As much as I hate to admit it, my wardrobe isn’t static. Garments leave and arrive, mostly because of my changing body; I give items up when I don’t fit into them and I add items to replace the lost pieces. I try not to buy anything new just for the sake of experimentation or random consumption. Every purchase has to be carefully considered because it is my aim to have it stay with me as long as possible. And lately there hasn’t been anything radically new. Perhaps that’s why my money has gone into collecting vinyl rather than buying clothes; nothing has excited me. But that’s not actually true. 

Last year, I had a little purchase that was something totally new to me. It’s not all that surprising, considering that it was something that you can find throughout the fall pages of Apparel Arts. It was even described as a bit of a trend back in the 30s. As I am someone who takes direct inspiration from 30s illustrations, it’s actually more surprising that this quirky thing hasn’t found its way into my wardrobe sooner. 

So scroll on dear reader and learn all about my journey with the Tyrolean Hat, a piece of European folk dress that became a niche piece of vintage menswear…as well as a part of my own canon.

The Tyrolean hat is an interesting thing. You may have lumped it into the same general category as a “fedora” (in the abstract sense of being a felt brimmed hat), but it is indeed its own thing. 

It’s a skimpy little hat with a narrow brim and short crown, though historically there are wide brimmed versions. The streamlined nature made the Tyrolean sporty and jaunty when compared to regular fedoras. The hat is also primarily made of wool felt (usually green), but can also be made from other fabrics (like velvet) as well as a variety of different shades, like brown or grey. It’s not that fedoras and homburgs couldn’t be made of vibrant materials, but that it just made more sense for the Tyrolean. It all adds to its unique nature, almost like the fall hat version of Go To Hell pants. 

What sets the Tyrolean even further apart is that it featured a braided ribbon rather than a sleek grosgrain one. This along with its compact shape and focus on textured fabric makes the Tyrolean hat feel more rustic and decidedly country coded than the agnostic (and more versatile) fedora. This makes sense considering that the hat has its history as traditional folk wear of the Tyrol region. But like most pieces of menswear before and after it, it’s transcended its original status to become a lively piece of clothing. 

This seemed to be quite the case in the 1930s. When you look at old Apparel Arts editorials and general menswear advertisements of the era, you’ll find that the Tyrolean hat was positioned as a bit of a trendy garment.  The Tyrolean hat, with its slightly rugged attitude and quirky European connotations, was something to wear in order to give a respite to your workhorse fedora.  It even seems to coincide with an American fascination with European attire, being an echo of jaunty tweeds, ski outfits, and general belt backs with yoked detailing, all things that are quite Alpine. 

The hats would frequently pop up whenever Esquire discussed “semi-sports attire”, their moniker for non-business attire that had a bit of a country (as opposed to city or business) aesthetic. You were meant to wear them with checked shirts, wool ties, and tweed jackets, all things for outside the office: think cabins, jaunty hikes, and perhaps a bit of hunting. Hell, you were even encouraged to wear it in the city and bring a “weekend charm” to your business attire. The textured and trim Tyrolean was your off duty hat! 

If photos and advertisements are anything to go by, the Tyrolean hat would pop in and out of popularity. After being popular in the 30s, they seemed to come back in the 60s into the early 70s during the last era of brimmed hats. It’s also interesting to note how in this era, the hat was now largely similar to a regular fedora as both of them now had shorter and narrower dimensions. This time, the Tyrolean was decidedly a “weekend hat” with their sporty nature being more suited for a ball game instead of a quick hunting trip or hike. Of course, as time went on, brimmed hats of all kinds fell out of favor with the general public. The Tyrolean is now something you find at antique malls and vintage stores or on the head of a stylish old man walking through the city. Perhaps in a world without the common fedora, this old head wants to be on weekend time all the time. 

Now it’s clear that felted, brimmed hats aren’t completely gone. They’ve had a bit of a resurgence in the classic menswear community no doubt thanks to their newfound appreciation of vintage styling. Full brimmed fedoras and cowboy hats can be seen in menswear hotspots around the world, providing old school charm and drama to their wearers. Does this mean that the Tyrolean is primed for a comeback? It may be tough.

