You need not be a hat enthusiast, but chances are there that you will know about a fedora hat. And similarly, you will also have an idea of how the homburg hat looks and the Hat Style. And in spite of sharing ample similarities, both the homburg and the Fedora has moved to two different paths and gained their prominence.
However, it doesn’t indicate that one is inferior in style to the other. If you want to know the basics about these two hats and how one matches up to the other, this article will help you. Once you have a good idea about these two hats and about hats for large heads, you can decide the one that is better for you.
The Fedora hat history
The term Fedora gets derived from a play of the same name written by Victorien Sardou, a French dramatist back in 1882. In 1889, the play got performed in the U.S, where famous actress Sarah Bernhardt essayed the lead role. And while her performance, she sported a soft-brimmed hat with a crease at the center. And as the western audience noticed this style, they started following it. It soon became a favorite amongst the Americans.
With time, this hat gained its prominence. During the 1940s and 1950s, popular film stars such as Humphrey Bogart added to the popularity of the Fedora. It was Frank Sinatra who took the hat’s popularity to another level. It often gets referred to as the “Frank Sinatra” hat and is popular among the famous and rich.
The Homburg hat history
This hat gets its name from the Bad Homburg town in Hesse, Germany, a popular spa destination known for its healing waters. It was in 1882, when Edward VII got back to London from this town, he was sporting this hat, that had an upturned brim and a rounded, tall crown. It was said that the king gave rise to a global style that proved to be famous amongst the dignitaries and politicians.
Also, Dwight D. Eisenhower, an American president, was seen sporting a black homburg in 1953. That is not all! Even Winston Churchill, the British Prime Minister, popularly sported the homburg hat, which added to the hat’s popularity, a famous men’s hat style.
Akin to the other dress hats, even the homburg hats have witnessed less of demand till the second half of 20th century. In 1973, Al Pacino sported this hat in a popular movie named “The Godfather.” And the film has been a successful film which made the hat popular, so much so that it came to be known as the “Godfather hat”.
The Fedora hat basics- the Hat Style
The Fedora and the homburg hat look very similar at first glance. The distinct difference between these two hats is their taper, brim, and crown shape. The fedora hat is known for its low profile, a crown with a center dent along with pinches on both sides. The hat is also available in a wide and short brim. It comes with a sharp taper at the crown front. Compared to the homburgs, the fedora hats were considered a formal hat and were made using wool felt, felt. However, the available ones are more than mere felt hats. The fedoras are also available in cotton, leather and straw materials.
The homburg hat basics- the Hat Style
Compared to the clean pinch sides that a fedora crown has, the homburg hat comes with a crease at the center and a round, tall crown. Even the brim is slightly upturned which creates a curled-up impact alongside the edges that you can find in a cowboy hat. A few of the homburg hats can be called wide-brimmed hats, it can seem that the hat has a stingy beam because of the upturned structure. The use of a hatband usually accents the homburg hats, and most people like to use a feather for that. And while both the homburg and fedora hats are available in myriad colors, neutral shades like brown, black, navy, and grey are considered classic.
It all depends on the taste and preference
There isn’t any right or wrong when you have to choose between the Fedora and the homburg hat. It’s a matter of your personal choice. You need to check how a hat looks on you and how do you feel as you wear it. You also need to check the occasion where you wish to wear the hat. For instance, if you have a fur-felt homburg, you can wear it for a formal occasion.
On the other hand, a straw fedora can help you dress up for a casual occasion. Regardless of any hat you choose, make sure that the hat brim stays in proportion to the shoulders so that it complements your entire look.
