borsalino

/bɔːsəˈliːnəʊ/

Etymology

After the name of the Italian company which made them.

Why this word is great

BORSALINO — [Noun] A wide-brimmed felt hat of exceptional craftsmanship, originally produced by the Italian luxury brand founded by Giuseppe Borsalino in 1857. From the Italian surname Borsalino, after Giuseppe Borsalino, founder of the hat manufacturing company in 1857. Unlike a "fedora" (a generic style with a creased crown) or a "trilby" (a sharper, shorter-brimmed cousin), a Borsalino is defined by its lineage—a specific marriage of material, silhouette, and prestige. It is the shadow cast by a brim wide enough to shield a face from the Mediterranean sun, the supple nap of rabbit-fur felt between thumb and forefinger, the faint scent of cedar from its storage box—a relic of a time when objects were made to outlast their owners.

noun

  1. A type of wide-brimmed felt hat.“He wore a shaggy borsalino hat, a rough grey sports coat with white golf balls on it for buttons, a brown shirt, a yellow tie, pleated grey flannel slacks and alligator shoes with white explosions on the toes.”