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Appropriate times to wear a fedora

Papa Smurf

Familiar Face
Messages
76
Location
Northern Arizona
Hi everyone,
I am new to the hat scene but I love it! I was wondering... Is there any proper time to wear a fedora with slacks and a polo shirt, and if so what type of fedora would work? Thanks in advance!!

-Ryan
 

lc1484

One of the Regulars
Messages
152
Location
San Francisco
Anytime you feel like it!! Wear what you want. I base it on the weather and what I feel like wearing...When I pair the hat with something more than casual, then I color coordinate.

welcome to the FL

Larry

:D
 

CRH

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,272
Location
West Branch, IA
Papa Smurf said:
Hi everyone,
I am new to the hat scene but I love it! I was wondering... Is there any proper time to wear a fedora with slacks and a polo shirt, and if so what type of fedora would work? Thanks in advance!!

-Ryan

Welcome to the lounge, Ryan :eusa_clap.

I wear fedoras with anything and everything and usually dress pretty casual. My only suggestion as to what type of fedora is whatever type tickles your fancy :). In general for me thin ribbons are more casual and wider ribbons more dressy.

Once you get some ideas from other loungers please feel free to make up your own rules!
 

M6Classic

One of the Regulars
Messages
107
Location
Circa Boston
Except during straw hat season or at Fenway Park, I wear a fedora pretty much every time I leave home, regardless of my attire or the occasion. A fedora is a very versatile hat, especially when compared to, say, a Homburg, which is more formal, a bowler, which raises all kinds of etiquette issues, and a newsboy cap which you probably would not wear to a dressy affair. To my mind, a fedora can go anywhere at any time. I have eight fedoras, some I wear for knocking around, some I think look better when I have on a suit. I have a black fedora which I wear with...I know, I know, the horrors...a tuxedo.

What it gets down to is this...and I have said this before on another thread...if you feel comfortable and unselfconscious under your hat, you probably look fine under it, too. Wear your fedora any time you want.

Buzz
 

Spats McGee

One Too Many
Messages
1,039
Location
Arkansas
Welcome to the Lounge, PapaSmurf! A fedora with slacks and polo shirt? Perfectly acceptable. I'm sure that you'll find other Loungers in that same type of outfit in the "What hat are you wearing today?" thread. As others have pointed out, the fedora is a very versatile hat. The only real question now is: which one do you want with that polo shirt? Thin or wide ribbon? Wide or stingy brim?
 

zetwal

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,343
Location
Texas
I agree.

Which hat you choose is just a matter of taste and comfort. Welcome to the Lounge ~
 

Wolfmanjack

Practically Family
Messages
547
Papa Smurf said:
Hi everyone,
I am new to the hat scene but I love it! I was wondering... Is there any proper time to wear a fedora with slacks and a polo shirt, and if so what type of fedora would work? Thanks in advance!!

-Ryan

Hello Ryan, Welcome to the Lounge.

:eek: :eek: Please everyone; don’t let this erupt into another debate between the “follow the rules” camp and the “do what you want” camp. This is just my humble opinion.:eek: :eek:

When I’m wearing just a polo shirt and slacks, I tend to choose a stingy-brim (2”) fedora. When I’m wearing a vested suit and an overcoat, I tend to choose a wider-brim (2.5+”) fedora. As I pile on more clothes and my shoulders get wider, it seems to call for a wider brim.

Another consideration: In casual clothes, I tend to wear my fedora more toward the back of my head; in formal clothes, I’ll wear it down on my eyebrows.

In choosing a fedora, I recommend that you find a bricks-and-mortar hat store and try on a lot of hats: wide brims and narrow brims, tall crowns and short crowns, wide ribbon and narrow ribbon. Try at least three sizes: including a tighter size that will sit higher on your head and a looser size that will sit low near your ears. Put each one on the back of your head, then down on your eyebrows and all the possibilities in between. Try it on straight (horizontal side-to-side) and at a sharp rake. Do all this in front of a 3-way mirror, so you can see yourself as others see you. Perhaps you might want to take along a friend whose sartorial opinion you value, someone who seems to know how to look good in whatever he/she wears. Finally, of course, consider the other clothes you will most often wear with your fedora.

