Collection: Fedora Hats

The two checks you can actually make are the material and whether the hat comes back to shape after you handle it. A well-made fedora holds its pinch and its center crease without help, and springs back when you set it down; a poor one creases and stays creased.

Ghelter lists the material on every product page, which is where that check starts. Density is what separates the two, and in felt it is everything. Felt pressed from tightly packed fibers keeps its shape for years, while a thin, loosely felted body goes soft and holds every dent. In straw, a tight even weave lasts and a coarse one splits at the fold. If a listing also tells you it has a sewn-in sweatband or a bound or raw-edge brim, that is a good sign of how it was put together, but few listings say either way.

A fedora is defined by its lengthwise crown crease and side pinches, and the styles are variations on brim width and crown height, not different hats.

A wide brim gives you the classic silhouette and the most shade. A short brim, sometimes called stingy, reads sharper and more urban. A flat brim skips the upturn at the back. Crown height moves the same way, from a tall, deeply creased block to a low, soft crown.The trilby is the one that gets called a fedora and is not one: its brim is much narrower and sharply upturned at the back, and the crown sits shorter. If that narrower brim is what you want, Ghelter's trilby collection lists them together, and our article on how the two differ goes through the construction properly.

A fedora should sit level, about a finger width above your ears and eyebrows, snug enough to stay on in wind but loose enough to leave no red line on your forehead. If it rocks front to back it is too big, and if it aches it is too small. Unlike a soft cap, the crown is blocked, so the fit is decided entirely by the band.

To find your size, run a soft tape measure around the widest part of your head, just above the ears and across the middle of the forehead, keeping the tape level, and use the larger of two readings.

Ghelter lists almost every fedora by head measurement in centimeters, and many of them come as an adjustable span. If you fall between two sizes, take the larger one: straw will not give at all, and felt should never be bought tight in the hope that it will.

The material and the brim decide which way a fedora reads, not the hat itself. Felt and wool in charcoal, brown or black with a plain ribbon lean formal and sit naturally with a coat, a jacket or tailoring. Straw, lighter colors and a wider or softer brim lean casual, and work with linen, denim and short sleeves in summer.

Keep the rest of the outfit quiet and let the hat be the only statement. The two things that push a fedora into costume are pairing it with something equally loud and tilting it hard to one side. Sit it level, and if you want it less formal, roll the brim down at the front. Ghelter's guide to wearing one day to day has outfit ideas.

Store a fedora upside down on its crown, or on a hat stand, never resting on the brim, which flattens the curl and does not spring back.

Keep it out of direct sun and away from radiators, because heat dries felt out and makes straw brittle. When you take it off, hold it by the brim front and back instead of pinching the crown, which is what wears the crease out first.

Cleaning depends on the material. Brush felt counterclockwise with a soft brush and lift marks with a dry sponge; wipe straw with a barely damp cloth and never soak it; use a conditioner made for genuine leather only, and a damp cloth alone on vegan leather and suede.

If a hat gets caught in the rain, reshape it while it is still damp and let it dry at room temperature on its crown, never with a hairdryer. Ghelter's cleaning guide covers felt, cotton, straw and wool step by step.