Hi,
I dunno, Brinybay, I think that you've got the looks to carry off a Real Hat any time you give yourself a break and just try it.
Lotsa ways to do this, you know. Here's three:
1) You could return to Byrnie Utz & ask for some advice. Or David Morgan in Bothell, if you think an Akubra would do ya. Either place would most likely lead you to get a hat in the $80 - $120 range. That's what a Real Hat (brimmed, made of fur felt) tends to cost, new.
2) You could see if Burlington Coat Factory (in Auburn, Edmonds, and, I think, Tacoma) has something you fancy -- in which case it'd only cost you $20 or so. You can ease into things that way.
3) You could try a Pendleton wool-felt fedora, available at the Pendleton outlet on 4th Ave in Seattle, as well as at sporting goods stores or outdoor outfitters, most likely. That might run you $40ish. Like finding a hat at BCF, getting a Pendleton is a training-wheels kind of deal for a first hat owner. It's less of a crap shoot than BCF too; you might get skunked at Burlington's if the manager hasn't bothered to stock any hats for a while.
But first and foremost, give yourself a break, like I said already. You almost certainly won't look like a dork, unless you get a multi-colored beanie with a spinning propellor on top.
I'm betting that, once you've had a few days to get used to your new look, you'll find yourself walking a little taller. You might get a little good-natured ribbing at first, as the first person in your circle who dares to wear a Real Hat, but you're *much* more likely to get compliments.
Cheers,
Mark
I dunno, Brinybay, I think that you've got the looks to carry off a Real Hat any time you give yourself a break and just try it.
Lotsa ways to do this, you know. Here's three:
1) You could return to Byrnie Utz & ask for some advice. Or David Morgan in Bothell, if you think an Akubra would do ya. Either place would most likely lead you to get a hat in the $80 - $120 range. That's what a Real Hat (brimmed, made of fur felt) tends to cost, new.
2) You could see if Burlington Coat Factory (in Auburn, Edmonds, and, I think, Tacoma) has something you fancy -- in which case it'd only cost you $20 or so. You can ease into things that way.
3) You could try a Pendleton wool-felt fedora, available at the Pendleton outlet on 4th Ave in Seattle, as well as at sporting goods stores or outdoor outfitters, most likely. That might run you $40ish. Like finding a hat at BCF, getting a Pendleton is a training-wheels kind of deal for a first hat owner. It's less of a crap shoot than BCF too; you might get skunked at Burlington's if the manager hasn't bothered to stock any hats for a while.
But first and foremost, give yourself a break, like I said already. You almost certainly won't look like a dork, unless you get a multi-colored beanie with a spinning propellor on top.
I'm betting that, once you've had a few days to get used to your new look, you'll find yourself walking a little taller. You might get a little good-natured ribbing at first, as the first person in your circle who dares to wear a Real Hat, but you're *much* more likely to get compliments.
Cheers,
Mark
