FEDORAS - The Fedora hat is sometimes associated with Prohibition, Great Depression-era gangsters and the detectives who sought to bring them to justice. Popular stars in the 1950s such as Gene Kelly wore fedoras often in their movies, like Singing' in the Rain. In Hollywood movies of the 1940s, characters often wore a fedora, particularly when playing private detectives, gangsters, or other "tough guy" roles. A trench coat was frequently part of the costume, a notable example being Humphrey Bogart's character in Casablanca. Although the fedora became popular 30 years after the cowboy era (1865–1890), the use of fedoras is common in most TV/movie westerns. The fedora is widely recognized with the characters of The Blues Brothers, Freddy Krueger, and especially Indiana Jones. Fedora hats are made from many materials including wool, natural straw, and cotton. I think of a fedora as a hat with a small brim that is often turned up in the back. People also call them Pork Pie's and Trilbys.
