Understanding Fedora Crown Styles: Teardrop, Center Crease, and Open Crown
When choosing a fedora, the crown shape plays a defining role in how the hat looks, feels, and wears over time. While brims often draw the eye first, the crown determines the hat’s personality — whether it leans classic, contemporary, or somewhere in between.
At Hats in the Belfry, we offer teardrop, center crease and cattleman crown fedoras, each available in traditional and modern interpretations. You may also encounter the term open crown when researching fedoras, so we’ll cover that as well — and explain how it differs from the ready-to-wear styles we carry.
What Is a Teardrop Crown?
The teardrop crown is widely considered the traditional fedora crown shape. It features a rounded indentation at the top that gently tapers toward the front, forming a teardrop-like shape when viewed from above.
This crown offers a natural balance of structure and softness. It has enough definition to feel intentional, while maintaining a relaxed profile that works across casual and dress settings. Because of its origins and versatility, the teardrop crown has remained a cornerstone of fedora design for decades.
At Hats in the Belfry, we offer both classic and contemporary takes on this iconic shape, including:
-
Belfry Alessio - Belfry Italia
A refined felt fedora with a timeless teardrop crown that pairs effortlessly with both tailored and everyday looks. -
Belfry Jairo - Handmade for Belfry
A genuine Panama fedora featuring a teardrop crown that blends traditional craftsmanship with warm-weather ease.
What Is a Center Crease Crown?
The center crease crown features a single, straight crease running from the front to the back of the crown. While often associated with structured or dress-forward styling, the center crease has evolved over time and now exists in both classic and modern forms.
This crown creates a clean, symmetrical silhouette and offers a sharper visual line than the teardrop. Depending on the blocking and materials used, a center crease can feel distinctly traditional or subtly contemporary.
Examples of our center crease offerings include:
-
Belfry Frankie C - Handmade for Belfry
A polished felt fedora that highlights the crisp lines of a center crease crown with a modern sensibility. -
Belfry Monza - Belfry Italia
A sophisticated take on the center crease fedora, combining structure with effortless wearability.
What Is a Cattleman Crown?
The cattleman crown is a classic crown style most commonly associated with Western hats, though it has influenced fedora design as well. It features three distinct creases: a center crease running front to back, flanked by two parallel side creases. This structured design gives the crown a balanced, symmetrical appearance with a slightly squared-off profile.
Originally developed for practicality, the cattleman crown offered durability and ease of handling, making it popular among working cowboys and ranchers. Over time, its clean lines and purposeful shape earned it a place beyond the range, appearing in more refined Western and crossover hat styles.
Compared to a standard center crease fedora, the cattleman crown feels more angular and structured, with less taper at the top. It projects a confident, traditional look that emphasizes function as much as form.
Examples of our cattleman crown offerings include:
-
Stetson Open Road - Stetson Collection
The Open Road's easy styling allows it to transition from country to city wear and it looks equally stylish on a man or woman.
What Is an Open Crown Fedora?
An open crown fedora is a hat whose crown has not been creased or shaped. The felt is left smooth and rounded, allowing the wearer or a professional hatter to shape it later into a teardrop, center crease, or another crease style.
Open crowns are favored by enthusiasts who enjoy customization, but they require experience and care to shape properly. For this reason, they’re often less practical for everyday wear.
While we do not currently offer open crown fedoras, understanding this style helps explain the foundation of creased crowns — including the teardrop and center crease shapes we carry.
|
 |
 |
| CENTER CREASE CROWN | TEARDROP CROWN | CATTLEMAN CROWN |
Choosing the Right Crown Style
Both teardrop and center crease crowns have deep roots in fedora history, and each can be expressed in traditional or modern ways. The choice comes down to personal style and how you plan to wear your hat:
-
Teardrop crowns offer heritage, comfort, and versatility
-
Center crease crowns provide clean lines and a more defined profile
- Cattleman crown offer a distinctly western look.
-
Open crowns allow customization, but require shaping and expertise
By focusing on expertly shaped teardrop and center crease fedoras, we ensure every hat we offer is ready to wear, thoughtfully designed, and built to stand the test of time.
