Are there comfortable bowler hats?

[MattJH]

I've always liked them, but they all feel like I'm wearing a crown of bricks on my head! The openings all seem to be shaped like perfect circles, and the stiffness of the felt doesn't lend itself very well to crown conformity. Granted, I've only tried on new ones from companies like Golden Gate and New York Hat Co., so I'm wondering how the older bowlers feel. Is there such a thing as a soft one, at least around the sweatband where the hat meets the head?

 

[Travis]

I've always liked them, but they all feel like I'm wearing a crown of bricks on my head! The openings all seem to be shaped like perfect circles, and the stiffness of the felt doesn't lend itself very well to crown conformity. Granted, I've only tried on new ones from companies like Golden Gate and New York Hat Co., so I'm wondering how the older bowlers feel. Is there such a thing as a soft one, at least around the sweatband where the hat meets the head?

I have one, and although I don't wear it nearly as often as a fedora, I find it quite comfortable. Maybe a hat stretcher would get it to fit a bit better for you. As for soft bowlers, I've never heard of such a thing, but I could be wrong.

 

[Dinerman]

My 1920s stetson bowler is shaped exactly like my head, and fits me pretty well.

 

[feltfan]

I have a Stetson and a Mallory.
Both fit my head very nicely. With a good
fit, a bowler is very comfortable. The snug, smooth
fit can be particularly nice. If it's the right shape
you don't notice that the hat is hard.
Not that I wear them often.

A bowler should not be soft. I wouldn't use
a hat stretcher on a hard felt hat. You might
consult one of our hatters about that first.
Maybe with enough steam or water.

 

[MattJH]

A bowler should not be soft. I wouldn't use a hat stretcher on a hard felt hat.

Oh, absolutely -- I'm more thinking of the sweatband portion of the hat, I suppose. Maybe if they used NERF instead of leather, it'd feel like like a block of concrete Perhaps it's just a matter of one fitting my head properly. Do bowlers ever conform to the shape of your head after repeated wearing, or is that not in their nature?

 

[jpdesign]

Bowlers, at the hieght of their fashion, were like top hats and conformed at the store when purchased. It is just a matter of getting it to the shape of your head. Boil some water, hold the hat over it so you are steaming the underside of the brim. when the felt softens put it on your haed and look in the mirror and straighten out the brim. then just wear it until it cools. might have to do it a couple of times over a period of time. the longer you can wear it afterwards the better.

I used to build stiff derbies, but they are so much more comfortable with a stiff crown, and not so stiff brim (so they conform easier) that is the way I build them now.

Jimmy

 

[besdor]

I'd look for a vintage derby on our favorite auction site. What is made today are mostly wool hats that aren't worth the money and will last one week.
The only decent fur felt bowler is the Christys model that will set you back $200.00 and up. I've seen others from Lagomarsino and Guerra but the shape just isn't right.


Steven
www.bencraft.com

 

[Topper]

Sounds you have the clasic problem of wrong right size, wrong shape.

Bowlers are made in 3 ways:


1) Typical hood blocked new bowler off the shelf is either a wool or fur felt, both of which are "stiffened".

As such it is possible to steam one, though i would not advise putting on head for safeyy - consult a hatter to get a model of your head made, using a formillion or other method ( there are a few!).

Note:Steaming only works if a felt only type. The added stiffener does not help.

2) If you have a "hard shell" bowler than steaming alone will not help as the method is incorrect technique for the shell. These are made is same manor as Traditional hard shell Felt Top Hats, the blocked felt is stuck to the shell. Though this you may experiece with riding bowlers, not the more modern off the shelf felts.

