Trilby

Leonard Cohen wearing a Trilby

A trilby is a narrow-brimmed type of hat. The trilby was once viewed as the rich man's favored hat; it is sometimes called the "brown trilby" in Britain[1] and was frequently seen at the horse races.

The traditional London hat company Lock and Co. describes the trilby as having a "shorter brim which is angled down at the front and slightly turned up at the back" versus the fedora's "wider brim which is more level". The trilby also has a slightly shorter crown than a typical fedora design.[2]

History

The hat's name derives from the stage adaptation of George du Maurier's 1894 novel Trilby. A hat of this style was worn in the first London production of the play, and promptly came to be called "a Trilby hat".[3] Its shape somewhat resembles the Tyrolean hat.

Traditionally it was made from rabbit hair felt, but now is usually made from other materials, such as tweed, straw, wool and wool/nylon blends. The hat reached its zenith of common popularity in the 1960s; the lower head clearance in American automobiles made it impractical to wear a hat with a tall crown while driving. It faded from popularity in the 1970s when any type of men's headwear went out of fashion, and men's fashion instead began focusing on highly maintained hairstyles.

The hat saw a resurgence in popularity in the early 1980s, when it was marketed to both men and women in an attempt to capitalise on a retro fashion trend.[4]

Frank Sinatra was identified with trilby hats, and there is a signature design trilby bearing his name.[5] Peter Sellers as Inspector Clouseau wore a Herbert Johnson trilby in Blake Edwards's A Shot in the Dark (1964), the second of his Pink Panther series; the felt trilby giving way to a tweed one in later films.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Roetzel, Bernhard (1999). Gentleman's Guide to Grooming and Style. Barnes & Noble.
  2. ↑ Kilgour, Ruth Edwards (1958). A pageant of hats, ancient and modern (1 ed.). Robert M. McBride Company.
  3. ↑ "Reader Question: Trilby vs. Fedora". 2011-06-27. Archived from the original on 2012-05-09. Retrieved 2018-05-17.
  4. ↑ Hofler, Robert; Zarco, Cyn.; Vann, Doug (1985). Wild Style. The Next Wave in Fashion, Hair and Makeup. Simon & Schuster.
  5. ↑ "Frank Sinatra Trilby Fedora Hat (For Men) 7375C - Save 82%". www.sierratradingpost.com. Retrieved 2018-05-20.
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