend ridiculous amounts of money on recreation light sabers, some buy hats. The hats are a way for fans to have the fun of pretending to be someone else more exciting/brave/dashing/adventurous than themselves, but in a more subtle way than wearing a suit of armor or a star trek uniform.

Also, this particular hat is pretty versatile in terms of dress and functional in terms of elements.

 

[RBH]

Bottom line...

Indiana Jones is just cool!

 

[Kaosharper1]

Timing

Like the movie itself, the timing was right. The Lucas/Speilberg movies came out when the country had just gone through some bad times. Movies weren't escapist, or even very stylized. Raiders was a FUN movie when we didn't have too many except for Star Wars, but we couldn't go to work wearing a light saber. At the same time there was a resurgence at that time in men's fashion, particularly for the Golden Era. Bogie movies became popular in $3 movie houses along with the Marx Brothers and WC Fields starting in the mid 1970s. So the IJ hat was a symbol of that time (Its no coincidence that the Raiders hat is similar to the Maltese Falcon hat). Its kind of like Beatlemania. The quality was high and the timing was right so many wanted to be a part of it. We couldn't carry bull whips so people focused on the hat!

 

[jake_fink]

And Batman movies cause more people to wear rubber capes... Don't they?

 

[ideaguy]

My 2 cents- I think you hit it hard when you said "wanna be adventurers..."
we all want to be someone we're not, in some little way, and as RBH simply put it-"Indy Jones is just cool!"- it's the slam-bang, thrill a minute macho hero wiseacre who just so happens to wear a very carefully choreographed outfit to match his derring-do-and an outfit that we can piece together and not look like we're playing a part-although after the movie hits the screen, you'll hear
"Hey INDY!" if you dare appear anywhere with a brown Fedora and leather jacket...such is the communal mindset. [huh]

 

[Art Fawcett]

(Its no coincidence that the Raiders hat is similar to the Maltese Falcon hat).

Not to be argumentative Kaosharper, but I don't see any similarity in the two hats other than they are both felt. IJ- 5 3/4 crown, center dent with high tight pinches ending in a razor sharp crease at the front, 16 ligne ribbon, 2 3/4 raw brim with an almost never done dimensional cut to 2 1/2 on the sides VS 5 3/4 crown, deep diamond crease with no head "bump", approx 2 3/8 brim, conventional meeting of the pinches at front...I just don't agree with your statement.

As for the original question, I agree with the "adventurer" theory in that most of us, once we grow up, live rather rote & mundane lives. We need to to make headway in life, so this just gives us the chance to be the "kid" we all see in the mirror.

 

[indycop]

I also think the wearing of that hat without the suit appealed more to the non suit wearers than something like road to perdition.[huh]

 

[Dixon Cannon]

Bottom line...

Indiana Jones is just cool!

That really is the answer, RBH. Harrison Ford found a character that brings out the best in his abilities as an actor and that 'character' does strike a chord with men and women alike. For those that are drawn to the look and feel of the era, that hat is the finishing touch. I certainly went out and bought one - wore it all over Europe on an extended vacation.

To those who aren't particularly taken by the Golden Era themselves, that hat is the touchstone to the movie and the character 'Indy Jones', and it is that name and idea that comes to mind when they see us wearing "big hat with brim" - "Hey! Indy Jones!"

Whether we thank Indy or loath him, he's the guy that cracked open the hat consciousness of America (and the world) and whether we like it or not, in the eyes of many, we're "big hat with brim - Hey! Indy Jones!"

-dixon 'Indy' cannon

 

[Dixon Cannon]

Well said IG....

My 2 cents- I think you hit it hard when you said "wanna be adventurers..."
we all want to be someone we're not, in some little way, and as RBH simply put it-"Indy Jones is just cool!"- it's the slam-bang, thrill a minute macho hero wiseacre who just so happens to wear a very carefully choreographed outfit to match his derring-do-and an outfit that we can piece together and not look like we're playing a part-although after the movie hits the screen, you'll hear
"Hey INDY!" if you dare appear anywhere with a brown Fedora and leather jacket...such is the communal mindset. [huh]

I too am a little tired of the "wanna be" slight. Let me tell you, my whole life I've been a kind of "wanna be", and by being such, much of what I've wanted, I've become - a pilot, a drummer, a photographer. There is still a great deal left that I "want to be" and I certainly intend to become. I like to think of us all as 'human becomings' instead of human beings! Wanna be?

-dixon cannon

 

[tonypaj]

And Batman movies cause more people to wear rubber capes... Don't they?

