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Long before Jason Mraz wears the FEDORA HAT, King of Pop MICHAEL JACKSON has been known for his trademark black fedora as well. No one will ever forget the night MJ performed “Billie Jean” with the BLACK FEDORA and his white glove for the “MOTOWN 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever” Anniversary Special in 1983.

Following performances by Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson and Mary Wells, The Jacksons took to the stage for the first Jackson brothers performance in eight years. THE JACKSONS sang a medley of their old hits, finishing with “I’ll Be There” and left Michael alone on stage. After addressing the audience, Jackson went into his routine. Wearing black pants, leather penny loafers and a single white rhinestone glove, Jackson snapped a FEDORA to his head and struck a pose—his right hand on his hat and his left leg bent. Throwing the HAT aside, Jackson lip synced to “Billie Jean“. Then, during a musical interlude, the singer executed a move which many claim to have sealed his status as a POP ICON. Gliding backwards, Jackson performed the MOONWALK, before spinning on his heels and landing en pointe (a form of ballet presented on the tips of the toes, made possible by specialized shoes). It was the first time Jackson had performed the moonwalk in public, having practiced it in his kitchen prior to the show. (MOONWALK or “walking on your toes” has since been considered Michael Jackson’s signature move).

The Video of Michael Jackson singing “Billy Jean” at “MOTOWN 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever” Anniversary Special in 1983

Michael Jackson continued wearing the FEDORA HAT on his ten-minute long video “SMOOTH CRIMINAL” (1987) in which Jackson dances through a 1930-style trying to save a kidnapped girl named Katie from “Mr. Big” Frankie Lideo’s soldier-like henchmen. In fact, the original song title was “Al Capone” which is probably about the Italian-American gangster before it was re-worked and re-written.

MICHAEL JACKSON has chosen an appropriate costume on the clip as FEDORA was popularized in the Roaring Twenties as the gangster’s hat of choice and prominent during the 1930s and 1940s. Many Hollywood movies of the 1940s featured private detectives, gangsters, or other “tough guy” roles wearing fedoras and trench coats, which became the standard dress for fashionable men of the era. A well-dressed man would never leave home without a hat, and in the mid-20th century that hat was almost always a fedora. Fedoras can be found in nearly any color imaginable, but black, grey, tan, brown, and red are the most popular.

The Video Clip of Michael Jackson’s Smooth Criminal (1987)

In the 1940s, FEDORA was worn by Al Capone, Bugsy Siegel, Bing Crosby and many other leading men on the silver screen. Humphrey Bogart’s character in Casablanca is the classic example of a fedora-clad movie star. Having lost its charisma in 1950s for reasons of practicality, casual dress and more temperate climate, Fedora made its comeback in the modern movie characters of Blues Brothers, INDIANA JONES and Freddie Kreuger. The fedora is strongly associated with film noir characters. Many celebrities were seen sporting the Fedora such as Hugh Jackman, Johnny Depp, BRAD PITT, Jamie Foxx, Ne-Yo, Run DMC, Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, JASON MRAZ and of course Michael Jackson.

MICHAEL JACKSON’S FEDORA HAT is a vintage 1920’s – 1930’s, 4 ½” side pinch flat teardrop crown with a 9 line bonded edge 2 3/4″ brim and a 12 line grosgrain hatband with bow. Made out of 100% wool from USA with high quality, it stays firmly in shape and are made to last a lifetime. The MJ FEDORA HAT is available in Black or White as worn by MJ on “Billy Jean” and “Smooth Criminal”. Each has a satin lining inside.

Crafted with pride in USA, Celebrityclothingstore.com offers them at US $89.99 each.

Michael Jackson’s Black Fedora Hat as worn on “Billy Jean” Live Performance

Michael Jackson’s White Fedora Hat as worn on “Smooth Criminal” video

MJ wearing White Fedora Hat on Smooth Criminal

A fedora is a soft felt hat that is creased lengthwise down the crown and pinched in the front on both sides. Similar hats with a C-crown (with an indentation for the head in the top of the crown) are occasionally called fedoras. The brim goes all the way around, and often there will be a hat band as well. A TRILBY HAT is somewhat similar to a fedora because of its soft, deep creasing texture, but typically has a shorter brim, and the back of the brim is distinctively more sharply upturned as a result.

FEDORA was originally a female fashion ever. The name came from the title of Sarah Bernhardt’s play in 1882: Victorien Sardou, Fédora in which the heroine of the play, Princess Fedora wore a hat similar to a fedora. The hat was transformed into a male fashion in the early part of the 20th century. Fedora hat could protect the wearer’s head from the wind and weather; when not in use, it could be rolled up.

King of Pop, MJ wearing Black Fedora Hat while singing Bily Jean

Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American recording artist, entertainer, philanthropist and businessman. He made his debut onto the professional music scene at the age of 11 as a member of The Jackson 5 in 1969, and then began a solo career in 1971. Referred to as the “King of Pop” in subsequent years, his 1982 album Thriller remains the world’s best-selling record of all time and four of his other solo studio albums are among the world’s best-selling records: Off the Wall (1979), Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991) and HIStory (1995).

One of the few artists to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, his other achievements include multiple Guinness World Records—including one for “Most Successful Entertainer of All Time“—13 Grammy Awards, 13 number one singles in his solo career, and the sale of 750 million albums worldwide. Michael Jackson died on June 25, 2009, apparently after suffering a cardiac arrest. Jackson had intended to return to live performance. At the time of his death he was in the middle of preparations for “This Is It“, a series of 50 concerts that would have been held in London.

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