Pork Pie Hat Vs Trilby. The Difference (with pictures)

Are you a hat lover? If so, you must love to have a wide variety of hats in your wardrobe. Right from the classic dad cap to the formal cowboy hat, you must love to have a variety of hats in your collection. But do you know that every hat is unique in its way?

Well, that’s very true. And following the same, the pork pie hat vs. Trilby is one of the most common questions debated over the period. Though you may find that these hats are pretty similar at first look, there are various prominent differences between the two.

So, let us explore the answer to the debate of pork pie hat vs. Trilby in this article. Also, let us determine which of these two is more appropriate for formal occasions.

The Prominent, Notable, or Main Difference

Gaining the clarity of pork pie hat vs. Trilby is the first step towards understanding the difference between the two. For any hat, the main difference lies in their shape, brin, crown, and place to wear, the same as these two.

Difference 1: Crown Shape

The first difference between pork pie hats and Trilby is their crown shape. A round, flat crown distinguishes pork pie hats with a telescope crease. Trilbies have a creased, tapered crown with a front pinch.

Difference 2: Material Used

Pork pie hats are made from various materials such as felt, straw, canvas, and so on. On the other hand, Trilby is mainly made from tweed, straw, wool, felt, fur, and cotton.

Difference 3: Formal Appeal

Trilby is way more formal than a pork pie hat when it comes to a formal appeal. The pork pie hat usually features a ribbon around the crown and a feather on one side, while the Trilby comes with a simple ribbon around the crown, making it a better choice for formal occasions.

Which One Is A Formal Wear Hat, Pork Pie Hat Or Trilby?

There is no doubt that both pork pie hat and Trilby are unique headgears. Designed with comfortable and breathable material, you can wear either for the entire day and look amazing.

But when the question of pork pie hat vs. Trilby hat is linked to formal wear, we have a clear winner. Well, it is Trilby. Although Trilby is associated with stage and artists, it has a more formal appeal when compared to pork pie hats.

So, if you are willing to accompany a hat with your formal attire, Trilby will be a better choice of the two. It has a perfect crow, an amazing brim, and a classic touch of ribbon to make you look appealing in formal attire.

What Is a Pork Pie Hat?

Pork pie hat or English pastry hat got its name from its telescoped crown. This crown features a slight lip-like structure around the upper edge of the crown, which looks similar to a traditional English meat pie. Quite a distinctive hat, its shape, and features have evolved immensely over the years.

Initially, pork pie hats had a slightly curled-up brim with a shallow crown. The crown is decorated with a ribbon around it and a pretty feather on one side. The hat was popularized in the 1960s when bought back in the United Kingdom. This gave rise to the occasional appearance of the hat in the mod and rave subculture.

This type is mainly determined as a hipster hat; this type is more common at jazz parties or sometimes even pool parties. The chances of spotting this hat at formal events are pretty low.

Amazing Facts About Pork Pie Hat

• Its name is pork pie hat because of its telescopic crown.
• It is usually decorated with a ribbon around the crown and feather.
• College students mainly worked it during the 1930s.
• It was redesigned from Fedora by stiffening its brim and flattening its crown.
• It is made from various materials such as felt, straw, canvas, and so on.
• It is the hat that is worn by the famous character Yogi Bear.
• Golfer Sam Snead was frequently seen wearing pork pies made of straw.
• It is a hat with a deep association with horse races, jazz, parties, and various other casual events.

What Is a Trilby?

Trilby is a perfect hat with a narrower brim of 5 cm broad. It is unisex and can be worn during any season. This hat is mainly linked to casual attire, but its design makes it perfect for formal wear. 

The Trilby was famous as the rich man’s hat. It was also known as the “brown trilby” in Britain and was the most common hat seen during horse races. Trilbies can offer you a casual and relaxed look when you wear them by pressing them up from the back. This hat has provided an excellent look to country musicians or musicians, usually during bonfire nights.

Initially, all knew this hat to be for men, but after the early 1980s, it was marketed as unisex when it started to capitalize on a nostalgic fashion trend. And since then, this hat has been styled by various artists giving it excellent exposure.

Amazing Facts About Trilby

• Its name is derived from George du Maurier’s 1894 novel Trilby.
• The hat reached the pinnacle of popularity in the 1960s.
• Its crown is slightly shorter when compared to the fedora.
• The brim is also short and titled down in the front, with the back a little turned up.
• One of the distinctive designs of Trilby is linked to Frank Sinatra, who was known for wearing trilby hats.
• The cartoon character Inspector Gadget wears a trilby hat.
• Trilby hats are wool, tweed, heavyweight cotton, and even straw. The wool variant is quite popular.

Pork Pie Hat vs Trilby

Comparison Properties	Pork Pie Hat	Trilby
Uses (for)	It is mainly used for casual to semi-formal events.	It is more suited from formal to semi-formal occasions.
Ideal For	It is unisex and has a particular focus on sportspersons.	It is unisex but initially was designed for men.
Distinctive Feature	It is a hat with a slightly curled-up brim with a shallow crown. It features a ribbon and a feather.	It is a hat with a shorter brim angled down at the front and slightly turned up at the back.
Durability	It is very durable and reliable.	Its wool and wool alternative variants are more durable.
Material Used	Pork pie hats are made from various materials such as felt, straw, canvas, and so on.	Trilby hats are made of wool, tweed, heavyweight cotton, and even straw.
Foldability	These are a little hard to fold because of the stuff brim.	These are easily foldable and can be kept in a bag.
Weight	This is a little heavier as compared to others.	It is very lightweight.
Care and Maintenance	It’s care and maintenance is very easy.	It is easy to care for and maintain but the wool ones tend to shrink when washed.
Weather	It is perfect for all seasons but most suited for spring.	It is suited for all seasons but most appropriate for winters.

What Are Pork Pie Hats for?

Pork Pie hats are ideal for keeping a calming and casual look. These hats have been associated with jazz, parties, and races, showing their inclination towards casual events. These hats can give the wearer a slightly squat appearance. In fact, unlike the domed crown, the Pork Pie Hat was redesigned by Fedoras by stiffening the brim and flattening the crown. Finally, during the Great Depression, Pork Pie Hat introduced telescopic crowns that popped up slightly when worn. With a simple touch of ribbon and feather, these hats offer a decent and classic look to the wearer.

What Are Trilby for?

Trilby hats are ideal for achieving an artistic look. It got its name from a famous novel. It is a hat with a long history of being used on stage and worn by artists from various disciplines. While trilby hats were originally known as rich man’s hats, they were later adopted as casual hats. The way it’s worn suggests an easygoing, laid-back, and informal hat. However, Trilby is formal hats too and unisex. Trilby hats are suitable for all seasons. The wool trilby hats are very famous, which is why these hats have a significant place for winters.

The Best Pork Pie Hat

The Best Trilby

Final Thoughts

The question of pork pie hat vs. Trilby is not new. It has been quite a few times since people have been looking to find the single winner from these fantastic hats. Though both the hats are different and their purpose is the opposite, most people confuse the two a lot. Without a doubt, the pork pie hat is your perfect partner to attain that happening casual look, and Trilby will offer you the classic rich and formal look. Knowing about the fundamental difference and understanding their durability and quality is one of the prime factors to focus on while buying a hat. So, if you are looking to have a perfect hat that can help you stay classy all day long, these two are your best choices to go for.