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[RBH]

Do any of you parents have suggestions? shakeshead :noidea::help:

Let me also add I talked with both my son and daughter and told them both I did not intend to embarrass them . But just like both of them I wanted to be and to do as I liked. And just as I gave them respect I expected respect from them.

 

[Landman]

Jeff,

I may not be the best guy to offer advice on children because I don't have any children but I can tell you about my Dad. I can honestly say he was my best friend and I'm lucky enough to also have a lot of great friends my age. He passed away a few years ago and I sure miss him. I was always close to him because he always included me in anything he was doing. Even when I was a kid. Maybe tell your daughter why you like these old hats. The history behind them is very interesting. Maybe she'll think so too. If she doesn't, she'll at least understand why you do.

 

[cjw314]

Question:

Is there a reference to the 'art' of wearing a cover?

I mean, I now understand how little I know about how a hat can be worn, and can fit, but I'm curious to see what the years have taught us looks classically good. However, I have no idea ... what/how/where to research for such an obscure subject. "how to wear a hat" on google doesn't help... ; )

Thanks in advance, all.


---
Chris

 

[scooter]

In answer to the question about the effects of hair dressing on hats, it will leave a residue on the liner, the sweat and/or the felt. I used pomade for a while, but it would allow my hair to get tousled or matted down in back, and it left a pronounced white residue on the sweatband. I started using American Crew medium hold spray, and it works like a charm. Hair stays in place, no residue.

 

[bowlerman]

Thanks, everyone. Much appreciated! There are always new parenting situations that arise, and many of them are things that I just never expected, and so far I do have a pretty good and open relationship with my daughter, so I will implement some of these thoughts.


*alright. the supplementary material did not need to remain in this post, I think.*

 

[Rabbit]

Question:

Is there a reference to the 'art' of wearing a cover?

I mean, I now understand how little I know about how a hat can be worn, and can fit, but I'm curious to see what the years have taught us looks classically good. However, I have no idea ... what/how/where to research for such an obscure subject. "how to wear a hat" on google doesn't help... ; )

Thanks in advance, all.


---
Chris

On the subject of what looks classically good, I do believe there is a generally accepted answer to it.

A classic approach to men's dressing applies to all garments and accessories, including hats. The idea is to put an emphasis on a well-proportioned silhouette, and a proper fit. What that means specifically will depend on your point of reference. A classic look for the lounge suit, for instance, could be the hourglass silhouette of the 1930s - comfortable trouser width, tapered waist, natural shoulders on a well-fitted jacket. A well-dressed appearance shouldn't draw too much attention; it should be comparately inconspicuous, leaving the observer with an impression of having seen a well-dressed man, no more, no less. I say "comparatively inconspicuous" because it's nearly impossible to avoid standing out in some way, being surrounded by a sea of, well, fashionable, casual, or sloppy dressed people as the case may be.
Classic dress means moderate proportions; lapels are neither skinny nor extremely wide etc. etc. Fashion always goes to extremes, classic dress avoids them.

Regarding hats, a classic approach would be to choose traditional felt colors (definitely grays excluding extremely light grays, black, browns, tans, dark greens; and possibly silverbelly, reddish brown, midnight blue), avoiding very light (white, off-white, extremely light grays) or vivid colors.
The hatband width is very much a matter of personal taste, and also dependent on the overall design of the hat, but for a typical city-style Fedora with a wider hatband (i.e. not a thin ribbon style), a moderate width of perhaps 1.5" to 1 3/4" would be less conspicuous in our day than the 2" ribbon which was rather common during the 1920s to 1950s (of course 1.5" and 1 3/4" ribbons were around aplenty back then, too).
The dimensions of crown and brim should be in harmony with your body proportions. Avoid very wide or very stingy brims unless you know what you're doing. Most hat wearers have a personal comfort zone of brim widths. The standard open crown height used to be 5.5" for much of the time when the Fedora was popular. 6" open crowns permit very deep creases; they usually stand a little higher than 5.5" crowns when creased. 5 1/4" and 5" open crowns are generally considered lower crowns.
The block shape is a matter of personal preference; at the height of the Fedora's popularity, crowns with minimal taper were very common and in line with general considerations of proportions, but moderately tapered crowns were around back then, too.

