Boater faction!

[boushi_mania]

I wish I had that boater, the straw is nicely plaited.

Depends on what your size is. I saw another one of the same model in a size 7 while I was bidding on this one, but it's probably gone by now...

(I refuse to follow along with that company's wanton abuse of the poor apostrophe.)

That would depend if the name is Christys or Christy (but then again, if it was the former, it would be Christys's...)

According to Miller Hats, it was founded by a Miller Christy, with no mention of a relative partnering with him.

I still find the British practice of leaving out the apostrophe in shop- and company names rather off-putting, but even that is preferable to this oddity....

 

[Lokar]

That would depend if the name is Christys or Christy (but then again, if it was the former, it would be Christys's...)

Actually, if it was Christys, Christys' is acceptable (although not preferred by all).

Depends on what your size is. I saw another one of the same model in a size 7 while I was bidding on this one, but it's probably gone by now...



According to Miller Hats, it was founded by a Miller Christy, with no mention of a relative partnering with him.

I still find the British practice of leaving out the apostrophe in shop- and company names rather off-putting, but even that is preferable to this oddity....

Aah yes, the grocer's apostrophe. It's not a British thing (indeed, there are only a few places in the entire US that are named with an apostrophe, while it's more common in the UK to have an apostrophe in the name). It irritates me a little when I see it.

 

[Charlie Huang]

Recently, I came across this oddity:

"Boston's was brewed up by wealthy merchants."

Boston's what?

This was written by a columist that was educated at Cambridge *coughTristramHuntcough*...

 

[Lefty]

Cheers to locktowndog for making me aware of the site

 

[Mr E Train]

Cheers to locktowndog for making me aware of the site

:arated:

 

[S. Beagles]

Skimmer

Dusted off this old skimmer today with warmer weather in mind. Ponte Rialto Venice. Not sure of its age but certainly a well made hat.

 

[Mr E Train]

Nice! The boater's supposed to be a very dressy hat, but I think it goes with an aloha shirt just fine. It's more versatile than people think.

 

[S. Beagles]

Hey Mr. E Train, I dusted off all my straw hats today in haste for spring and summer and took the photos in what I was wearing at the time. If I were going to wear the boater out in public it seems more fitting in a jacket and tie. Actually have been wearing a Milan weave Knox all day with that shirt. I may have pulled out the straw hats a little early yet this year, as I was taught that after Good Friday was the appropriate time to bring out the summer clothes.

 

[Mr E Train]

Rules are made to be broken!:cool2:

 

[Big_e]

Oh yeah! I need to get a boater to go with my hawaiian shirts. The crown on some of them seem to sit kinda low. Should I get one in my regular hat size or go a smaller size?
Ernest

 

[Mr E Train]

Oh yeah! I need to get a boater to go with my hawaiian shirts. The crown on some of them seem to sit kinda low. Should I get one in my regular hat size or go a smaller size?
Ernest

I've heard some people say they get them a size smaller so it can sit higher on the head because of the low crown. It seems that the shape of the head factors into it a great deal because of the boater's stiffness. A long oval would probably be more likely to need to get his usual size than a regular oval since, unless the hat is custom made or vintage, it's more than likely going to be shaped for a regular oval head.

 

[daizawaguy]

The only issue here is that they are very difficult or impossible to stretch. Better off inserting a cloth if the usual size is too big is my advice.

 

[Mr E Train]

The only issue here is that they are very difficult or impossible to stretch. Better off inserting a cloth if the usual size is too big is my advice.

I agree.

 

[Mr E Train]

This may be taking it too far, you think?

 

[S. Beagles]

His clothes don't do the Boater justice at all, however, I'm glad to see a younger generation actually wearing the hats. It would be nice if these hats became main stream style again. I'm already prepared. On the down side the hat prices would sky rocket.lol

 

[Lefty]

button the shirt and I'm on board

 

[Mr E Train]

I think I just realized why I'm drawn to the boater hat so much. I came across this photo of Jimmie Rodgers, one of my musical idols since I was 9 years old.

I'm not that old, by the way; this was the late 70's/early 80's, and my dad was an antique dealer, so I was always around Victrolas and 78 RPM records, and Jimmie Rodgers was one of the first musicians that really made an impact on me.

 

[Mr E Train]

I went to an antique show today and came across a print of this Manet work titled Boating, 1874.

 

[S. Beagles]

When did the Boater hat first appear?

Its interesting to see the date of that print at 1874. I wonder how long the Boater has been around. Does anyone know its origins? Even what its original intent was when it was created?

 

[carldelo]

Interesting: Miller Hats site places the origin of the boater in the 1880s, and states that it was brought to the states via Italian immigrants, i.e. gondoliers. The Manet certainly contradicts the date; the first citation in the OED isn't until 1896 however.

Lock & Co. state that the boater descends from straw hats issued to English midshipmen at the end of the 19th century - same general time, but different source. This seems more believable, as sennit-straw (also sinnet-straw) was commonly used as cordage on sailing vessels, so would be around in abundance to make hats from during long boring watches at sea.

PS this blog bears out the latter, but of course it's just a blog:
http://thestitched.blogspot.com/2009/03/brief-history-of-hats-part-1-boater.html

PPS - Forgot all that other stuff and read this - a scholarly work with references and the whole magilla. It places the surge in popularity of the boater to the invention of a machine that could sew straw in 1870. This is probably what made production large enough to be capable of supplying the Royal Navy. There's a ton of interesting history in this article:
http://www.press.uchicago.edu/Misc/Chicago/117987.html