why is it called a pork pie hat

A pork pie hat is called that because its flat, round crown and short, upturned brim look like a traditional English pork pie, especially the famous Melton Mowbray pork pie pastry.

What the name means

• The classic pork pie hat has a low, flat crown with a crease running around the inside edge and a narrow brim that often curls up. This overall shape closely resembles a small, round meat pie.

• The name is widely linked to the Melton Mowbray pork pie from Leicestershire, England, whose crimped, slightly sunken top looks very similar to the hat’s dented crown.

A bit of history

• Pork pie hats appeared in the 19th century in England and the United States, with early versions worn by women before spreading more broadly in fashion.

• Over time they became associated with jazz musicians, entertainers, and later pop‑culture icons, but the food-inspired name stuck because the visual resemblance was so strong.

TL;DR: It is called a pork pie hat because the hat’s shape was thought to look like a traditional English pork pie pastry, especially the Melton Mowbray version.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.