Steam is your best bet for reshaping a fedora hat at home. Just like ironing presses wrinkles out of clothes, steaming coaxes crinkles and dents out of hats. Just make sure you proceed with caution - remember, you're dealing with scalding hot water!
- Boil water in a tea kettle or heat up a steam iron.
- Once the iron is ready or the kettle starts producing steam, choose the misshaped area of the hat you want to fix and hold it to the steam, making sure that the inside of the hat is facing you. Generally, it's best to start with the brim and work upward.
- Once you feel the fabric soften, use your fingers to bend, pull and pinch the area until you get it into the shape you want.
- Let the reshaped area cool off and settle into position before moving on to another part of the hat. Repeat this process for each section you want to reshape.
The Dry Method
If you prefer to stay away from steam, you can also reshape a fedora without moisture. This method works best on minimally mishappen fedoras with dents that primarily affect the crown. It's also the technique to use if your hat is made of suede or another material that's easily damaged by water.
- Use a hat brush or your hand to gently push out dents in the hat's crown, as well as reshape crushed or wrinkled portions of the brim.
- Stuff the hat with tissue paper or a small towel and store it in a cool, dry place. You can also use a ball, wig stand or other appropriately sized round object to reshape the hat.
- Check on the hat frequently and remove the paper or round object once it retains the shape you like. This typically takes between one to three days.
Our Favorite Fedoras
Don't feel like fixing up an old, worn-out fedora? There's nothing wrong with going all out and buying a new one. This Belfry Gangster Fedora is the perfect pick because it's crushable and ideal for travel. Featuring a traditional brim and a teardrop crown, it's made of 100% wool felt that has been treated for both water repellency and stain resistance. In other words, it's hard to mess up. It's also available in nearly a dozen colors and has a soft cotton inner band for comfort. 
Similar to the Gangster, we offer the Belfry Bogart for the fedora look but with a slightly different crown. Made of 100% wool felt, it has a pinch-front center dent crown with a single bow, plus a stylish removable feather. It comes in a number of different colors, including burgundy, chocolate brown, olive green and pecan.
Looking for something a step up? We also offer wonderful Italian handmade fedoras like our Belfry Bartolo as well!
