For a few years I’ve been thinking about fedoras. I think. Well, more about types of hats, because I tried on a hat I liked and it was listed as a fedora. Now when I think of fedora I think of fedora shaming and the associated connotations.

I liked Sam’s hat in Dear White People, and I don’t know what type of hat it is but it looks a bit like the hat I tried on.

When I saw this hat (at 6 seconds, 11-12 seconds and 39-40 seconds), I searched to see if I could find the name of it. I figured it looked like a felt panama as I had searched for fedoras and they looked slightly different in the photos I found.

OK. I know it’s just a hat and many people think fashion is void of meaning. But I have to disagree. Clothing items change meaning over time and space.

A few months ago I researched patterns, colours and knots of head scarves because I didn’t want to culturally appropriate. But, I don’t know how to start thinking about fedoras. Do/should I think of internet culture the same way as reallife culture? In internet culture fedoras are associated with misogynists, but they are also used to shame nerds. The negative association of fedoras seems primarily linked to men. So, as a femme/-adjacent do I change the meaning if I wear one? Also, I don’t know the origin of the actual fedora (before it became an internet meme) so what about this lack of knowledge? Strike that, I’ll research it.