If you take a look at the hat collection of mine below, you should be able to single out the very few conspicuous hats among the mostly classic designs:
1st pic: last row, 3rd from right: Stetson RD Vogue 5.5" x 2 3/4" in sage green.
2nd pic: 1st row, 1st: VS Silvermist, a very light gray; 2nd row, 1st: VS Powderblue; 2nd row, 4th: VS Mojave, a cream/off-white; 3rd row, 1st: VS Black Cherry.

1930s-50s vintage hats:

Full resolution image

VS custom hats:

Full resolution image

 

[hatsRme]

Do any of you parents have suggestions?
Hi, Jeff;
I have two daughters and a son, now 27,25,and 22, respectively. We'll leave my son out of this discussion because,yes, boys and girls are different. My relationships with the two girls have always been as different as they are as individuals. However, at the age of 11 or 12 the girls become totally new people with deep concerns about who they are, and where they fit in their world. Some of it makes sense, most not (to us). I could always talk with my second daughter, and that was and continues to be a blessing. My older daughter and I had more difficulty in our communication, and as time went by (I hope you're not there yet) I had better talking relationships with her boyfriends! Here's the piece to take away... let her communicate with her Mom if she prefers and by that path you can take your cues about what's important to her. If there are times when she really really NEEDs to fit in, you will know.

Like Rusty (RBH), I am now in the planning stages of that older daughter's wedding (Woo-HA!). Just YESTERDAY, as I came from the house (hat on, of course) I overheard her saying to one of her younger future inlaws, "I wouldn't recognize him without a hat..." All of them do come around. Your sweet baby girl is now at a tender and difficult time. They're so confused about how we love them. You'll always be HER Dad. She knows that. And she cares. That's why she thinks of such things.

As a middle school teacher of one of mykids told us at the conclusion of a parent-teacher conference, HANG IN THERE. Profoundly helpful words!

Best of luck,
Charlie

 

[scooter]

Jeff, I am a retired Marine and a retired collegiate and high school referee for two sports, and I have two daughters. I recall being at a wrestling tournament and walking out into the hallway, only to find my eldest daughter sobbing. When I asked her what had happened, she said, "Dad, it just hurts so bad, hearing what some of these people are saying about you!" I told her it was just part of the job, you make 50% of the people happy, 100% of the time. I also told her, if you can't stand to hear me criticized, perhaps it would be better if you stayed home. She continued to accompany me, and eventually became an excellent referee in her own right.

A few years later, as the girls got older, I told them I was considering retiring from refereeing in order to spend more time with them. They lloked at me in astonishment, and the youngest said, "Who'll make sure the kids get a fair shake if you quit?" When I asked, they both told me they thought I should continue my officiating.

Point being, BE YOURSELF, do what YOU believe is right, what makes you feel right! You are, unbeknownst to her, teaching her valuable lessons about being a individual, a leader, and unique in her own right. You are teaching her that to follow the crowd is more often than not, the least desirable course of action!

 

[scooter]

Ok, got a quick question of my own. Please don't think me crazy, and I'm not fishing for compliments, but I have recently lost 38 lbs. and I swear, my hats seem to fit differently. Is it possible that your hat size changes with significant weight loss?

 

[carouselvic]

yes

 

[Grizzly Adams]

Ok, got a quick question of my own. Please don't think me crazy, and I'm not fishing for compliments, but I have recently lost 38 lbs. and I swear, my hats seem to fit differently. Is it possible that your hat size changes with significant weight loss?

I know you didn't ask for compliments, but congratulations on loosing the weight. It just could give you many more years with those girls. Bravo Zulu.:eusa_clap

 

[scooter]

Thanks, Griz. I know I sure feel better.

 

[nice hat dude!]

In answer to the question about the effects of hair dressing on hats, it will leave a residue on the liner, the sweat and/or the felt. I used pomade for a while, but it would allow my hair to get tousled or matted down in back, and it left a pronounced white residue on the sweatband. I started using American Crew medium hold spray, and it works like a charm. Hair stays in place, no residue.

