Basic Hat Quivers?

[Hoss & da Posse]

Although many if not most of the regulars have a large collection of hats from which to choose; what would you consider a basic quiver? Would it be several colors across few styles? Several styles but in few colors? As a new guy here, I'm curious which styles/materials/colors would be considered "necessary" to an experienced hat wearer to cover, say, 80% or more of normal life in 2008. Thanks, Hoss

 

[jpdesign]

It all depends on what you wear. I have one hat that I wear 99% of the time. I also were brown belt and shoes with jeans and a grean, ivory, blue, brown, or tan shirt. There are shirts in plaids, stripes, and hawaiian. Sometimes its is khakies, or earthtone slacks. But most of my clothing falls into the earthtone and blue catagory in some way. So I almost always wear a natural beaver fedora with thin band and binding in brown. So consider your color pallette. If it is luimited to a few catagories you may want to go with a few colors, but many styles.

Most hat wearers tend to do one of the things you have said, many colors, one style, or many styles, one color.

I use few of either my self. other than the one described above, I have a navy with brown ribbons, and a black. All have ribbons less then 1 inch, bound edges that are very narrow, and brims that are between 2 3/8 inches and 2 3/4 inches.

I have found a style that I like on myself, and change the colors to match what I wear, though what I wear changes little. I have made some wild hats to wear myself, but the are only worn ocassionally, to get attention in order to talk to people about hats.

If your style changes daily, but stays in similar colors, go that way. I must say that a few years ago I had many hats in many colors, and really fit them to what I was wearing, but at that time, I would be dressed as a punk one day, grunge rocker he next, classic suit fairly often, you name it.

So it all depends on you. If you are going with fedoras, two in similar styles that can be worn with multiple clothing options, one in grey or black, and one in a brown of some sort should be a good start. Most other styles are too formal, or too out there to where with everyday clothing.

Jimmy

 

[handlebar bart]

I am curious to see the rest of the responses, but I think Jimmy hit on it pretty well. I don't wear the same fedora two days in a row, infact most days I wear 2 or more different ones. Most of mine are diamond crown and brims 2 1/2" or slightly less. Ribbons on mine range from thin to rather wide. I think we all discover our palette as our addiction grows, but I love a wide range of colors, but primarily the greys and blues. And some tans. I think you may find it interesting how your color preferences may change as you add to your collection. Mine certainly did, as I got away from the browns and dark greys. Some may say a brown, or grey, or black is a 'go to' color choice, but for me my favorite is the light grey/blues.

 

[AlanC]

Very tough question.

A lot of guys wear, say, an Open Road/Stratoliner style thin ribbon almost exclusively. Then you've got the folks who wear an Indy hat every day.

For me, if I had to narrow it down to just a few necessary hats:

• OR/Strat/Alessandria thin ribbon (lighter color, light gray or 'natural', etc.)
• Whippet style dress hat (some sort of shade of gray or navy)
• Indy or Hughes style brown hat
  
• everyday Panama (Cuenca or lower grade Montecristi)
• dressier Panama (nicer grade Montecristi)

Now in the real world don't hold me to that list.

 

[Yohanes]

Grey and dark brown fedora. Wear grey when your shirt / suit is dark color, wear the brown when it's light color. lol could be misleading though.

Plus one straw if you like - light colored / natural.

That makes 3 fedoras... but not sure whether it's enough or not [huh]

 

[Hoss & da Posse]

Grey and dark brown fedora. Wear grey when your shirt / suit is dark color, wear the brown when it's light color. lol could be misleading though.

Plus one straw if you like - light colored / natural.

That makes 3 fedoras... but not sure whether it's enough or not [huh]

Well, this is exactly where I was heading...Ordered a starter Panama from PB and am hoping to strike a reasonable deal on an Akubra Stylemaster in grey. After that, I'll set my sights on something in brown or maybe sage. Common sense says brown, but I really like some of the sage hats I've seen. Guess that's why the collections grow quickly beyond the "basics"

 

[Not-Bogart13]

I find a 2 1/2" or 2 5/8" brimmed fedora style to be the most versatile, but it's also a matter of taste, general wardrobe choice, and what looks good on you. Pork Pies don't work with everything and everyone, and neither do stingies or wide brims. My "Holy Trinity" of crown bashes are the center dent, the c crown, and the diamond.

I find I can cover just about any hat wearing situation with two colors;
1. A Pecan or Chocolate Brown with a brown ribbon (darker or lighter).
2. Granite Gray with a very dark gray or black ribbon.

Some would call those boring choices, but simple is much more universal. After covering your basics, though, have at least two more.
3. "Gem tone" - Light Sage, Moss Green, Light Blue, etc. Choose based on the colors of the clothing you wear most.
4. One "Fun Hat" - Total vanity hat that just tickles you. Either an different style (Pork Pie, Remington, whatever), or an unusual color choice of felt or ribbon. (See Art Fawcett's more playful limited editions for examples).

To me, that is the perfect quiver of hats.

 

[Stan]

Hi,

Well.....this question will garner as many answers as there are responders, I think! lol

In the end, it's going to come down to the rest of the wardrobe as to what folks have in the way of hats.

In my case it's pretty simple.

I have one, count 'em, one suit. It's brown. It's good for both weddings and funerals. I have a brown fedora to go with it. I also have a tan overcoat that goes with the suit, so I could also get away with wearing my tan Open Road or my tan Stratoliner clone with the suit if I'm also wearing the overcoat.

Usually, I wear blue jeans and golf shirts and boots. I usually wear a tan Open Road or Stratoliner clone. I also have Sliverbelly versions of each. I can switch up from the Alpine Crease in each style to a center crease / front pinch version of each. Fedora style as opposed to western, as it were. I can change the color depending on what color shirt I'm wearing.

I also have a couple full-out cowboy hats with 'box-top' creases in both tan and sliverbelly. These are made from a much heavier and stiffer felt than the Open Roads are. The Open Roads are dress weight felt, and have fancier ribbons on them than the cowboy hats do. It depends on where I'm going and what time of year it is for the cowboy hats to come out.

I have four straw hats that aren't farming hats. Two are Panamas from Bob, one finer than the other. One is a vintage Stetson Panama Open Road. The fourth is a modern Dobbs two-tone Milan straw type (although I doubt that it's made from Italian Milan straw given what it sold for new). I wear them all pretty much equally.

This time of year, I wear the straws more than the felts, of course. It's summer in North Carolina! :eusa_doh:

I have at least a dozen straw and felt hats to wear when doing farm work, but I don't think those really fit in with this discussion.

So, basically, I have three styles of felt hats in two colors that I wear on a regular basis. I have one brown fedora that goes with the one suit, and I rarely wear it, but it's always there when I need to.

Other folks will have a whole closet full of suits, and so will have a greater number of hats and syles to go with.

Later!

Stan