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[bobm]

To me the great fun of the hat exploration is determining my hat 'sweet spot' and it def has evolved over the 25 years. At first the 2 1/2" brim seemed like a bridge much too far but now that is my base line and I go up from there. Have fun with it and realize the only rules exist within your mind. We have guys in the lounge that are your height/build and wear 3"+ brims with confidence....they just happen to like the look. I find most rules are just made up....mea culpa....I wear white after labour day and wear blue and green.

Good points and well stated. While "style/apparel" rules are meant to be broken; I often do, I still think there needs to a proper sense of proportion - especially in fedoras - at least for me. I'll give an exaggerated example - a Western hat that looks just perfect on Clint Eastwood, Gary Cooper or John Wayne, simply would "overwhelm" a man of, let's say Tom Cruise's, Dustin Hoffman's or Ben Stiiler's height 5'6" - 5'7".

 

[Frunobulax]

Good points and well stated. While "style/apparel" rules are meant to be broken; I often do, I still think there needs to a proper sense of proportion - especially in fedoras - at least for me. I'll give an exaggerated example - a Western hat that looks just perfect on Clint Eastwood, Gary Cooper or John Wayne, simply would "overwhelm" a man of, let's say Tom Cruise's, Dustin Hoffman's or Ben Stiiler's height 5'6" - 5'7".

I think he looks great.

View attachment 329892

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Good points and well stated. While "style/apparel" rules are meant to be broken; I often do, I still think there needs to a proper sense of proportion - especially in fedoras - at least for me. I'll give an exaggerated example - a Western hat that looks just perfect on Clint Eastwood, Gary Cooper or John Wayne, simply would "overwhelm" a man of, let's say Tom Cruise's, Dustin Hoffman's or Ben Stiiler's height 5'6" - 5'7".

I agree with you mostly, but there are those who wear all sorts of proportioned hats with equal aplomb. Look at @alanfgag He wears a wide range of styles, crown heights, and brim widths and he seems natural and never looks like the hat is wearing him. I love mixing it up and have found that unless you’re talking about way out at the extremes most anyone can look great in most any style or proportioned hat. My personal exemption is my inability to get comfortable under a derby. Maybe if I slimmed down....

 

[bobm]

I think he looks great.

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[bobm]

I agree with you mostly, but there are those who wear all sorts of proportioned hats with equal aplomb. Look at @alanfgag He wears a wide range of styles, crown heights, and brim widths and he seems natural and never looks like the hat is wearing him. I love mixing it up and have found that unless you’re talking about way out at the extremes most anyone can look great in most any style or proportioned hat. My personal exemption is my inability to get comfortable under a derby. Maybe if I slimmed down....

Good points about Alan, classy looking guy with a keen sense of style and he coordinates his hats with the other clothes he is wearing. But I also wonder for the very widest of brims he sports for viewing here on the forum, whether they would "work" as "naturally" for regular street wear. Maybe so, I duuno, but he would look way, way better than I would.

Also, to use another type of example to (maybe) illustrate what I'm saying, who looks better in that Indy fedora, Harrison Ford or Woody Allen?

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Good points about Alan, classy looking guy with a keen sense of style and he coordinates his hats with the other clothes he is wearing. But I also wonder for the very widest of brims he sports for viewing here on the forum, whether they would "work" as "naturally" for regular street wear. Maybe so, I duuno, but he would look way, way better than I would.

Also, to use another type of example to (maybe) illustrate what I'm saying, who looks better in that Indy fedora, Harrison Ford or Woody Allen?

I think in the end we all end up at the same place. There are no, or very few, universal truths when it comes to things as frivolous as sartorial preferences. My wife thinks I look best in hats with a 2 3/8 to 2 1/2” brim. My favorite are 3 1/2” and there really isn’t a right or wrong. Some folks who are smaller than me wear 5” brims and look great under them. For me, at this time, five inches is too much hat.

I’ll also say that when I want to be dressy, but want a fedora over a homburg, the mid-range brims (2 1/2 to 2 5/8” for me) have a more pulled together look and just look smarter and better paired with a suit. When I’m in more casual attire then the wider brims are preferred. I also went from 5 5/8” crowns to 6” and even slightly taller crowns on fedoras, but I wouldn’t want a 7” crown on a dress hat...it’s at the extremes that we most all agree things don’t look right.

 

[belfastboy]

Good points and well stated. While "style/apparel" rules are meant to be broken; I often do, I still think there needs to a proper sense of proportion - especially in fedoras - at least for me. I'll give an exaggerated example - a Western hat that looks just perfect on Clint Eastwood, Gary Cooper or John Wayne, simply would "overwhelm" a man of, let's say Tom Cruise's, Dustin Hoffman's or Ben Stiiler's height 5'6" - 5'7".

Well, perhaps, but as I stated there are men of smaller stature ( some here in the Lounge) that are quite comfortable wearing a tall crown/wide brimmed hat.

I think in the end we all end up at the same place. There are no, or very few, universal truths when it comes to things as frivolous as sartorial preferences. My wife thinks I look best in hats with a 2 3/8 to 2 1/2” brim. My favorite are 3 1/2” and there really isn’t a right or wrong. Some folks who are smaller than me wear 5” brims and look great under them. For me, at this time, five inches is too much hat.

