Winston Churchil : V is for victory, H is for homburgs.
A
homburg is a stiff hat, usually made of fur felt, that is superficially very similar to the
trilby or
fedora, since both can have a crease from the front to the back of the crown, known as a
"center dent". The
homburg usually has no pinches, and has a brim with the edge sharply turned up all the way around.
It was popularized by
Edward VII after he visited
Bad Homburg in Hessen, Germany, and brought back a hat of this style.
Brief History on Edward VIII: If you are not familiar with this figure, read on, for his life contains one of the greatest love stories of our modern age.
King Edward VIII did something that monarchs do not have the luxury of doing - he fell in love. King Edward was in love with Mrs. Wallis Simpson, not only an American, but also a married woman already once divorced. Yet, in order to marry the woman he loved, King Edward was willing to give up the British throne - and he did.
To some, this was the love story of the century. To others, it was a scandal that threatened to weaken the monarchy. In reality, the story of King Edward VIII and Mrs. Wallis Simpson never fulfilled either of these notions. Instead, the story is about a prince who wanted to be like everyone else.
The duke of Windsor (formerly Edward VIII) and duchess of Windsor on their wedding day, June 3, 1937
King Edward VIII's 1934 Buick, which he rode to Downing Street to announce his abdication from the British throne.
In Britain, a black homburg became widely known in the 1930s as an "
Anthony Eden" after the Government Minister of that name. It is believed by some that Eden's rapid rise through the political hierarachy owed as much to image as to substance.
Anthony Eden wearing his signature homburg.
The homburg is sometimes referred to as The Godfather, which tends to variate with a slightly wider brim which rolls upward on the sides the way a bowler hat would.
Teenagers played an enormous role in fashion like never before. Generation gaps emerged, which although today seems quite innocent compared to modern times, these new styles were viewed as rebellious and scorned. Films like 'Rebel Without A Cause' starring James Dean and 'The Wild One' with a young Marlon Brando influenced the fashion of youth.
The Ousiders (1983) - movie about 1950's misfit teens
