Das Wort Fedora stammt aus einem französischen Theaterstück aus dem Jahr 1889, in dem die berühmte Sarah Bernhardt die Hauptheldin Fédora Romanov spielte.

The actress wore a center-creased, soft brimmed hat and pinched at the front. The hat became fashionable for women and was eventually adopted as a defining symbol of the women’s rights movement. Edward, Prince of Wales started wearing Fedoras in 1924, and shifted the popularity of this style over to men’s fashion. Between the 20s and 50s fedoras became widely associated with gangsters and Prohibition, as well as a defining characteristic of the film noir (just think about Humphrey Bogart). Nowadays Fedoras are equally worn by women and men and are making a comeback in current fashion trends. Fedora hats are not to be confused with small brimmed hats called trilbies. But this is another story …