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[Rmccamey]

As Scottyrocks said, in so many words, it's up to you. My local expert, a PhD in Fashion Design, says there is no magic formula and that we buy hats that look good on us, or at least, hats and sizes that we think look good on us.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Is there a formula or ratio for the recommended crown height to a person's facial features? Such as the distance between eyes and chin? I have searched and cannot find any. Thanks.

@scottyrocks gave one very valid way of looking at this: finding the narrow range that works best for you. I’m on the other end of of the thinking and I wear homburg, trilbies, wide brim fedoras, and westerns. I can say that I most often like a 2 3/4” brim and tall crown, but I have lots of hats that I think I look good in that nowhere near that. I like shorter brims with tall crowns such as those found on early 20th century fedoras, and I like the wider brims that came about later. The proportions and ratios are all over the place. Look at @alanfgag who wears a large part of the hat spectrum and they all look great on him. There are some hats I avoid, and some hats I modify due to my tastes, but I don’t think there is a formula that can accurately predict my preferences. Anyway, who wants an algorithm to dress them?


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[belfastboy]

As Scottyrocks said, in so many words, it's up to you. My local expert, a PhD in Fashion Design, says there is no magic formula and that we buy hats that look good on us, or at least, hats and sizes that we think look good on us.

And for me the great fun has been the journey of discovery. I now know my 'sweet spot' my experiments take place within a defined range. On the one hand I appreciate what I have learned but I do miss the experimenting and learning of my earlier hat days. On the plus side the "mistakes" are not that costly and mostly recouped on the resell.

 

[jlee562]

The style of hat has something to do with it too. There's less variance in say, Homburg brim widths than dress hat brim widths. Ditto with Derbies. On the opposite side of the spectrum, western hats and outback hats are supposed to have wider brims. Of course, not every western looks good on every face, so there is still some balancing between brim width and crown height, but suffice to say, the specs of the western that looks good on you aren't gonna match dress hat specs.

If we are strictly talking soft felt dress hats/fedoras, I do actually think there's something of a ratio there, golden or no. Stingy brims just don't work some people IMHO. Like Scotty, I find crown height adjustments affect my perception of how hats look on me.

I actually had a bit of an 'epiphany' at Disneyland seeing everyone in their souvenir wool Indy hats. That pre-creased C-crown shape that they use, with a slightly tapered crown and moderate crown height, actually looks pretty good on a wide variety of faces and builds. Even if they were able to produce and sell a "screen accurate" Indy hat as a souvenir, I actually think they'd sell less of those because it would look bad on a higher percentage of perspective buyers. The tall, boxy crown is not for everyone.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

The style of hat has something to do with it too. There's less variance in say, Homburg brim widths than dress hat brim widths. Ditto with Derbies. On the opposite side of the spectrum, western hats and outback hats are supposed to have wider brims. Of course, not every western looks good on every face, so there is still some balancing between brim width and crown height, but suffice to say, the specs of the western that looks good on you aren't gonna match dress hat specs.

If we are strictly talking soft felt dress hats/fedoras, I do actually think there's something of a ratio there, golden or no. Stingy brims just don't work some people IMHO. Like Scotty, I find crown height adjustments affect my perception of how hats look on me.

I actually had a bit of an 'epiphany' at Disneyland seeing everyone in their souvenir wool Indy hats. That pre-creased C-crown shape that they use, with a slightly tapered crown and moderate crown height, actually looks pretty good on a wide variety of faces and builds. Even if they were able to produce and sell a "screen accurate" Indy hat as a souvenir, I actually think they'd sell less of those because it would look bad on a higher percentage of perspective buyers. The tall, boxy crown is not for everyone.

You made your case very well. I’m still not sure that it can be (or that I want it to be) reduced to a mathematical equation. It struck me that your recent VS refurbishment hat (that I love!) would not look that good on me with a 2.5” after curl brim. My 61.5cm head needs the hat to be scaled up to maintain your proportions...darn, I might be making your argument for you.

My wife really doesn’t care much about my hats, but even after years of getting used to them all she still prefers me in much smaller hats than what I think I look best in. There will always be a subjective component, and I know I’m not telling you anything you didn’t already know.


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[belfastboy]

You made your case very well. I’m still not sure that it can be (or that I want it to be) reduced to a mathematical equation. It struck me that your recent VS refurbishment hat (that I love!) would not look that good on me with a 2.5” after curl brim. My 61.5cm head needs the hat to be scaled up to maintain your proportions...darn, I might be making your argument for you.

