The Sombrero Cordobés

The Sign of Zorro (1920)

Douglas Fairbanks plays the first Zorro in the silent film with this famous black rigid hat with wide edge. The judge dressed entirely in black from head to foot, wearing a headband of cloth, hiding only the upper part of his face and wearing the hat called the Sombrero Cordobes. It is named as originating in the city of Cordoba in Andalusia and is part of the traditional Andalusian habit.

The sombrero cordobés is a traditional hat made in the city of Córdoba, Spain and traditionally worn in a large part of Andalusia.

There are no standard sizes for the sombrero cordobés ; the height of the crown can vary from 10 centimetres (3.9 in) to 12 centimetres (4.7 in) and the width of the brim can vary from 8 centimetres (3.1 in) to 12 centimetres (4.7 in). The most traditional color is black, though other common colors are red, pearl gray, sea green and navy blue.

The origin of the style is unclear. Drawings of the 17th century show day laborers wearing this hat. The style became more widespread in the late 19th and early 20th century.

Sombrero (Spanish for "hat", means "shadower") in English refers to a type of wide-brimmed hat from Mexico, used to shield from the sun. It usually has a high pointed crown, an extra-wide brim (broad enough to cast a shadow over the head, neck and shoulders of the wearer, and slightly upturned at the edge), and a chin string to hold it in place. In Spanish, sombrero refers to any wide-brimmed hat.

Sombreros, like the cowboy hats invented later, were designed in response to the demands of the physical environment. The concept of a broad-brimmed hat worn by a rider on horseback can be seen as far back as the Mongolian horsemen of the 13th century. In hot, sunny climates hats evolved to have wide brims, which provided shade. The exact origin of the Mexican sombrero is unknown, but it's usually accepted that the hat originated with Mestizo cowboys in Central Mexico.

Other types of hats known as sombrero can be found in South America and Spain, including the sombrero calañés, sombrero cordobés and sombrero de catite (Spain), sombrero vueltiao (Colombia).

Many early Texan cowboys adopted the Spanish and Mexican sombrero with its flat crown and wide, flat brim. Also called the poblano, these hats came from Spain.

The Mexican variation of the sombrero added an even wider brim and a high, conical crown. These are the hats worn by mariachi musicians and charros. Both types of sombreros usually include a chin strap.

In the Western United States, the sombrero had a high conical or cylindrical crown with a saucer-shaped brim, highly embroidered and made of plush felt.

Sombreros are also present in Philippine history, due to the influence from Spain brought about by the Manila galleon trade.

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