It's a Fedora
Some people call just about anything with a brim and a fixed crown a “fedora”. To the purist, a fedora is a felt hat with pinched sides and a lengthwise crease down the crown, which gives the front its familiar wedge shape.
One of the big advantages of a fedora and one of the reasons for the style's popularity is the wide flexible brim. Fedora brims are flat with no constructed edge or curl. The brim can be bent up or down as the wearer pleases.
The crown and the brim can both be moulded to the wearer’s taste, so these hats carry a lot of personality. The shape of the hat always communicates personality. So does the way it is worn. Tilted down over the eyes, it gives a mysterious "I mean business" look. Angled slightly up, it looks open and approachable.
We love wearing our cowboy hats. Brian Hanson from Smithbilt Hats shaped them for us and over the years it's become a part of who we are and a key element of our brand.
There are many practical reasons for wearing a hat and we don't need fashion to convince us to do it. We wear hats because without one we're not properly dressed. A hat enhances our personality, keeps the sun out of our eyes, and means business.
Enhancing personalities with hats is something Smithbilt has done for almost a hundred years. They've done it for many, many celebrities and visitors alike to Canada's largest western city. We are glad to be counted among them and glad that we can support one of the last hat makers in our country.
There's a saying that goes, "Never touch a Cowboy's hat". We are quite happy with ours, so don't even try touching or interfering with the way we look. However, Brian invited us to find out more about some of the other, more contemporary, styles of hats manufactured and shaped by this iconic company. We were introduced to the Baby Grizzly and the iconic Fedora.
If you want to see more of the "newer" style hats we recommend a visit in person to their new more contemporary building. If you cannot make it in person, check out their hat collection and accessories in their recently launched online store.
We wear hats and we encourage more people to do so. Remember, that when you wear a hat there is an etiquette.
For example, it used to be polite to take your hat off when entering a building, but the loss of hat-check girls (what an era!) and hat racks means this is no longer a rule. No one wants to put a hat that costs hundreds of dollars on a seat or a greasy countertop, or juggle it while going about their business.
Take your hat off when eating. A real cowboy still takes it off in the presence of a lady, or in church. Tip your hat to a gentleman the first time you meet him and to a lady every time you greet her. Tipping your hat to a man thereafter becomes "weird". For a lady, it continues to be a sign of respect.
One last, important rule: never touch another cowboy’s hat. That’s just asking for trouble.
There are many practical reasons for wearing a hat and we don't need fashion to convince us to do it. We wear hats because without one we're not properly dressed. A hat enhances our personality, keeps the sun out of our eyes, and means business.
Enhancing personalities with hats is something Smithbilt has done for almost a hundred years. They've done it for many, many celebrities and visitors alike to Canada's largest western city. We are glad to be counted among them and glad that we can support one of the last hat makers in our country.
There's a saying that goes, "Never touch a Cowboy's hat". We are quite happy with ours, so don't even try touching or interfering with the way we look. However, Brian invited us to find out more about some of the other, more contemporary, styles of hats manufactured and shaped by this iconic company. We were introduced to the Baby Grizzly and the iconic Fedora.
If you want to see more of the "newer" style hats we recommend a visit in person to their new more contemporary building. If you cannot make it in person, check out their hat collection and accessories in their recently launched online store.
Observations
We wear hats and we encourage more people to do so. Remember, that when you wear a hat there is an etiquette.
For example, it used to be polite to take your hat off when entering a building, but the loss of hat-check girls (what an era!) and hat racks means this is no longer a rule. No one wants to put a hat that costs hundreds of dollars on a seat or a greasy countertop, or juggle it while going about their business.
Take your hat off when eating. A real cowboy still takes it off in the presence of a lady, or in church. Tip your hat to a gentleman the first time you meet him and to a lady every time you greet her. Tipping your hat to a man thereafter becomes "weird". For a lady, it continues to be a sign of respect.
One last, important rule: never touch another cowboy’s hat. That’s just asking for trouble.
Hendrik van Wyk
Cowboy
Photos
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| The Hat |
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| Fedora |
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| Celebrities |
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| Hat Shaper |
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| Cowboys |
