On December 12th, 1915, Frank Sinatra, or ‘Old Blue-Eyes’ as he was sometimes called, was born to Italian immigrant parents in Hoboken, NJ.  The Sinatra story, one of Pop-Culture’s most spectacular, is particularly remarkable because of its authenticity and permanence.  After seeing a performance by Bing Crosby in the summer of 1935 Frank said: “After seeing him that night, I knew I had to be a singer.” Sinatra sang in general obscurity as a singing waiter and in a local band called the Hoboken Four until on his own, in 1939, he released “All or Nothing at All”.  The song climbed the charts becoming an immediate hit with the bobbysoxers of the 1940’s. He continued singing but also began a successful foray into the film industry starring in ‘From Here to Eternity’ for which he won an Oscar for best-supporting actor. He went on to star in such films as ‘Man with the Golden Arm’, ‘Guys and Dolls’, and ‘Ocean’s Eleven’. Music was always his true passion though and he started Reprise Records in 1961 and went on to record highly successful albums with smash hits such as ‘Strangers in the Night’, ‘Somethin Stupid’, and ‘My Way’. Old Blue Eyes is regarded as one of the best selling recording artists of all time having sold more than 150 million records worldwide.

A genuine American original and a man of real achievement, real spirit and real style, Frank Sinatra did it all on his own terms; He truly had the world on a string. Whether on screen, on the stage, or on the town, he was automatically the centre of attention and was defined by his style as much as his stardom.  Never seen without his trademark fedora, tilted ever so slightly on his head, Sinatra had a specific style all his own. In fact, it’s hard to picture Sinatra without his fedora, it was part of his brand.  Featured on his album covers, his fedora was the only thing he liked to share the stage with.  So in-tuned with the importance of his hat to his brand was he, that he always requested a line of orange thread to be stitched into the inner band of the hat.  This made it unique to him and him alone.  

To the man, the music and the fedora, today we salute you Frank Sinatra, you have inspired countless men to build their own style and incorporate a fedora into their trademark look – because after all,  ‘They can’t take that away from us’!