3) A "Millinery" version ( not common ) - unlike hatters, I have seen milliners make Bowlers with separate brims to the corwn, and sew them on. As such there is a lot less stiffining and more flexibility - though this is not a method I like at all

~~~~~~~~~~~~
Christys is not the only decent one, Olney also do a good Bowler , as well other makes available such as Failsworth can be considered. There are also are bespoke hats, which you can they choose your style - It depends on what you want.

There is no exact one correct 'bowler' style, some people prefer tall crowns, some low, some rounded tips some curved, some flat brimmed, some brims curled like a dandy. So to anwser the origonal question - yes and no - there are both! depends on what you consider hard. Some of the older test involved standing on a hat... and that is hard!

I have seen one brand have two separate brim styles - but the same stock code, so can vary depending on the manufacturing batch run.

If you want comfort - get a hatter to conform it to your shape and either replace the sweat with a nicer "fuller" softer roan or kangeroo one or a "hunting pad".

 

[Fletch]

Comfort? Pfaugh! Stiff upper lip sort of thing isn't it? Think of Queen and country, old thing.
Disclaimer: No diss intended to actual Englishpersons, upper-class twits possibly excepted.

 

[Lieutenant]

Five

I have five Derby/Bowlers from the 20s, 30s, 40s and they all fit great. They are all a hard felt but they were made to be a "Hard Hat" way back in the 1850s. Me and my best man wore ours at my wedding.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Not comfortable, but plenty safe:

 

[jamespowers]

Not comfortable, but plenty safe:

And we know that this is meant to be used with a musical instrument (as a mute) and not worn on our head right?
I have plenty of bowlers and it is just a matter of getting one in your correct size. Knox made a great one as did Stetson. The trick is knowing your hat size and head shape. A stiff hat will llikely never conform to your head but your head might conform to the hat.
Topper is right there are many different nuances to the bowler. A Cambridge Bowler, like Churchill favored, had a high crown with a decent sized brim. Some bowlers have short rounded crowns and others are somewhere in between.

Regards,

J

 

[J.B.]

And we know that this is meant to be used with a musical instrument (as a mute) and not worn on our head right? ...

Saints Preserve Us!! Thank you so much for the explanation! At first glance -- I actually thought someone had inverted a stainless steel version of this on his pate...

(I mean, I'm as adventuresome as the next guy, but if you go with this one -- for fashion's sake -- I recommend emptying the thing before you wear it?!)

 

[Mr. Rover]

You could always buy it a size larger and stuff the sweatband with those foam sizing strips until it's snug where it has to be.[huh]

 

[Harry Pierpont]

While wearing the bowler, stick your head in a bucket of water and wear it till it's dry. No wait that's for a new pair of cowboy boots:eusa_doh:

 

[jamespowers]

While wearing the bowler, stick your head in a bucket of water and wear it till it's dry. No wait that's for a new pair of cowboy boots:eusa_doh:

You stick your head in a bucket of water before putting on a new pair of cowboy boots?! How does that help? lol

Regards,

J

 

[Harry Pierpont]

You stick your head in a bucket of water before putting on a new pair of cowboy boots?! How does that help? lol

Regards,

J

No in the old west it was said if your boots were too loose to wear them in a creek and and wear them till they were dry. Supposedly they would shrink to fit[huh]

 

[Travis]

You stick your head in a bucket of water before putting on a new pair of cowboy boots?! How does that help? lol

Regards,

J

I've read about doing this with combat boots as well. From my understanding, the theory is you get them wet and than walk around in them all day and as they dry the leather conforms better to your foot. I've never tried it though.

 

[Harry Pierpont]

I've read about doing this with combat boots as well. From my understanding, the theory is you get them wet and than walk around in them all day and as they dry the leather conforms better to your foot. I've never tried it though.

The only thing that I wonder about is walking around all day in soggy boots! That can't be good on your feet.

 

[Orgetorix]

You stick your head in a bucket of water before putting on a new pair of cowboy boots?! How does that help? lol

Regards,

J

You have to leave your head, fully submerged, in the bucket for about 10 minutes. Then you don't notice the discomfort caused by boots (or a hat) that don't fit.