Trilby Hats

Trilby hats are very often confused with fedora hats because of their extreme similarity in appearance, material, and period of popularity

Like the fedora, the trilby hat first emerged in the late 19^th century and was popularly worn throughout the early 20^th century. The resemblance to the fedora is very similar, with both having a standard crown with a signature crease, a brim, a band, and both are often made from similar materials. Moreover, both have a similar function of protecting the head from the elements of nature while remaining a nice fashion statement. However, the trilby is distinguished by its more tapered crown, meaning it is more pointed or narrow, and often a bit more stiff. Additionally, although it has a similar crease along the middle of the top and along the front sides, the center of the crown actually pops up in a bowl shape. The degree of variation in the bowl depends on the style, and sometimes isn't noticeable upon first glance. Another common factor is the narrow brim. Although fedoras can have varying lengths of brims, the trilby brim is always characterized as short, with the front angled down and the back curled up. Some versions do have the front brim popped up as well, but it is still notably short in length. One final difference is actually a bit of an ironic one. The trilby at one point in time was considered to be the go-to choice for the rich man, made from rabbit hair felt, and was frequently seen at prestigious events such as horse races. However, nowadays the trilby hat is made from various cheaper materials and as a result is considered to be a bit less classy.

Despite the social prejudice against the use of lower-quality materials, the wider range of materials used in the trilby provides more stylistic possiblities regarding texture and color. Trilbies are an extremely popular style because they are often presented with various base materials that can facilitate or lower the expense of production, and the wide range of options accommodates a larger client base. Trilbies can be made with felt and wool, nylon, cotton, tweed, leather, pleather, or straw. They are also further reaching because they are manufactured using various methods that can accommodate both higher quality or cheaper commercial production. If they are hand crafted, they are produced in a similar fashion as the fedora, where the material is steamed and stretched or pressed over a block mold, then sewn up at the brim to protect the shape of the brim, and finalized with a band and decoration. For lower production costs, some elements of the process can be achieved with factory machines, such as steaming and pressing the material. Sometimes an outer fabric or material is sewn over an inner lining which provides a kind of base or mold. The endless possibilities of materials has lead to the popularity of using dyed or patterned fabrics. As a result, often trilbies are characterized by stripes, bright colors, or bold textures. Like the fedora, they are capped with a band and decoration, which may include a feather, pin, or bow. Trilby designs often use this component as the token design of the hat, with many hats having a solid color and a flashy striped band, whereas others use the pattern of the hat as the main catch and choose to have the band blend in.

Overall, although the trilby and fedora have many differences they can still be seen as near variations of each other. The most important thing when choosing a hat is selecting the dimensions and aspects that best match with your head shape and body type. With the correct combinations of features, textures, and color, the trilby can be a pointed fashion accessory.

My desire was to create beautiful hat cases, cases that combine elegance, functionality and refinement. For this, I called upon my friend, the very talented Brazilian designer Gabriela Goldschmidt De La Fuente. The main design objective was to create an image that reference the G in the Gedilva logo, perfectly representing the brand signature. Gabriela created a sleek and dynamic design in two colors that created strong visual recognition of the brand. The motifs representing a stylized G, refer back to the logo to give a very aesthetically appealing look.

I wanted the hat cases to be fabricated in France. French craftsmanship represents the highest manufacturing quality and expertise in luxury items. I selected Multi Services Carton in Paris, who have specialized in producing luxury packaging for many years. Each of my cases is made exclusively by hand with flawless manufacturing quality.

I wanted a case that would be representative of the quality of my brand, and that matched the style and panache of the hat within the case. When you purchase a Gedilva designed hat, you will possess a high fashion and high quality hat and case set that will accompany you throughout your life.