An UNUSUAL '30s Fedora

[Marc Chevalier]

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This one is from the late '30s: it's called the "Grouse". It's made of a fuzzy, hairy, very slightly wiry felt that looks a lot like a wool/rabbit fur mix to me. Made for Bullocks Wilshire (once a very high-end department store in L.A.) by "Palco Hats, Inc." of S. Norwalk, Connecticut. (A Google search revealed that "Palco" is famous for only one thing: a landmark court case in the early '50s.)


Note the brim stitching in the 2nd photo (similar to the stitches on the bottoms of covert coats), and the unusual ribbon and bow in the 3rd photo. Also, note that it's a bit similar to several hats shown in 1930s Esquire illustrations (at bottom).

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[Marc Chevalier]

If nothing else, this hat has ... er ... moxie.

 

[feltfan]

That felt bow is kooky. Kool hat.

 

[DOUGLAS]

Beautiful. Now if we could all just walk around looking like the men in the advertisment.
That color is stunning. Man How do you find these hats.

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

Kool

and Kasual.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

That felt bow is kooky.

Kooky indeed:

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[Marc Chevalier]

Man, how do you find these hats?

On eBay. I poke around in categories where one would least expect to find hats. Feel free to do the same, folks

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[Bud-n-Texas]

Mark, that hat looks very much like this Stetson, minus the Bow. I picked this one up in Atlanta this past summer.

 

[Bud-n-Texas]

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Mark, that hat looks very much like this Stetson ...

It sure does. Same type of felt, too! We're hat brothers

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[Lincsong]

From afar it doesn't look like it has a bow. Nice hat Marc.

 

[Fedora]

Wow, check out the thread winding on the sweatband's reeding tape!! That is a first for me!! Fedora

 

[Sefton]

Nice! That would go well with a tweed suit.