I hope this helps, Ryan. Have fun!
 

jazzncocktails

A-List Customer
Messages
484
Location
Long Beach, California
Check out the Fedoras and Hawaiian Shirts thread, and you'll see that fedoras are pretty versatile. Have fun with your hat(s)...and welcome. There are great people on this site who will give you lots of fantastic advice.
 

handlebar bart

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,623
Location
at work
I wear fedoras with anything. Fedora and jeans......okay. Fedora and sweats......okay. Fedora and jammies......doin it right now and it's okay too. If you can go a whole day without seeing another person in a fedora then I think you get to rewrite the rule book. Enjoy your hats.
 

jimmy the lid

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,647
Location
USA
handlebar bart said:
If you can go a whole day without seeing another person in a fedora then I think you get to rewrite the rule book. Enjoy your hats.

:eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap
 

Goose.

Practically Family
Messages
898
Location
A Town Without Pity
Papa Smurf said:
...proper time to wear a fedora with slacks and a polo shirt, and if so what type of fedora would work? ...

Hi Ryan....

I'd wear a fedora with a t-shirt and SPAM flip flops before I'd wear a polo shirt.
So, I can't objectively contribute to this thread other than to say "WELCOME" :)


477853213_kFkHS-M-1.jpg
 

BobC

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,378
Location
Central IL
handlebar bart said:
If you can go a whole day without seeing another person in a fedora then I think you get to rewrite the rule book. Enjoy your hats.

Let me repeat that....Enjoy your hats. Welcome to the lounge PS. You will like it here. And be careful of these people. They will drag you into their addiction just as they have me. :eek: :D
 

Carlisle Blues

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,154
Location
Beautiful Horse Country
Papa Smurf said:
Hi everyone,
I am new to the hat scene but I love it! I was wondering... Is there any proper time to wear a fedora with slacks and a polo shirt, and if so what type of fedora would work? Thanks in advance!!

-Ryan

Hi Ryan welcome to the Lounge

242101_Untitled-1.jpg


I think you can get away with your look:)
 

handlebar bart

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,623
Location
at work
Carlisle Blues said:
Hi Ryan welcome to the Lounge

242101_Untitled-1.jpg


I think you can get away with your look:)


lol lol lol Okay, okay....I stand corrected. Some of the original rule book should remain intact. Mens fedoras don't go well with capris and purses......and whatever the rest of that is.
 

Blackthorn

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,567
Location
Oroville
handlebar bart said:
I wear fedoras with anything. Fedora and jeans......okay. Fedora and sweats......okay. Fedora and jammies......doin it right now and it's okay too. If you can go a whole day without seeing another person in a fedora then I think you get to rewrite the rule book. Enjoy your hats.

Hear, hear! Exactly!
 

Not-Bogart13

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,501
Location
NE Pennsylvania
I wouldn't say I'd wear a fedora with anything under any circumstance, but I think it's mainly a matter of how you're comfortable. I mean, I'm now willing to dress much more casually with a fedora than a couple of years ago. But I have my own rules that serve me well. I have to have some sort of collar, so a t-shirt only works for me if a have a jacket or open button-down shirt over it. Polos, yes... but now that I own some newsboy caps, I'm more inclined to go that route. I also notice that I favor narrower brims when going casual. [huh]

That's just me.
 

Woodfluter

Practically Family
Messages
784
Location
Georgia
Hey Ryan, welcome! You'll like it here.

I agree with most of what's been said.

However, just speaking for me, I tend to feel that lighter-colored fedoras seem right with more casual clothes. But then I'll go and do just the opposite sometimes. Likewise thin ribbons or lightweight, fairly short brimmed western hats seem to be OK with anything casual.

Now here's an example from 1440's Italy, Donatello's statue of David. Showing that a snap-brim can even fit into clothing-optional situations. Yes, just hat and boots and a sword.



I'd forgo the laurel wreath unless you've just killed a giant, however.

- Bill
 

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