Tuesday, March 15, 2022

Gangsters, Detectives and Cross-Dressers



image from wikipedia. 

Gangsters, Detectives, and Cross-Dressers


I love the drama of a good hat.”--Phillip Bloch.


When it comes to hats,

my personal favorite

has always been the

fedora. 


It is a soft pliable

felt creation, 

that can be shaped

to one’s individual taste.


It was created

in 1891 for a play

Sarah Bernhardt was in.

As a cross-dresser

she influenced Marlene Dietrich,

Greta Garbo and Katherine Hepburn.


As a felt hat,

it was made from beaver or rabbit.

Indiana Jones wore

a beaver fedora.

Al Capone loved wearing fedoras.

Humphrey Bogart wore them in

many film noir roles, as did

George Raft, Dick Powell, and Alan Ladd.

Michael Jackson wore one while performing.

Johnny Depp owns several of them.


As a kid, I remember that

most men wore fedoras

when they wore a suit. 

Fedoras are still made today

by Borsalino, Bailey and Stetson. 


I like to wear mine

when I wear a leather jacket,

slightly cocked,

pulled down to just above my eyes.

Aviator glasses make

a nice accessory.



Glenn Buttkus


Posted over at d'Verse Poet's Pub


8 comments:

Fireblossom said...

My dad always wore a fedora when I was growing up. He was older than most the dads in the neighborhood. I don't think he would have dreamed of leaving for work without one.

I adore Marelene, Garbo, and The Divine Sarah. Kate Hepburn not so much; she seems under-medicated or something, to me. Loved learning about hats today.

Sanaa Rizvi said...

So much to love here especially; "It is a soft pliable felt creation, that can be shaped to one's individual taste." Yes indeed! Gorgeous, evocative poem, Glenn 💝💝

ben Alexander said...

Joe Biden's got the glasses... I wonder if he's got a fedora!

-David [ben Alexander]

Mish said...

Love this informative ode to the fedora, bringing back big screen memories...ahem..even for me. I have three of them hanging on my dresser mirror in various colours, a necessity for blues concerts.

Marion Horton said...

You just don't see enough hats any more. There should be an action group: Bring Back the Hat. Wonderful fedora hat facts Glenn.

forestbather said...

I used to really enjoy wearing a fedora....with leather jacket...sounds like you still got it....enjoyed that verse...

Gillena Cox said...

You took me back on a memory film trip with all those hat people. Nice.

Much💜love

Ingrid said...

Me, I adore a fedora!