Porkpies and fedoras

Porkpie hat doesn’t just refer to the Charles Mingus song. It’s an actual hat that is similar to a fedora but is not a fedora. Some friends set me straight on my post on fedoras (below).

For those of you who weren’t the wiser, here’s a little background on the porkpie hat:

A felt hat dating from the mid 19^th century, a pork pie hat or porkpie is similar to a fedora, but with a flattened top. The crown is short, and has a characteristic indent all the way around, rather than the pinch crown characteristic of fedoras. Unlike the fedora, the brim on the porkpie is smaller and worn flipped up. Porkpies are sometimes associated with jazz culture, musicians, artists and fashion forward men in the 40s and 50s. Porkpies became more mainstream in the 60s Rude Boy movement in Britain. Silent film movie star Buster Keaton, Dean Martin, Fred Astaire wore them. The porkpie regained popularity in the 90s with the release of Johnny Depp’s Benny and Joon.

Source: Hats in the Belfry

Dad’s Hats