Fedora vs Trilby vs Pork Pie: How to Tell Them Apart

The short answer: a fedora has a wider, fairly level brim, usually about 2.5 inches, and a tall crown creased down the middle and pinched at the front. A trilby is its smaller cousin: a shorter brim angled down at the front and up at the back, and a slightly lower crown. A pork pie has a flat top and a short brim.

Bill Conner has made hats in Byron Bay for over 50 years, and the question we hear most at the counter is "is this a fedora or a trilby?" Here is how to tell all three apart in a few seconds, and how to pick the one that suits you.

Shown: the Detroit Wool Fedora in black.

Fedora vs trilby vs pork pie at a glance

Fedora and trilby measurements: Wikipedia: Fedora and Wikipedia: Trilby. Pork pie shape: Wikipedia: Pork pie hat.

What is the difference between a fedora and a trilby?

The brim and the height of the crown. London hatter Lock & Co. describes the trilby as having a "shorter brim which is angled down at the front and slightly turned up at the back", compared with the fedora's "wider brim which is more level", as quoted by Wikipedia. The trilby's crown is also slightly shorter.

According to Wikipedia's fedora history, a typical fedora brim is about 2.5 inches and a typical crown is 4.5 inches tall. The name comes from Fédora, an 1882 play by Victorien Sardou written for Sarah Bernhardt. The fedora became popular with men after Edward, Prince of Wales, started wearing one in 1924.

The trilby takes its name from the stage version of George du Maurier's 1894 novel Trilby. It peaked in the late 1950s and early 1960s, partly because the lower roofs of post-war cars made a tall crown impractical to wear while driving (Wikipedia).

The quick test: set the hat on a table. If the brim lies fairly flat all the way round and is close to 2.5 inches wide, it is a fedora. If the brim is noticeably shorter and dips at the front, it is a trilby.

Is a trilby a fedora?

Not exactly, but they are close relatives, and plenty of people (and shops) use the names loosely. Both have a pinched, creased crown. The difference is proportion: the trilby is the short-brim, lower-crown version. That is why we group short-brim styles together in our trilby and pork pie fedoras collection.

If you want the trilby look, choose a fedora with a short brim. Our Detroit Wool Fedora has a 2" brim and a 4" crown, the short end of the fedora range. It is Australian wool, water-resistant and crushable, with an organic cotton sweatband, a satin lining, a grosgrain ribbon band and a feather hat pin.

What is a pork pie hat?

A pork pie is a short-brimmed hat with a flat-topped crown. The name comes from the crown's resemblance to a traditional pork pie. Wikipedia traces it to women's fashion in the 1860s, before it spread to menswear. Buster Keaton made a felt pork pie his trademark in the 1920s, and the hat stayed closely tied to jazz, blues and ska. The film The French Connection (1971) brought it back into the spotlight.

We make two:

• Mumford Pork Pie Wool Fedora: black Australian wool, a 1.5" bound brim with a subtle up-curve, and a satin lining. It is water-resistant and crushable, for cooler months and evenings out.
• 42nd Street Pork Pie Toyo Fedora: paper straw in Toast, a 1.25" bound brim, a vented crown and a soft terry stretch band. It is light and crushable, for summer.

Pork pie hat vs fedora: how do you tell them apart?

Look at the top of the hat first. Three checks settle it:

1. The top: a pork pie is flat on top, often with a round dent. A fedora has a crease running front to back.
2. The front pinches: a fedora is pinched on both sides at the front, so you can lift it by the crown. A pork pie has no front pinch.
3. The brim: a pork pie brim is noticeably shorter than a fedora brim, and is flat or turned up all round. A fedora brim is wider and can be snapped down at the front.

A pork pie sits lower and reads more casual and vintage. A fedora is taller and dressier. Both work with a jacket; the pork pie also suits a polo or an open shirt.

Which one should you choose?

• For a dressy, classic look: a fedora. The Buster Wool Fedora has a 2.75" brim, a 4.5" crown and a bound edge, in Black or Putty Australian wool.
• For a neat, modern look: a short-brim fedora such as the Detroit.
• For character and a vintage feel: a pork pie such as the Mumford.
• For shade: go wider. The shorter the brim, the less it shades your face, so a trilby or pork pie is a style hat, not a sun hat.
• For the season: wool for fall and winter; straw, such as the Casablanca (toyo paper straw, 2.5" brim, 4.75" crown), for summer. Our felt vs straw guide explains when to switch.

Not sure which crown and brim suit your face? Our face shape guide walks through it, and our hat styles guide covers every other shape we make. For styling tips, see how to wear a fedora.

How should a fedora, trilby or pork pie fit?

A good fit feels snug but comfortable, and the hat sits level without lifting in a breeze. Measure around your forehead about 1/2 inch above your ears, where the hat actually sits, and match it to our Hat Size Chart. Our hats run true to size, and every hat comes with two free size inserts if you fall between sizes.

How do you care for them?

Brush wool felt with a soft brush, and use kettle steam to restore a crease or pinch. Keep paper straw out of heavy rain and wipe it with a barely damp cloth. Never soak any hat, and let it dry naturally. If you don't have a hat rack, store it upside down on its crown. Our Hat Care page has the full routine for each material.

Shop all fedoras or the trilby and pork pie collection.