1959 Fedora Styles

[Brent Hutto]

What type of hat would have been worn in 1959, let's say in Chicago or New York, by a middle-aged, middle-class professional man on a business workday? Basically what type(s) would have been reasonably stylish to wear with a suit each morning when he leaves home to commute to the office?

Photos would be especially appreciated.

Bonus question, what would have been an especially style-forward hat look in that same time frame. Maybe something worn by a younger person, a musician or a flashy dresser?

 

[hatophile]

I'm going to make some general assumptions here, because I was born in 1958, so I have seen some family photos from that time frame. By the late 1950's, men's hats were starting to get smaller brimmed, as opposed to the late 40's early 50's. Businessmen of middle age were probably wearing a Stetson Whippet style hat, with about 2 1/4-2 1/2 in brim. Now, younger folks by that time were generally hatless, unless you include hipsters or beatniks who probably wore stingy brims or berets. I think even flashier dressers of that time were most likely unhatted. I believe the movie LA Confidential and the other one about the "Hat Squad" (can't remember the name right now, it's an age thing) would give some examples of common clothing of the late 50's.

 

[hatophile]

The "Hat Squad" movie is Mulholland Falls.

 

[rlk]

The TV shows "M Squad"(Chicago) and "Naked City"(on location NYC) have great examples and span that year.

http://msquadtv.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naked_City_(TV_series)

 

[billyspew]

This is an example of a style introduced in 1959...

Hopefully these links will also help:

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=kxYpAAAAIBAJ&sjid=d9cEAAAAIBAJ&pg=916,1622754&dq=adam+hats&hl=en
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=JQlXAAAAIBAJ&sjid=C0MNAAAAIBAJ&pg=4273,4437934&dq=adam+hats&hl=en
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PwFIAAAAIBAJ&sjid=_v8MAAAAIBAJ&pg=1852,2301411&dq=adam+hats&hl=en

 

[rlk]

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...AIBAJ&pg=6977,3494324&dq=1959+hat+style&hl=en

 

[fmw]

I agree with the above. My father's hats became stingier and lower crowned over the decade. Like almost everyone else, he stopped wearing hats around the turn of the decade. In 1959 I was in high school and I don't remember ever seeing a hat on a student other than-pull ons occasionally in Winter.

 

[DRB]

I agree with hatophiles statement: fedoras were being worn less then. My dad never wore one then, when he was outside his job. During his job he wore this:

 

[Woodfluter]

The TV shows "M Squad"(Chicago) and "Naked City"(on location NYC) have great examples and span that year.

http://msquadtv.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naked_City_(TV_series)

Also might try YouTube for episodes of "Richard Diamond, Private Detective" - here's one from 1957 to get you started: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3QOYwU5YJQ

I was in high school in the early 1960s, and for a while there was a fad for Tyrolean-style stingy brim hats. It didn't last very long. Hats were largely passé by then, but not entirely so...still saw some men (esp. those in their 40's and older) wearing them. And a few younger guys who liked them and weren't concerned about being different - like now.

 

[Atterbury Dodd]

My Grandad was born 1933'ish and mom said in the 50's and early 60's he was required to wear a Fedora where he worked. He really never has been fond of hats.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

All the pics of my Grandpa and Great-Grandpa in the late 50's were stingier brimmed fedoras, similar to this.

Or my grandpa's "lucky hat" that he talks about to this day, looks much like this.

 

[Tiller]

You mean your Grandfather has a copy of Frank's blue/gray straw hat? Do you know how long I've been looking for a hat like that :eeek:. If true he is a very lucky man!

 

[AtomicEraTom]

Yep, he always talks about that hat. It was his lucky fishing hat. Wind took it and it ended up in the Wisconsin River.

You mean your Grandfather has a copy of Frank's blue/gray straw hat? Do you know how long I've been looking for a hat like that :eeek:. If true he is a very lucky man!

 

[Tiller]

Yep, he always talks about that hat. It was his lucky fishing hat. Wind took it and it ended up in the Wisconsin River.

What a horrible thing to happen! I can understand a pain like that. Having an almost perfect summer hat, and then.... losing it.... how sad...

 

[AtomicEraTom]

Yeah, Grandpa's a hat guy, and has a lot of sharp hats, but none as sharp as that one. Sad day, indeed.

What a horrible thing to happen! I can understand a pain like that. Having an almost perfect summer hat, and then.... losing it.... how sad...

 

[Brent Hutto]

Thanks for all the pointers to classic movies, TV shows and such. And the two photos Tom N posted seem to very nicely bracket my two questions, don't you think? Maybe something like a Whippet is in the ballpark for the felt hat or even a bit stingier brim than that possibly.

Love that hat of Frank's. By coincidence, last night we watched this past Tuesday's episode of White Collar and the early part of the episode featured a variant of the Frank straw hat with a dark blue ribbon. I've seen lots of hats (and suits) of note on that show but that hat, especially pair with the suit and tie Matt Bomer had them paired with, was The One that I couldn't quit checking out. Pure hat awesomeness, I have no idea where you could find a straw hat nowadays with that blocking, that stingy brim and that quality.

 

[jimmy the lid]

I think this 1955 Whippet, on the morning commute, is just what you're after:

Remember that the bulk of hats that were being worn in 1959 weren't necessarily new in 1959 -- they were most likely several years old. A mid-50's Whippet, which had already started to move to different crown and brim dimensions (as you can see in the above ad) seems to capture the flavor of what would have been a typical business commuter look in the late 50's.

You may want to check out posts 96 and 97 in Stetson Ads for ads from 1954 to 1958, which also illustrate what I'm talking about.

Cheers,
JtL

 

[Brent Hutto]

Man, great pointer there JtL. You're right, between '53 and '58 (roughly) those Stetson brims narrowed down a lot.

Personally, I like that brown Custom V from 1954 but then I've got to admit the gray Ivy League from 1955 and later is pretty slick, too.

Neat-o!

 

[jimmy the lid]

Personally, I like that brown Custom V from 1954 but then I've got to admit the gray Ivy League from 1955 and later is pretty slick, too.

Neat-o!

Yup -- those are a couple of others I would point to that fit the bill.

 

[hatophile]

Someone, I think Billyspew posted ads of Whippets from the 40's to the 50's and the shortening of the brims becomes very evident as time moves toward the end of the 50's.