Best Fedoras for Tall Men

[Clawhammer]

Hi folks,

I'm new to the forum, and new to fedoras in general. I like the look of narrow brims on the shelf, but they seem to look a little silly perched atop my 6'5'' frame. I wonder if people have advice for choosing appropriate brim and crown measurements. I know, I know: there are no rules and go with whatever looks best...but some general guidelines would be much appreciated. Feel free to suggest specific hat models too: I'm interested in a classic fedora in the $100 to $200 range.

I imagine this question has been brought up before, but I couldn't find a thread anywhere in the archives. Sorry if this is an old topic.

 

[frussell]

Not just a matter of height, but build. I'm also 6'5", but not lanky at all, so stingy brims can look goofy on me, like Wimpy from Popeye. Having said that, it's also about what you feel confident in. Some big/tall guys can pull off just about any hat. Frank

 

[ManofKent]

Yes face and body shape play as much a part in hats as height, but confidence is the biggest thing. If you feel you look good in a hat, you'll wear it a lot more naturally.

 

[TheDane]

I remember to have written something like this in a previous thread on a similar subject:

Richard (ManofKent) is a fine example of "What makes a hat make or break doesn't happen above the ears, but between them". If you browse through the "What Hat Are You Wearing Today" thread, you will see him pull of a variety of hat-styles/-types ... Caps, Homburgs, Bowlers, Boaters and Fedoras - wide brimmed as well as stingy. No matter, what he decides to wear, he pulls it off. As long as he "believes in the hat", it works great. I don't know, how tall he is, but I don't believe, he is a small man(?)

 

[gear-guy]

At 6'5 230 lbs I find that I can wear stingy or wide brim. My favorite crown height to the crease is between 4 and 4 1/2 nothing taller. On a wider brim 4 1/4 to 4 1/2 is fine and on a stingy I like the 4". Broad shoulder and face shape will also make a difference. Just don't be timid you will look great in any hat. I find most of my hats at antique and thrift stores but also now have two custom made hats. Delmonico hatter is a great place to buy hats online but there are others just as good. Good luck in your search. Don't be afraid to ask questions here on the lounge, many people will help you in your cause as they have helped me. Great knowledge here.

 

[frussell]

What size are you Clawhammer? That's another issue entirely as far as shopping.

 

[ManofKent]

Thanks for the king words Ole. I'm 6'1", no idea of weight, but with a 43" chest (we won't mention waist) I'm not a small bloke. I'll wear what I like and not worry too much about brim width. What looks bad on me is anything with too much taper - I've got a big head and a wider face and need relatively straight sided crowns. I probably suit slightly wider brims better, but I like stingies, so will wear both. If you don't mind shaping your own crown the Akubra Fed IV is a great slightly broader brimmed hat (I bought one and ended up with three).

 

[Tomasso]

It would be best to get yourself to a hat shop where you can try on a multitude of hats in various shapes and colors. Keep in mind that color is just as (or even more) important than shape because a bad hat color/skin tone match can make one look like a cadaver.


I see that you are in Los Angeles so you might start here:

http://www.baronhats.com

http://www.hollywoodhatters.com

 

[Fed in a Fedora]

Your intended use and location are two good places to start. A wide brim for sun protection is one of my considerations. How durable does it need to be for your usage? Is it an ornament for special occasions or an outdoor work hat? Sun? Rain? Snow? Wind? Dirt? Barbed wire? (One of our guys had an experience which brings this up)

Is this for a special event or are you into a particular period of history?

Should compliment your Your face and body. I am also tall, so I like a higher crown. I want to set my own crease so open crown is desirable for most hats, but a few factory creases are so good that I will consider them.

Do you have some outside interest which might blend well with your new interest in hats?

What hat would compliment the clothing type, material and colors that you normally wear?

I will second the recommendation of visiting a good hat shop to clarify what compliments your face shape. I admired many hats years ago and wanted them, but when on my head the look was just not what I had hoped.

You might also consider an open crown hat since this allows you to experiment with a variety of crown shapes (creases or bashes) There are several good hats out there which offer this option.

Fed

 

[Clawhammer]

Wow, thanks for the thoughtful comments folks! I'll take them into consideration when I head down to Hollywood Hatters later this week. I'll let you know how it goes.

I'm a musician, playing old timey fiddle and banjo, so I'll be wearing this hat to gigs and, more importantly, with relatively casual everyday outfits. Somehow I got the idea that a grey fedora with a dark blue ribbon would be good for me, though perhaps those are rare for a reason. I also must admit that I'm seduced by the legend of Stetson...

So glad this forum exists!

 

[Seth Duzan]

I wear my OR styled hat, sometimes tipped to the side a bit, sometimes not, depends in my mood... I'm 6'5", and about 210... So not big, but not lanky either. I find I am just myself and the hat always fits better...