I have a cape. Not rubber, but a cape nonetheless. I like Batman, he was my hero when I was a kid, and I always wanted a black cape. Mine is brown, though, and made of wool. And anyway, my 5-year old daughter thinks Superman can beat Batman easy. And Superman also has a cape. And I have a fedora. And I have worn the cape and the fedora together. I guess I am Clark Batmana Jones... End of stream of consciousness for now...

 

[Spellflower]

What I object to is the presumption that anybody wearing a brown fedora (no, it doesn't have to be wide brimmed) is aping IJ. If you "wanna be" a fictional character, fine, but I want to be myself. When I wear my hats, that's who I'm being.

I know I can't keep people from making the associations, but I still think they're absurd. Imagine if you couldn't play the guitar without someone saying, "Hey Hendrix! You're playing the guitar just like Hendrix! You must wanna be just like Hendrix man!" Or if you couldn't ride a motorcycle without people calling you "James Dean." Ridiculous.

 

[Kaosharper1]

Not to be argumentative Kaosharper, but I don't see any similarity in the two hats other than they are both felt. IJ- 5 3/4 crown, center dent with high tight pinches ending in a razor sharp crease at the front, 16 ligne ribbon, 2 3/4 raw brim with an almost never done dimensional cut to 2 1/2 on the sides VS 5 3/4 crown, deep diamond crease with no head "bump", approx 2 3/8 brim, conventional meeting of the pinches at front...I just don't agree with your statement.

As for the original question, I agree with the "adventurer" theory in that most of us, once we grow up, live rather rote & mundane lives. We need to to make headway in life, so this just gives us the chance to be the "kid" we all see in the mirror.

Yes. In the details that's true and, of course, you know all of that better than I would. I suppose I should have said general characteristics of 1930s hats with the tall straight crown and fairly tight pinch compared to contemporary hats that I meant. It's really just an impression. Until I started reading this group I didn't realize the difference in the various Indy movies, let alone the difference with the Maltese Falcon. To tell the truth, I could be thinking of Casablanca.

Anyway, I was 32 when Raiders came out and I remember thinking that fedoras would be cool to wear again even though I had always been a fan of old movies.

 

[Kaosharper1]

Casablanca vs. Raiders

I was thinking of Casablanca. Sorry for the confusion. See below:

http://www.imdb.com/media/rm496867328/tt0034583

 

[Spatterdash]

I'll make another observation in the same vein as the other folks, but mine is a little more basic.

It's the kids. A whole slew of kids saw a guy who..

A.) Swung on a whip. How frikkin' cool is that?
B.) Punched bad guys real hard, real LOUD. When Indy punched a guy, it sounded like a wooden paddle slapping a side of beef... heh!
C.) Was educated, booksmart, but still the slickest character in the movie.
D.) He got hurt, he got punched a lot, he got shot, he got robbed, but (big appeal to teens and juveniles, here) the guy just would not give up.

That's a recipe for primal hero worship. I make the case that Indiana Jones was the John Wayne figure of my generation. He's our screen hero. He was the daredevil cowboy for those of us who didn't live in cattle country.
Kids emulate.
We (kids in the early 80's) had no idea what a fedora was. Frankly, the hat Indy wore looked very different to those of Eliot Ness or Dick Tracy, but those of us who really wanted a hat like that hat figured out what it was soon enough, and where it hailed from.

It was bittersweet to realize that for many of us, Jones wore our Father's hat, our grandfathers hat.

Now, learning about the hat is easier, and the internet can provide all the answers for newly enthused fedora fans.
And, with Johnny Depp making a Dillinger film next year, it's just lookin' good for fedoras all over the place.

 

[Marcus Brody]

Indiana Jones was just one of many reasons why I like fedoras. I think fedoras in general made somewhat of a comeback due to the release of several movies set in or around that time period. However, I think the Indiana Jones fedora became the most recognized because it easily was the most easy to recognize fedora ever made due to its extreme features. The hat and character were meant to be iconic, so that's why it's the most remembered.

 

[Tango Yankee]

For whatever reason, it certainly did strike a chord. I was in my 20s in the '80s and was wearing baseball caps, driving caps (or walking caps or whatever a flat-type cap is called) and Gable-style hats made of that cotton twill stuff. I did buy an official IJ hat back then, but mostly because I liked how I looked in it and there weren't any other hats to be had where I was--at least, not where a hat-ignorant 2o-something would normally be shopping.

