Trilby, fedora, pork pie, bowler, homburg, panama: men have worn these shapes for well over a century, and some of the companies that made the first ones are still trading. Of them all, the trilby is the most wearable today.
Trilby or fedora?
Both take their names from the theatre. The fedora is named after Fédora, an 1882 play by Victorien Sardou. The trilby comes from the London stage adaptation of George du Maurier's 1894 novel Trilby, in which a hat of this kind was worn. The practical difference is the brim: a fedora's is wider and flatter, while a trilby has a narrow brim, angled down at the front and turned up at the back, and usually a shorter crown. That makes the trilby less dramatic and easier to wear with modern clothes.
What to look for
- Felt: 100% fur felt holds its shape and shrugs off rain far better than cheaper wool felt.
- Brim: a snap brim of around five centimetres (two inches) is classic. A bound leather edge is a sign of quality.
- Colour: a light or mid brown with a contrasting darker ribbon is versatile; grey and navy suit cooler wardrobes.
English makers such as Christys', founded in London in 1773, have been making felt hats like this for centuries.
Outfits that complement, not match
The aim is an outfit that complements the hat rather than matches it. A smart-casual look works best:
- A wool polo-neck under a herringbone blazer, cropped trousers and leather brogues.
- A tweed jacket, an Oxford shirt and a knitted tie for something more country.
- A navy overcoat over a grey suit in winter, the classic city look.
Avoid wearing a trilby with very sporty clothes unless you are deliberately mixing styles, and never with a hood up underneath.
Where the trilby feels at home
The trilby has strong ties to British racing. At a winter jump meeting it is almost the default hat, and nothing looks better with tweed and a pair of binoculars. Read more about what to wear and how to bet at the races in our Ascot and Cheltenham guide, and for four more hat styles see the autumn hat guide.
