People often think that pork pie hats and fedoras are interchangeable terms because of their similar designs. But if you look into the smaller details, you will notice that they have so many differences, and this article will help you understand them.
Read further to learn more about the differences between a fedora and a pork pie hat.
What Is a Pork Pie Hat?
A pork pie hat is a round hat with a brim facing upwards and a flat crown. The pork pie hat got its name because of the similarity of its shape with the famous pastry that can be found in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire. Because of its form, the hat became popular with both men and women in the mid-19th century.
During the 19th century, men wore pork pie hats with ribbons flowing down the back. On the other hand, women wore tinier versions of pork pies and tipped them over their foreheads to accentuate the coiffures at the back of their heads.
Come early to the mid-20th century, pork pie hats became popular among famous actors and musicians. These big names include the likes of Buster Keaton, Dean Martin, and Lester Young. After that, this hat became popular again in the early 21st century when it was worn by Justin Timberlake, Sean Combs, and Brad Pit.
What Is a Fedora Hat?
On the other hand, a fedora is a type of hat with a teardrop shape, low-sitting crown, a short to medium-sized brim that usually curves up along the edges and runs all the way around the entire crown. Aside from that, fedora hats also have a hatband around the bottom of the crown that is either made of grosgrain ribbon, leather, or cowhide, depending on the hat’s overall style concept.
You can also easily distinguish a fedora hat because most of them have a crease or dent in the top of the crown running down the center. These are called center dent fedoras.
Fedoras are mostly made of felt. However, you can also find them nowadays in many different types of fabrics and materials such as straw and leather. The most common felt used in fedoras are those that are made from sheep’s wool. Other felts can be made from furs and other exotics.
The fedora hat can be traced way back to the 1890s when it first appeared in a play with the same name. This play is entitled Fedora by Victorien Sardou. The fedora hat was worn by a woman who is the main character of the play.
Pork Pie Hat vs. Fedora: What’s the Difference?
Now that you already have an idea about the pork pie hat and the fedora, let us highlight the main differences between the two.
These two hats have two unique factors: the crown and the brim. These two factors usually dictate the type of hat. In the case of a porkpie hat, the crown is molded inwards with a circular crease. Its height is also shorter compared to a fedora hat. Besides that, the brim is pointing upwards and is not that wide.
