When we talk about men’s hats in America, we assume we are talking about Fedoras, yet there is another iconic hat worn in America that easily out sells the Fedora at least ten to one: it is called the Trilby. It is no surprise that the Trilby trounces the pricey Fedora in sales: it is very cheap. In effect, it is a poor man’s hat. Men’s hats favored by the less affluent usually have had working-class names such as the “Newsboy,” the “Bakerboy” and the “Poorboy.” So how did a hat with such a genteel name as the “Trilby” become the hat of choice for the cash-strapped masses?
The Origin of the Trilby
The Trilby got its name from a play that debuted in London in the late 1890’s with the same name. The lead female character in the play was named Trilby. The producers of the play designed a special hat that resembled a Tyrolean hat for their lead actress. A Tyrolean hat generally has a brim that breaks sharply down in the front and sharply up in the back. The hat featured in the play became popular in England—I am not sure if it was initially popular with men or women or both—hence the name “The Trilby.” By the mid-twentieth century the Trilby was definitely popular with UK men and became known as a “rich man’s” hat because these hats were rather expensive, owing to their construction with fur-felt (an expensive type of felt).
The British Trilby
So what then is a British Trilby? That is a very good question because from what I have been able to discern it is any hat that has a narrow brim—although there doesn’t seem to be any consistency as to what is considered narrow. In fact what passes as a Trilby in the UK, in America would be considered a narrow or “stingy” brim Fedora. If you want to get an idea of what a British Trilby looks like, look at the hat that Sean Connery wore in the 1960 James Bond film Dr. No. That hat, called the “Sandown” is still available today; you can see it on the website of the original London seller of the hat, Lock & Company.
The American Trilby
So what, then, is the American “Trilby,” if it differs in any substantial way than the UK variety? Well, differ it does, indeed. But before I get into the differences let me make it perfectly clear that until the beginning of the 21st Century, American hat sellers and buyers made no distinction between the Fedora and the Trilby. In fact, the names “Fedora” and “Trilby” were hardly ever used by those who bought and wore hats, including myself. If a Fedora had any name it was simply a “snap-brim” hat to distinguish it from a Homburg or a Derby—two fixed brim hats. That doesn’t mean that individual snapped-brim hats didn’t have marketing names. They did, with such elegant names as “The Ambassador” and “The Kent.”
Differences Between the Trilby and the Fedora
The American Trilby takes the hat back to its roots: a Tyrolean hat. It has a narrow, fixed brim—less than two inches—that is angled sharply down. (A Fedora usually has a brim of at least two inches in width.) The rear of the brim is turned sharply up; often the rear of the brim and the sides are substantially narrower than the front.
The crown of the hat is usually on the short-side, less than four inches; the average height of a Fedora crown is four and a half inches. Furthermore, the crown usually slopes back from the front. Most Trilbies have a tear-drop shaped indention at the top of the crown; Fedoras, on the other hand, usually have a center-dent rather than a tear-drop. Also, the American Trilby usually lacks a “pinch” at the front of the crown, whereas with the Fedora, the “pinch” is quite common.
While the British Trilby more often than not is made from expensive Fur Felt, the American Trilby is seldom made from any kind of felt at all; rather it is made of much cheaper materials: such as cotton, polyester, straw and, in some cases, plain wool.
Needless to say, what makes the Trilby so popular in America is the fact that it is cheap—very cheap. Most American Trilbies sell for under fifteen dollars; and you can buy them from street vendors, at flea markets and at dollar stores.
Because the Trilby is so popular with women, it is often marketed as a unisex hat. The hat is also popular with entertainers—both men and women.
As engaging as the Trilby is, it is not a serious hat: it gives you no protection from the sun and often looks like a child’s hat on an adult’s head (particulary if you have a lot of hair). That being said, it can look spiffy; and I find myself wearing my Trilbies far more than perhaps I should. In short, it is a guilty pleasure; but, alas, hats should be fun.
PS: I have included a link to a clip of Judy Garland wearing a hat that looks unmistakably like a Trilby. You may not like the hat but the Lady can sure sing! Enjoy!