We greet the first day of the new season with the spring equinox, but what is it, exactly? And why does the first day of spring change? Coming up. But first, a hat.
We decided on a fedora. Hattingdon always looks fine in a fedora. We put in the spring like colors of blue for the sky, yellow for the sun, and green for the um . . . greenery!
The first day of spring is Monday, March 20, 2023, at 5:24 p.m. EDT. For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, this was marked by the arrival of the Vernal Equinox (otherwise known as the “First Point of Aries.”).
Vernal translates to “new” and “fresh,” and equinox derived from the Latin aequus (equal) and nox (night).
So what does that mean? Essentially, our hours of daylight—the period of time each day between sunrise and sunset—have been growing slightly longer each day since the winter solstice in December, which is the shortest day of the year (at least in terms of light). Read more »
Hattingdon’s fedora has a new name and a new brim.
The hat is now called Kelly. We have updated the hat with a broader brim so it is more “fedora” like and less “trilby” like (wink). They look very smooth wouldn’t you say?
The Kelly fedora comes in six colorways:— pearl gray, dark gray, sky blue, shamrock green, and khaki tan. Plus, we are introducing the hat for the first time — in black. Very snazzy!
Pearl Gray.
Charcoal Gray.
Sky Blue.
Shamrock Green.
Khaki Tan.
And here’s our Hattingdon in her brand new black fedora . . . . looking a bit “Al-Capone-ish”!
Classic Black.
About the fedora
The fedora has a long and fascinating history. Here is just a bit.
Fedora hats were first seen as a feminine hat with masculine undertones in 1883, inspired by a drama called “Fédora,” created by the French playwright Victorien Sardou.
Sarah Bernhardt, a French Actress, played the star role of Princess Fédora Romanoff who was wearing a stylish, center-creased, soft brimmed hat. Sarah was known for adopting men’s fashion and acting roles that shocked audiences.
The play’s first review named the style of Bernhardt’s hat “fedora” after the play title. This review coined the name “Fedora Hat” into womenswear of the time, and later menswear too.
Prince Edward VIII.
Soon after, fedora hats became a popular fashion statement and symbol for women’s rights activists, standing for liberation and assertiveness.
Before long, the fedora style spread to all women and fashion-forward men like Oscar Wilde and Prince Edward VIII.
In 1924, Prince Edward VIII wore his fedora Hat to the United States and dressed it up with a suit instead of everyday dress.
The style was seen on stars like Humphrey Bogart and the infamous Gangster Al Capone.
In the 1940’s and 50’s, cinema helped to create the iconic symbol of manliness and mystery with fedora hats worn by Cary Grant, Frank Sinatra and even football coaches Paul Bear Bryant and Tom Landry.
Updated 08.12.22 4:44 pm EST
The fedora later resurfaced onscreen in the 70’s and was styled as edgy and unique, yet still practical, as seen on Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones.
Most recently, fedoras have made their existence known on shows like Mad Men and Peaky Blinders.
Hattingdon 