During that time I wound up with a second wool fedora, this one in white. It got dirty, I took it to a dry cleaner that cleaned hats, and it came back clean and white--no crease. I, being hat-ignorant, didn't realize that I could and was expected to crease it myself. They'd also put a large feather in the band, and the thing looked to me for all the world like a (shudder) "pimp hat". In retrospect I feel sorry for the counter clerk I ranted at for not getting my hat back in the same shape I turned it in, but I don't think she knew I could change the shape myself, either. I don't know what happened to that hat; I still have the Indy, though.

Too bad the marketing folks for other hat-intensive movies don't try marketing versions of the hats worn in those movies. Anyone want a "Michael Sulivan" fedora?

And yes, I gotta agree.... Indiana Jones is cool! lol

Cheers,
Tom

 

[Tango Yankee]

A.) Swung on a whip. How frikkin' cool is that?

My dad told me that as a young man he worked in the stockyards in Kansas City. A tool of the trade, of course, was a bull whip. He said he got pretty good with it.

After work he and his buddy would go hit a bar, my dad's whip on his shoulder. His buddy would start talking to another guy, bragging about how good my dad was until he got a crowd going. He'd be bugging my dad to give a demonstration, but Dad would tell him he just wanted to relax and have his drink.

After enough money was on the table (his buddy having claimed that my dad could snap a lit cigarette from his mouth with the whip) Dad would finally agree. They'd go outside, his buddy would light a cigarette and puff on it with my dad a whip's length away, and Dad would snap it out of his mouth. They'd collect their winnings, and go to the next bar. lol

All I could think of is that's a heck of a lot of trust that guy had in my dad's abilities!

Cheers,
Tom

 

[Pat_H]

For some reason this morning I started wondering about why the Indiana Jones hat was the one that got a lot of people interested in wearing hats again back in the '80s, and why it's expected to cause another hat-wearing fad after the next movie comes out.

Any movie set in the '50s or earlier has hats. In the '70s there was "The Sting", with Robert Redford and Paul Newman both wearing fedoras. Both were popular actors, but there wasn't a demand for a Paul Newman hat. Too close to the '60s? Gene Hackman as Popeye Doyle wore a cool porkpie in "The French Connection" but still, not upsurge in hat wearing--perhaps because he was "the Man" and again, it was too close to the '60s.

Perhaps that's not it. In 2002 Tom Hanks wore a great hat in "The Road to Perdition" but there wasn't an upsurge in hat wearing in response to the movie.

Was it the marketing? Someone was smart enough to decide to license official Indiana Jones hats, and people bought them. Did marketing fuel a demand for the hat, or was the hat marketed in response to demand?

Did the hat simply strike a chord in wanna-be adventurers who realized that if they couldn't be an adventurer they could at least have a cool hat?

Was it because it was seen that you didn't necessarily have to wear a suit and tie to wear a fedora?

Why that hat?

(Apologies if this has been discussed before. I did a bit of a search, but with almost 500 threads I wasn't able to go through them all... )

Cheers,
Tom

Interesting question.

I think the first movie thing that caused me to take note of Fedoras was in fact a movie, but another one you mentioned, that being The Sting.

I think with Indiana Jones it is simply that the character is larger than life and cool. They're fun movies, so people were intrigued by the character and what he wore. Somewhere I even saw a reference to his shoes being used in a marketing item.

 

[Pat_H]

I think you've listed some good reasons. Personally, I've always been a bit annoyed at the association, and didn't even think of IJ's hat as being a fedora until I started shopping for my first fedora and found that almost every hat store online has something they're claiming is an IJ hat.

As for why IJ, well, it's not just that he wears a hat, it's that his hat is his trademark, like Luke Skywalker's light saber. A lot of people seem to really like the idea of playing at being a character, especially now that it's become more acceptable for adults. Some people spend ridiculous amounts of money on recreation light sabers, some buy hats. The hats are a way for fans to have the fun of pretending to be someone else more exciting/brave/dashing/adventurous than themselves, but in a more subtle way than wearing a suit of armor or a star trek uniform.

Also, this particular hat is pretty versatile in terms of dress and functional in terms of elements.

I also find the association somewhat annoying. I like the films, but the "Indy Hat" association is slightly irritating.

All the more so as the original purpose in having the character wear the hat was purposely to draw an association with 1930s vintage serial movies. In those films, the protagonist never takes his hat off, so that they could edit the films cheaply by not having to remember which scenes the character had a hat on, or off. The movie originally intentionally used the Fedora to draw an association with 30s serials, but did so effectively that people now associate the Fedora with Indiana Jones.