EDMONTON - When I was a kid, I never saw my dad without a hat on — and I mean a true men’s hat, not a baseball cap. He wore these fabulous fur hats that looked Cossack to me. He said it was because he was going bald and needed to keep the heat in. I took up the tradition and started wearing a wide-brimmed fedora when I was 18, though I pulled it so far down over my right eye it made shoulder checking difficult and changing lanes interesting.

I was thrilled when a couple of years ago the stylish men among us started wearing hats again. This was during the height of the Mad Men mania, when the fedoras had the narrow brim to go along with the narrow lapels and ties. The Mad Men era ended a couple of winters ago, and everything became Great Gatsby, at least briefly. When that trend faded, I was left wondering what look would come next for hats.

I’m thrilled to report that the latest trend in men’s fedoras sees a return to the wide brim; think Nathan Detroit from Guys and Dolls. Do you also need to go back to the big shoulders of the ’40s and ’50s? No. These hats work very well with today’s slim-fitting clothes, and with the hot “lumbersexual” look.

When you buy a fedora, don’t forget about accessories. Hat bands, pins and feathers can completely change the look of your head topper and make it more versatile, especially helpful if you can’t afford a wardrobe of hats.

Getting back to Gatsby, flat caps remain popular and also go well with today’s fashion. They come in many different colours and patterns. I got my dad one in our tartan when I was in Scotland.

The other fun trend right now is top hats. Of course you expect to see these with Steam Punk looks, but guys are taking this most formal of evening wear looks and mixing it with a casual outfit to create their own personal and creative style.

When I see a gentleman in a stylish suit and he has finished it off with an appropriate hat, I recognize him as someone who knows how to top off a look.

Presented by Simons

ABOUT THIS CONTENT: This story was produced by the Edmonton Journal’s editorial department as a result of Simons’ interest in this topic. Simons was not given the opportunity to put restrictions on the content or review it prior to publication.