 

[Fed in a Fedora]

Wow, thanks for the thoughtful comments folks! I'll take them into consideration when I head down to Hollywood Hatters later this week. I'll let you know how it goes.

I'm a musician, playing old timey fiddle and banjo, so I'll be wearing this hat to gigs and, more importantly, with relatively casual everyday outfits. Somehow I got the idea that a grey fedora with a dark blue ribbon would be good for me, though perhaps those are rare for a reason. I also must admit that I'm seduced by the legend of Stetson...

So glad this forum exists!

We are glad to have you and I will belatedly welcome you here.

As to the gray with blue ribbon, I have not tried that combination, but my first purchased felt was gray with black band. I also have grays with various complimenting gray bands. They work well with jeans in my opinion, although some view gray as a bit more formal. There are many other colors which compliment casual wear and you can join in various threads and ask in the Ask a Question - Get an Answer thread. I have used brown, tan, black or gray for casual as I became more comfortable with the whole hat area. Tan seems to get the most compliments with gray being second. A bluegrass green Akubra is on its way.

Considering the banjo interest, I would think that an open crown would be even more applicable so you customize a country look. Just get to know what creases that you like and how to do it. People here love to work though this process. You might look at the thread of the Diamond Authority. While there look for discussions of the TVA crease. Those guys are fun and their chosen style might work for you once you have read a bit of their scrawlings. Especially look up Jimmy The Lid's tutorial on creasing the diamond crown.

For Stetson, see Stetson Stuff. I have a couple of Stetsons from the same thinking and mostly like my Downs. But understand that a major company has purchased many of the old classic hat companies - including Stetson so the lineage is not quite pure. They do have some open crowns and Whippets, Open Roads, Vintage and a host of others might fit your desired look.

There is an Australian company, Akubra which produced Stetsons under license and is still in existence. Many people favor those hats as they are durable, good looking and not all that expensive. Some styles work for a vintage/custom look. See the Akubra Overload and Akubra CampDraft threads for information and to see a variety of images. They are interesting reading and a more interesting collection of people.

There are also several great custom hatters, but I only have experience with one and he does not make fedoras. Hopefully, someone who has experience with them can chime in for that area.

Good luck,

Fed

 

[jhe888]

I don't know that it is height so much as the overall impression. I am 6'3" and heavy - my cheeks are full. I think a too small brim doesn't suit me, but I have a few that are just over 2" that work. A real stingy brim looks a little out of place though. A thinner person might be able to pull it off.

And just try them - see what you like.

 

[Greyryder]

I don't know that it is height so much as the overall impression. I am 6'3" and heavy - my cheeks are full. I think a too small brim doesn't suit me, but I have a few that are just over 2" that work. A real stingy brim looks a little out of place though. A thinner person might be able to pull it off.

And just try them - see what you like.

Overall build definitely has a lot to do with it. I'm 5'7", and always been a bit thin. I don't have a full face, nor do I have especially broad shoulders. I feel like the usual 2½" brim is a little overpowering on me, unless I'm wearing a thick jacket. I don't like the look of 2" or narrower brim. I find that a 2¼" brim is pretty much perfect, for me.

 

[Clawhammer]

By the way, I went out and bought myself a Stetson Whippet. Love it! I can't believe it took me this long to get a high quality lid.

 

[TheDane]

Congratulations! The Whippet is a really nice hat. Though it was an entry-level hat back in the day, it's of a quality, you don't see from the hat factories of today

Btw, does "clawhammer" refer to a tool or banjo technique?

 

[T Jones]

I'm just over 6'2 and 220 lbs. With this hat on I'm 6'7!

very bad picture though....

 

[Clawhammer]

Ha! TheDane, "clawhammer" refers to the banjo technique in this case, which is not to say that I'm not as dense as the tool. Actually I used the prize money from a local banjo contest to buy my Whippet, which seemed like the right thing to do.

Congratulations! The Whippet is a really nice hat. Though it was an entry-level hat back in the day, it's of a quality, you don't see from the hat factories of today

Btw, does "clawhammer" refer to a tool or banjo technique?

 

[TheDane]

Wow, the twenty people in my country, who know what "an open-back 5-string" refers to, would never be able to sustain my hat-buying ... and I'm pretty sure, my playing wouldn't buy me much hats in the US, either. You must be good! Congrats :eusa_clap

 

[hatsRme]

My son is just a touch over 6'-7", and I (at 6'-1") still weigh more than he does. He can wear ANYTHING he wants in terms of brim width. But we have found that not all crown shapes work for him. The biggest advantage his height has in hats is that most folks can't see the crown bash. He's also the first in the family to know when it's raining...