While its details and history (especially as a part of the Esquire Man canon) are quite interesting, the Tyrolean Hat can feel hard to pull off. That’s because it is quite similar to the infamous Trilby, as both have a narrow brim and short crown. Though to be clear, if you look at the 1930s variations it seems that Tyroleans were closer in brim width to a fedora than a truly short Trilby. There’s nothing inherently wrong about the Trilby, but it does feel like it’s a knock off version of a proper fedora. Felt hats just seem to make sense with a wider brim, providing drama and interesting geometrics to an outfit. Trilbys can’t really provide that… and you can’t blame the Tyrolean to be lumped in there too.

Their stubby nature can make both of the hats seem “abrupt”,coming off as an unsatisfying sartorial chode when compared to the fedora. After all, the fedora in all of its full brimmed glory is the definition of “Full Send”; wearing a Trilby and Tyroleans can feel like a concession. It’s almost like comparing the expressive qualities of a slim legged pant to a wide legged one. The extra volume provides character, allowing a wearer to be slouchy and dramatic, at least in a classic menswear context. To be clear, slim pants do have their good qualities, as their sleek look works quite well in mod or SLP style outfits. However, I feel this streamlined sexiness doesn’t translate to Trilbys or Tyroleans. These hats are simultaneously trim and frumpy, making for an awkward combination. 

The Trilby is beyond saving. It is so decidedly uncool (the internet has made sure of that) that its easy to put its Tyrolean cousin in the same boat. Again, I can’t deny that the Tyrolean suffers from this fallout.But even with all of this context in mind, I still found myself slightly entranced by the Tyrolean hat and the Tyrolean hat alone. There was indeed something special about its sporty and quirky appearance; its awkward nature was perhaps something to embrace. And the more I saw semi-sports fits across new-to-me Apparel Arts scans, the more it felt like something I could wear myself, if not to give my fedora a break. 

I really just wanted my sporty little weekend hat! 

The more I think about it, what really pushed me over the edge into being on the look out for my own Tyrolean were two situations that every classic menswear enthusiast is familiar with: I saw the right inspo and I found one that actually fit (and flattered) me. This mix of inspiration and applicable tangibility is why nothing is ever truly off the table for me, at least when classic menswear is concerned.

For the first point, I gotta say that the final initiating inspo wasn’t Apparel Arts at all but a movie: The Holdovers. The movie features the loveable curmudgeon Mr. Hunnam who spends the movie in corduroy, OCBDs, a duffle, and a short brimmed hat. The kicker is that the hat wasn’t a Tyrolean at all: it’s a houndstooth tweed Trilby! I was initially surprised by my interest in it, but I soon realized that the hat looked really good on him despite it not being a full brimmed fedora. It looked short and sweet, not only framing Hunnam’s face but adding some quirk to his expression. I wanted that same effect, just on a Tyrolean mainly because a Tyrolean felt “timeless” and yet firmly planted in the 30s-40s instead of the tweed Trilby (which feels 60s-70s). However funny this story is, it was clear that I was finally ready to look for my weekend hat.

The hunt was a bit rough. Most of the vintage non-fedora headwear were indeed those tweed Trilby’; if there were Tyroleans, they were all too small (sizing was one reason why I ended up getting custom fedoras from Wellema). It seemed like this might be a rough ask, but I wasn’t too disheartened. I didn’t need a Tyrolean, especially since I still heavily enjoy my Fedoras as well as my quirky pieces like my berets and cowboy hat. It would just be nice to lean into that Apparel Arts semi-sports look and add a niche 30s “core” to my arsenal.  

I finally found luck when I stopped into McGinty’s in July of last year. Ben’s shop is mainly focused on art and antiques but he does have a backroom full of 30s-70s menswear. It’s a bit of a hidden gem that doesn’t change stock much, so it’s not usually one of my regular haunts (I mainly catch up with Ben when I run into him at the Rose Bowl).  However, on that fateful 2024 day I saw that he had a vintage Tyrolean in a dark caramel velvet that was marked my size. I tried it on and was ecstatic when it fit perfectly! The brim and crown were certainly short but I think it was flattering and didn’t feel stubby at all.  It even worked well with my vaguely 60s vacation/golf look that I was wearing. 

