Bailey "crushable" LiteFelt ... really ?

[Mr. Blandings]

I just purchased a Bailey's of Hollywood fedora which came with a tag
labeled :

"LiteFelt - soft and packable with remarkable memory, LiteFelt
hats always spring back to their original shape."

It's a nice looking hat and I am not too keen on packing or crushing it to see if it does in fact spring back to it's original shape. However I'm traveling by airplane in the near future and would like to take this hat and another one with me . I'll wear one hat , the other I will (possibly) pack in a suitcase if I am confident that it will spring back to original shape after being packed .

Would anyone care to comment on their experience with Bailey's packable LiteFelt hats ? Yea or Nay on the packing ?

If yea, what is the best way to crush or pack a hat like this ? Roll it , or pack it crushed sideways ?

 

[Jerekson]

I've have yet to see a hat marketed as being crushable that is, in fact, non-crushable.

If it says it'll work, it will. I've owned several crushable hats over the years and they always retain their shape very easily.

I'd say go for it. And try crushing it sideways - flatten it.

 

[Yohanes]

There're pictures and guideline how to pack a hat (crushable hat of course ) in aztexhats.com - see in the help section.

 

[Mr. Blandings]

Thank you , both.

I shall pack away with nary a care .

 

[thefedorastore]

Crushable

I demonstrate daily to customers in my store the Bailey Litefelt memory qualities. I crush, squash and roll the hats, and then pop them back into their regular shape. It's a great selling tool, but also proves Bailey's claims to the memory of this wool felt.

 

[akaBruno]

I have one that I WISH I could reshape.

BRUNO

 

[Joel Tunnah]

Yes, these are crushable, and I think they're nicely made hats too. The styles are not for everyone, but I like my "Tino".

They are not reshapable dry, and steam doesn't seem to do much.

 

[besdor]

Bailey Lite Felt

Bailey Lite Felts are nice for the money ,but as a retailer I would never sell them as rain hats or even packagable hats. While they are somewhat foldable, they cant be packed in a suitcase for long periods of time. What does one expect from a 40.00 hat ?

 

[bolthead]

Wow.....

Bailey Lite Felts are nice for the money ,but as a retailer I would never sell them as rain hats or even packagable hats. While they are somewhat foldable, they cant be packed in a suitcase for long periods of time. What does one expect from a 40.00 hat ?



That's it, $40? :eusa_doh:

 

[besdor]

For the most part , Bailey hats retail for anywhere from 38.00 to 65.00 for their wool hats . For fur felt, the prices are higher.

 

[prf]

Bailey Lite Felts are nice for the money ,but as a retailer I would never sell them as rain hats or even packable hats. While they are somewhat foldable, they cant be packed in a suitcase for long periods of time. What does one expect from a 40.00 hat ?

I just bought a Bailey Briar, a Litefelt hat, and I joined the forum to learn about it, including features, care, and maintenance. So this is as good a place to start as any.

I wanted a hat that I could wear in bad weather, including rain and snow. Even though the weather can get pretty cold here, I don't generally need a really warm hat and was willing to trade off warmth for flexibility. I placed the order on Monday; the hat arrived on Thursday. The next morning I wore it in a steady rain. The day after that, I folded it twice and put it in the pocket of my raincoat. Thus far it's performing as advertised.

I'm a bit surprised to read that this hat is only "somewhat" foldable and isn't sold by this particular retailer as a rain hat or even as packable. What am I missing here? -- and this is a real question. More generally, how do Litefelt hats compare with other wool felt hats? What have I gained and lost by purchasing it rather than a non-Litefelt hat?

Thanks for your assistance.

 

[duggap]

I think what most folks are against is that it is made of wool. Do yourself a favor and step up to fur felt from now on. It will cost a little more but you will be much happier and your options will expand.

 

[Hoss & da Posse]

I, too, started out like most with a wool felt fedora. Hey, to the uninitiated, a hat is a hat is a hat. My Bailey Tino (in black) is in my regular rotation and is my only stingy brim. Of course, my rotation doesn't consist of nearly as many options as some I've seen around here. Now that I have purchased a few (3 to be exact) fur felts, I probably wouldn't buy another wool unless it were for a specific purpose. But long story short, I like the Bailey and it is really because of it that I have any fedoras at all. It was nice enough and still affordable that I could dip my toes into the fedora pool (it's out behind the Lounge)...

 

[RBH]

Glad to welcome you Mr. Blandings!
You also prf !!!

 

[jpbales]

"It was nice enough and still affordable that I could dip my toes into the fedora pool (it's out behind the Lounge)..."

I wish I had a pool of fedoras

 

[HarpPlayerGene]

C'mon ya' big chicken - smush that hat!

I have one of those and it takes bunching up and bounces right back.

Hoss' opinion of wools is very much like mine. Probably won't buy more but still wear and like the ones I've got.