Thanks I appreciate the answer and that was my basic concern the residue or film or such left on the sweat.

 

[The Good]

Any recommendations for which color fedora would look best with a dark green plaid tweed overcoat? I bought one several months ago, and here's a picture of it:

The color is lighter outdoors. So far, I own a dark brown, pale grey, and a silverbelly one. Would all three tones work? How about tan, like Akubra's Sandtone Fawn or Tawny Fawn shades?

 

[Landman]

That's a great looking overcoat. Probably all the colors you mentioned would look good with it but I think one of the lighter colors like Silverbelly might look best. I would try to match the lighter colored stripes in the tweed.

 

[danofarlington]

I think you're better off with a dark hat color of some kind. Try several. A light colored hat will emphasize the vintage of the coat and perhaps make it look odd or eccentric in my opinion. Light color for a conventional coat.

 

[bowlerman]

Just want to say thanks again for all of the "hats and preteens" advice. Who would have thought I could come to a hat forum and find such insight!? Much appreciated, and this is a great online community in which to take part.

Scooter-- I was wondering if your recent head shot with the new Buckaroo hat was the same person as in your avatar. Congratulations, man! And, yes, I too have noticed that hat size can fluctuate a tad with weight loss/gain, but have not experienced it on your level.

Stay healthy, my friends!

 

[memphislawyer]

Thoughts on crushable/packable panama hats, namely Bailey

Someone else posted that on some of the Panama Bob panama hats, the brims sorta lose their shape. Now that said, I get compliments galore on it. I tend to think it has a wider brim than I prefer but given that it is for shade, I dont mind. Whereas on my felt, it is for warmth mainly and I want it to look awesome. And to think it was like $35 off his ebay site, shipped and all. I have told many people about him so I hope he got business in spades.

I saw an attorney one day and he had a snappy looking Panama hat and he said it was a Bailey crushable one. Now, I do want it to look nice, but with crushable, I dont have to worry as much about brim losing its shape, or setting it on its crown, or worrying if something happens to it as much as if I had a felt hat.

I have a really cheap J Crew straw hat, gave like $7 for it, that is a really stingy brim and the straw is mediocre. Kinda something fun to wear over a ball cap and would be great for after the beach.

I am thinking now is the time, if I wear to get one, to get a crushable hat. What is the consensus on these sorts of hats, and a Bailey model in particular, since I can get that locally (these hats I am looking at are here: http://www.mrhats.com)

I am liking the Collins model, the Hanson and maybe the Brooks. Feel free to suggest others, but I like the look of a Panama Bob hat but with the features of a crushable perhaps, something that I dont have to baby as much as I would my Panama Bob hat.

 

[gtdean48]

I think you should post this & other questions in "Ask a question, get an answer" thread....you'll get better response from those with opinions of which you seek....

 

[memphislawyer]

Someone else posted that on some of the Panama Bob panama hats, the brims sorta lose their shape. Now that said, I get compliments galore on it. I tend to think it has a wider brim than I prefer but given that it is for shade, I dont mind. Whereas on my felt, it is for warmth mainly and I want it to look awesome. And to think it was like $35 off his ebay site, shipped and all. I have told many people about him so I hope he got business in spades.

I saw an attorney one day and he had a snappy looking Panama hat and he said it was a Bailey crushable one. Now, I do want it to look nice, but with crushable, I dont have to worry as much about brim losing its shape, or setting it on its crown, or worrying if something happens to it as much as if I had a felt hat.

I have a really cheap J Crew straw hat, gave like $7 for it, that is a really stingy brim and the straw is mediocre. Kinda something fun to wear over a ball cap and would be great for after the beach.

I am thinking now is the time, if I wear to get one, to get a crushable hat. What is the consensus on these sorts of hats, and a Bailey model in particular, since I can get that locally (these hats I am looking at are here: http://www.mrhats.com)

I am liking the Collins model, the Hanson and maybe the Brooks. Feel free to suggest others, but I like the look of a Panama Bob hat but with the features of a crushable perhaps, something that I dont have to baby as much as I would my Panama Bob hat.