Cillian Murphy’s Peaky Blinders Is So Good, It Revived A Forgotten Trend

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The popular Netflix crime drama starring Cillian Murphy has become a major part of our culture, even impacting fashion trends. Recently, Anna Wintour, who led Vogue magazine for many years, retired and was succeeded by Vogue editor Chloé Malle.

Anna Wintour, the real-life inspiration for Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada, recently discussed her career, the future of Vogue magazine, and the world of fashion in an interview with David Remnick on The New Yorker Radio Hour podcast. During the conversation, Remnick asked why fashion continues to matter, even during difficult times.

Anna Wintour believes fashion is consistently significant, explaining it’s about expressing yourself and making a personal statement. She asks, “Wouldn’t it be dull if everyone always wore the same dark suit and white shirt?” Perhaps the characters in Peaky Blinders could have found some style inspiration from Vogue and varied their looks a little.

Let’s be honest, one of the biggest draws of Peaky Blinders has always been the style. For over a decade, we’ve been admiring those impeccably tailored suits, overcoats, waistcoats, and, of course, the iconic newsboy caps – the very hats that gave the show its name. It’s a very classic, almost vintage look, but the show’s become so popular that it’s actually brought some of those older trends, like those flat-brimmed caps, back into fashion. You’re seeing them everywhere now, and it’s all thanks to the Peaky Blinders’ distinctive aesthetic.

Are Peaky Blinders’ Signature Hats Accurate To Real History?

The distinctive caps worn by the Peaky Blinders gang, which famously hide razor blades in the brim, are actually based on a real hat style. Called newsboy caps, they were popular from the late 1800s through the 1930s (according to WeaversOfIrleland), the same period in which the show Peaky Blinders is set.

Carl Chinn, a historian from Birmingham, notes that the actual gangs who inspired the show Peaky Blinders also favored flat-brimmed caps (as reported by BirminghamLive). It’s important to remember, though, that the caps worn by the Peaky Blinders are specifically newsboy caps, which are slightly different from a standard flat-brimmed hat.

The flat-brimmed cap, also known as a paddy cap, Irish cap, or golf cap, has a noticeably steeper slope from back to front. You’ll likely see these caps frequently, especially in cities with large Irish-American communities.

While they’re harder to find, newsboy caps – those soft, eight-paneled hats – have become much more popular recently, largely due to the TV show Peaky Blinders. They share a resemblance with both the Scottish tam o’ shanter and the trendy caps worn by pop stars in the 1990s, like Britney Spears.

Peaky Blinders’ Cultural Impact Goes Beyond Just Fashion

The impact of Peaky Blinders extends far beyond just clothing and style. The show first aired in 2013, and with the recent release of the film Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man in 2026, we’ve now had 13 years of this cultural phenomenon, and it’s become deeply embedded in popular culture.

The TV show Peaky Blinders has had a surprising impact on popular culture. You see people dressing as its characters for Halloween, the city of Birmingham is now widely recognized, and online communities interested in masculinity have embraced the show’s strong, assertive style. Even something as simple as the flat cap worn by the characters has become trendy.

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2026-04-16 16:58