"Fedora," an 1882 play starring Sarah Bernhardt, gave its name to a sensational soft hat worn by one of the actors.

In the Victorian era, hats were stiff. Fashion that was soft, comfortable, and perhaps even unisex—seemed forward-looking and modern. A stiff hat could be handled by the brim, but a soft hat had to be removed by "pinching" the soft crown, thus giving the hat what we still call the "pinch." 

Back in 1882, a newspaper called the fedora "the hat of the season." With its great-looking shape and flattering appeal to both men and women, it has been a popular hat for many, many seasons and continues to be a fashionable choice. 

When we first designed hats, most panama fedoras on store shelves were stiffened and tended to crack if pinched by the "pinch." We aimed to bring the special quality of soft handwoven packable panamas to the trending fedora style and designed our signature "Folding Fedora" using a very strong and resilient weave.