The menswear gods were smiling upon me. I could finally lean even further into being the modern embodiment of the Esquire Man. Though I’m not sure I’d add the traditional feather to the ribbon.

If you’ve been following me on Instagram, you’ll notice that I’ve been enjoying my jaunty little Tyrolean hat ever since I acquired it.  There’s something so charming about how it frames my face. It’s certainly streamlined and less dramatic when compared to my fedora, but it works! Drama isn’t the name of the game here, but rather “soft comfort”. The Tyrolean is simultaneously easy going and yet full of character without being overpowering in its dimensions; it almost feels easier to wear than a fedora, though that may be because of how compact it comes off as. It probably helps that mine is a well worn velvet, contributing to its soft demeanor. It’s almost like a well loved suede shoe, just for your head!

If I reflect more, it also seems that I put the Tyrolean in the same “category” as my beret. Both of them provide a quirky European vibe to a menswear outfit, leading a wearer to express a more niche approach to vintage  menswear than simply wearing a fedora. But while the beret feels artsy/intellectual and metropolitan, the Tyrolean leans into being sporting and exudes an idyllic countryside (though it’s also clear Europeans wore berets when hiking or on vacation). 

I’d also say that for me, the Tyrolean is kind of a mix between a fedora and a bucket hat. It’s  felted and comes off vintage menswear-y like a fedora, but the Tyrolean also has a casual vibe like a bucket hat, though it’s not nearly as rugged. I’ve actually found myself wearing my buckets less lately, at least with full tailoring. I don’t feel like adding subversive items for no reason.  As per my In/Out list (which isn’t really relegated to just 2025), life is about going Full Send. And that means leaning into a look as much as possible. 

As a result, pretty much all of the outfits I’ve worn the Tyrolean with have been decidedly themed after the “country/semi-sports” dress code as seen in Apparel Arts. I’m talking about checked tweed jackets, earth tones, flannel trousers, sweater vests, suede shoes, and wool ties. If I did do a suit, it would be with ones that were cotton, plaid, or at least brown (rather than grey or navy). These are all things that would be considered “casual” (sporty) back in the day!

Even though there was plenty of precedent for wearing the Tyrolean with business attire (or at least sleeker suits), the look isn’t for me. Again, it can come off like you’re trying to be subversive rather than in pursuit of something cohesive, like wearing a ballcap or chunky sneakers with a conservative suit. Don’t get me wrong that stuff is cool, it just doesn’t fit my personality! I’d rather wear my fun, casual hat with a fun, casual outfit in the fall. 

I truly is the perfect little fall weekend hat. 

I think it’s clear that Tyrolean really earned its place in the “Ethan Style” canon. Despite all of its personality and streamlined dimensions, I’ve found the hat truly easy to wear. Maybe that’s because there was nothing wrong with the hat this whole time. Or perhaps it’s just a testament to my wardrobe in that anything even remotely related to the Esquire Man is something I can pull off.  All jokes aside, I am very happy that this little hat feels like a natural extension of my style despite it being a new addition. It’s almost like it was always meant to be in my closet!

This story should illustrate the power of inspiration and tangible experience when trying something new. Things can be foreign until we find the right inspiration that triggers that “I want and can do that” sentiment; we then follow it up with finding the right garment that checks all our boxes. In that way, my experience of the Tyrolean echoes a lot of the other pieces that were just outside of a typical trad wardrobe like berets, boaters, and kimono style coats. 

Granted, we still have to like the garment or at least find some affinity for it. And in terms of the Tyrolean, it was about finding the right one that looked closer to the illustrations (and overall dimensions) that I enjoyed rather than simply getting a Trilby (which I still will not wear). 

It is funny that I’m writing about something new after largely staying the same for a long time. It just makes me curious to see what else will be canonized, even a decade after starting this blog. Maybe the journey isn’t done yet! And maybe the journey now is smaller things rather than radical changes. 

I’m excited. 

– end of blog post –

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Always a pleasure,

Ethan M. Wong (follow me on IG)

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