Every week a different FADER staff member will pick a clothing item or accessory that he or she has lately been spending a lot of time with—or would like to—and write a little love letter to it. We would’ve done a column on who we’re dating but that seemed a little bit much. This week Alex Frank talks the Adler Fedora by Soulland.
The Adler Fedora is Soulland's icon, as representative of the Copenhagen label's swagger as the tweed suit is for Chanel or ikat print and the bolo tie have become for Ralph Lauren. Soulland is not yet the global brand that Chanel or RL are, that's not what I mean. But, like the more established greats, they are a company that knows their strengths. Their simple, consistent menswear possesses a kind of self-awareness that bodes well for future success and the Adler Fedora is their most knowing item, the center of a Venn diagram of disparate interests. It's a funny mix: one part homage to the fitted cap of streetwear, one part ode to Scandanavian hiking gear and one loving nod to the days before men ever left the house without a hat. The Adler Fedora expresses love for its historical references without ever being reduced to them.
Soulland's Adler Fedora also has one hard to explain stylistic feature: a sense of pride. You might not be able to tell from the photo, but this hat puts on airs, stands pert and at attention, the closest to a crown that I will ever wear. It's so fly, so dignified, that amongst a mess of rags and blue jeans in my bedroom closet, I keep my Adler Fedora in a proper hat box to preserve its shape. And don't we need that? I certainly don't dress with much self-respect, preferring holey T-shirts and cut-off shorts to Duke of Windsor suiting. I slouch my shoulders and bite my nails, too. But I can wear this hat with the shittiest sneakers and feel princely. And maybe that's what makes Soulland one to watch for the future. If even a guy like me can feel like a dandy for a day just by wearing a cap, there's a good chance it's a keeper.