My wife really doesn’t care much about my hats, but even after years of getting used to them all she still prefers me in much smaller hats than what I think I look best in. There will always be a subjective component, and I know I’m not telling you anything you didn’t already know.
And another thing!...........reading the last two posts reminded me of my hat journey over the past 20 years. At first I was very reticent about wearing a taller crown and wider brimmed hat. It was not so much they did not look 'good' on me so muchas they didn't feel right. I was not comfortable in the wearing. But my comfort level evolved and now wearing a lower crown/narrower brim feels wrong for me. So I too would be very reluctant relying on a formula....in a sense I don't care what it would advise.......I have learned to wear what I like, what feels good to me and perhaps also looks good on me. My hallmark is that if my wife is willing to be seen in public with me with what I am wearing then I am good to go!

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[Frunobulax]

Also, don't stop at the face. How you're built matters, as well. Are you wide-shouldered? skinny? 6 foot tall or 5'6"? All these have to come into play, as well. A bigger guy probably needs bigger dimensions, a fella of smaller stature more modest dimensions.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

I see pics of a lot of guys who don’t have the shoulders to carry the hat.

 

[Rmccamey]

Tall, slender fella's seem to be able to pull off tribly's better IMO, but just my opinion.

Also, don't stop at the face. How you're built matters, as well. Are you wide-shouldered? skinny? 6 foot tall or 5'6"? All these have to come into play, as well. A bigger guy probably needs bigger dimensions, a fella of smaller stature more modest dimensions.

 

[Robieman]

I have a question for y'all. I found a b/w picture of my Dad dated Feb 1960. He is wearing a dark colored fedora, that appears to have a ribbon similar to an Open Road. I realize this is not much info, but in general, what hat/hats would have been available at that time, that would look like that? I was thinking I would get something similar. Thanks

 

[Bamaboots]

I have a question for y'all. I found a b/w picture of my Dad dated Feb 1960. He is wearing a dark colored fedora, that appears to have a ribbon similar to an Open Road. I realize this is not much info, but in general, what hat/hats would have been available at that time, that would look like that? I was thinking I would get something similar. Thanks

Could be an OR, Stratoliner or a thin ribbon clone of such hats made by a company other than Stetson. If you can post the pic it might help.

 

[Robieman]

Could be an OR, Stratoliner or a thin ribbon clone of such hats made by a company other than Stetson. If you can post the pic it might help.

Thank you for that. I will try and post it tonight or tomorrow, but will say ahead of time, it's not a good pic.

 

[alanfgag]

I see pics of a lot of guys who don’t have the shoulders to carry the hat.

Thanks for those kind words @deadlyhandsome. I think if you take enough pictures you will find that every hat suits you from a certain angle. For a real world opinion of your hat in space, you need a movie. Advice from a friend or partner is probably useful too. When I am packing to travel and deciding between hat A and B I always ask my wife. Sometimes I follow her advice!

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Vic has posted this several times, & while dated somewhat & we might all take some issue with parts of it, it serves the newbie well.

https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/choosing-the-correct-hat-for-your-body-type.93726/page-7

 

[drmaxtejeda]

Max can fit 60 hats (sans boxes) into his carry on luggage.


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Hahaha.

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[drmaxtejeda]

Googoo “golden ratio”

It's also used in dentistry. I have been modelling teeth since I was 17, so my mind does it subconsciously.

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[deadlyhandsome]

It's also used in dentistry. I have been modelling teeth since I was 17, so my mind does it subconsciously.

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Your teenage years were very different from mine.
I


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[Robieman]

Here’s the pic. As I said, not very good

Could be an OR, Stratoliner or a thin ribbon clone of such hats made by a company other than Stetson. If you can post the pic it might help.

 

[drmaxtejeda]

Your teenage years were very different from mine.
I


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Now I'm intrigued... [emoji2]

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[jlee562]

Two (and a half) unrelated questions for the hive mind:

1) Do we have any idea how widespread mercury use for felting was? I.E. Was this something that most manufacturers did? Or was it reserved for certain quality designations?

2) having a discussion on COW of "the turn." For the uninitiated, the Raiders of the Lost Ark hat is rotated about 1/3" - 1/2" on Ford's head and then creased off center (the bow placement is the giveaway). This gives the brim a unique swoop.

There's a poster over there saying that this technique predates the movie and he swears he's seen it on vintage hats.

Has anyone here seen or heard reference to this outside of Indiana Jones?

2.5) Ditto on dimensional brims. Are there vintage examples of this? Given the construction of vintage rounding jacks I tend to think not.