I’ll also say that when I want to be dressy, but want a fedora over a homburg, the mid-range brims (2 1/2 to 2 5/8” for me) have a more pulled together look and just look smarter and better paired with a suit. When I’m in more casual attire then the wider brims are preferred. I also went from 5 5/8” crowns to 6” and even slightly taller crowns on fedoras, but I wouldn’t want a 7” crown on a dress hat...it’s at the extremes that we most all agree things don’t look right.

I made myself a hat with a 7" crown....my wife would prefer NOT to be seen in public with me wearing it. Her loss!!!

 

[bobm]

Actually was giving some thought to either of these two hats.
https://www.delmonicohatter.com/PROD.htm?Product_Code=SF04161139
https://www.delmonicohatter.com/PROD.htm?Product_Code=TF2215-ROTRB

 

[belfastboy]

Actually was giving some thought to either of these two hats.
https://www.delmonicohatter.com/PROD.htm?Product_Code=SF04161139
https://www.delmonicohatter.com/PROD.htm?Product_Code=TF2215-ROTRB

They are both good looking hats. Many custom hatters call these 'crossover' hats as they sit stylistically between a full blown western and a fedora. I call them a country gentlemen's style and like them a lot. I do have a strong bias though towards custom hats. While Stetson makes a decent hat it is a mass produced hat with a generic look to it. For about that money you can commission a custom hat that uses a much higher quality of materials.

 

[Frunobulax]

Must be sunspots.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

They are both good looking hats. Many custom hatters call these 'crossover' hats as they sit stylistically between a full blown western and a fedora. I call them a country gentlemen's style and like them a lot. I do have a strong bias though towards custom hats. While Stetson makes a decent hat it is a mass produced hat with a generic look to it. For about that money you can commission a custom hat that uses a much higher quality of materials.

I’ve had a couple of the Stetson Dune hats. I really wanted to like them, but they just weren’t for me. It’s hard to even consider most production hats when customs are so reasonably priced and don’t require compromises.

 

[bobm]

They are both good looking hats. Many custom hatters call these 'crossover' hats as they sit stylistically between a full blown western and a fedora. I call them a country gentlemen's style and like them a lot. I do have a strong bias though towards custom hats. While Stetson makes a decent hat it is a mass produced hat with a generic look to it. For about that money you can commission a custom hat that uses a much higher quality of materials.

Good points. Any suggestions for a custom hatmaker - that doesn't have a 6 month backlog?

 

[bobm]

I’ve had a couple of the Stetson Dune hats. I really wanted to like them, but they just weren’t for me. It’s hard to even consider most production hats when customs are so reasonably priced and don’t require compromises.

Actually, the one in my pic is a Filson-Steson collaboration, which thinking more about it, means almost nothing but adds about $85.00 to the price.
BTW, I am not that adverse to wide brimmed hats, see below Miller Campaign Hat, but have to think it through a bit more. Considering a custom made one along the two I mentioned previously.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Good points. Any suggestions for a custom hatmaker - that doesn't have a 6 month backlog?

In case he’s reluctant:

https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/wolfbrae-custom-hatters.103637/

 

[Rmccamey]

Wolfbrae, Gannon, Northwest...I don't think any of them are more than 6 months out.

Good points. Any suggestions for a custom hatmaker - that doesn't have a 6 month backlog?

 

[bobm]

In case he’s reluctant:

https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/wolfbrae-custom-hatters.103637/

Thanks.

 

[Blare]

T

Actually, the one in my pic is a Filson-Steson collaboration, which thinking more about it, means almost nothing but adds about $85.00 to the price.
BTW, I am not that adverse to wide brimmed hats, see below Miller Campaign Hat, but have to think it through a bit more. Considering a custom made one along the two I mentioned previously.
View attachment 329928

That looks fantastic on you!

 

[The Shoe]

This Herbert Johnson came up on the local auction. No bids yet, starting around $65. I’m thinking about pulling the trigger on it. The seller says it’s Indie Jones ‘20s or ‘30s Prohibition time hat...I don’t recall hearing about prohibition in England...
Any comments about the hat from people more knowledgeable than me (that’s pretty much all of you) would be appreciated.
I’ve got about 4 hours to decide.

 

[jlee562]

This Herbert Johnson came up on the local auction. No bids yet, starting around $65. I’m thinking about pulling the trigger on it. The seller says it’s Indie Jones ‘20s or ‘30s Prohibition time hat...I don’t recall hearing about prohibition in England...
Any comments about the hat from people more knowledgeable than me (that’s pretty much all of you) would be appreciated.
I’ve got about 4 hours to decide.
View attachment 330549 View attachment 330550 View attachment 330551 View attachment 330552

30 New Bond was not the original location, making this hat post 1985, IIRC. I tried to look up the location dates but for some reason couldn't find it again.

vaguely Indy styled but felt looks somewhat coarse. Maybe wool? Not sure if that brim is dimensional either.

 

[The Shoe]

30 New Bond was not the original location, making this hat post 1985, IIRC. I tried to look up the location dates but for some reason couldn't find it again.

vaguely Indy styled but felt looks somewhat coarse. Maybe wool? Not sure if that brim is dimensional either.

Thanks for that. I had a feeling that the dates were suspect, but I really don’t know much about these things.
I also wondered if there might be a little damage at the top point of the pinch. The seller has given no more real information than what I quoted, but he has 100% positive reviews on previous sales.
What do you mean by the brim being dimensional?