Meet the Craftswoman Behind Indiana Jones’s Hat

Herbert Johnson of the House of Swaine is proud to have crafted the protagonist’s hat for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Meet Master Hatter of Civilian Headwear, Michelle Poyer-Sleeman, and watch how the iconic hat she crafted comes to life.

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What hat does Indiana Jones wear?

The Indiana Jones franchise began in 1981 with “Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark,“ an American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, based on a story by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman. Costume designer Deborah Nadoolman-Landis needed a hat that would be pivotal to the character and the plot. We were delighted at having been chosen to help design what was to become the world famous ‘Indy hat’.

Set in 1936, the first Indiana Jones film stars Harrison Ford as the protagonist, a journeying archaeologist fighting with Nazi German forces to find the long-lost Ark of the Covenant, which is said to make any army invincible. 

It won’t come as a surprise to learn that Jones is successful in his pursuit, and that several films followed “Raiders of the Lost Ark”. 

Three years later, in 1984, the follow-up film “The Temple of Doom” was released, with the sequel, “The Last Crusade”, coming out in 1989.

With the last film in the franchise being released in the UK on 28 June 2023, Indiana Jones fans are eagerly waiting to find out what new adventure the legendary hero archeologist will find himself in. 

Herbert Johnson of The House of Swaine is proud to be the original maker of the iconic Indiana Jones Poet hats featured in the original Indiana Jones trilogy, as well as in the newest film, “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny”.

Indiana Jones Hat Type: The History

Indiana Jones styles a classic fedora-style hat which he is barely seen without throughout the entire franchise. The hat that fans see him in is a classic fedora, which has quite a history!

The fedora hat was initially inspired by a play in 1883 called “Fedora”, created by the French playwright Victorien Sardou. 

In this play, Sarah Bernhardt plays the role of a princess. This same actress was known for adopting men’s fashion and acting roles, which often shocked audiences. 

The play’s first review named the hat worn by Bernhardt the “fedora”, and the term “fedora hat” became a term used within the vocabulary of womenswear, and later menswear too. Soon after this, the fedora hat became a popular fashion statement and a symbol for women activists everywhere. 

Before long, the fedora style was worn by many women and some fashion-forward men like Oscar Wilde and Prince Edward VIII. 

Fast-forward 140 years, and the fedora hat is still a popular style for fashion lovers across the globe. 

What is Indiana Jones’s hat made of?

Herbert Johnson made the hats for Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, the true headgear for adventure! Herbert
Johnson is proud to continue to craft the most iconic hat of our favourite archeologist!

In each film there are nuances to the shape and style of Indiana’s trusty adventuring hat
and in each there is no doubt this is the hat of our hero.

Each with a wide brim to protect Indy from the elements during his journeys.

The Latest Indiana Jones Film

The Indiana Jones hat has made a a glorious comeback in “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.”

Harrison Ford returns to the role of the legendary hero archaeologist for this highly anticipated final installment of the iconic franchise - a big, globe-trotting, rip-roaring cinematic adventure. Starring along with Ford are Phoebe Waller-Bridge (“Fleabag”), Antonio Banderas (“Pain and Glory”), John Rhys-Davies (Raiders of the Lost Ark), Shaunette Renée Wilson (“Black Panther”), Thomas Kretschmann (“Das Boot”), Toby Jones (“Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”), Boyd Holbrook (“Logan”), Olivier Richters (“Black Widow”), Ethann Isidore (“Mortel”), and Mads Mikkelsen (“Another Round”). Directed by James Mangold (“Ford v Ferrari,” “Logan”) and written by Jez Butterworth & John-Henry Butterworth and David Koepp and James Mangold, based on characters created by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman, the film is produced by Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall and Simon Emanuel, with Steven Spielberg and George Lucas serving as executive producers. John Williams, who has scored each Indy adventure since the original Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1981, has once again composed the score, and Joanna Johnston was in charge of costume design.

Where to buy the Indiana Jones hat

Indiana Jones fans everywhere will be eagerly anticipating the final film to see what the hero has been up to as he comes to the end of his adventures. 

With this final instalment of the franchise, it’s quite natural that some fans would leap at the chance to own something from the films to remind them of the adventures Indiana Jones has been on, and what better way to do this than by owning the same style of hat Harrison Ford wears himself?

Herbert Johnson offers a wide variety of headwear for the modern individual, but more specifically, we have the same Indiana Jones Poet hats that Ford wears himself, with each variation available in our stores and on our website – and this will soon include the latest Destiny Poet.