Crown height ?

[deadpickle]

Hello,
I'm a new fedora owner and new to the forum. Sorry I dont have a picture of my new hat right now but, I purchased a custom made Indy hat from Peter Bros. I have been a longtime fan of the Indy movies (sorry to say except the 4th one) and I thought adding a proper fedora to the collection was just. I love the hat but I do have some concerns. I wasn't quite sure which style to go for when I ordered the fedora, the main concerns I had was the size, didn't want anything to tight but then again I did not want to have to adjust the hat all the time if it was to loose. The other concern was the crown height, I didnt want a hat that was to high and look like i was wearing a top hat. I think I got the size right give or take a cm but the crown height seems to tall for my height. What I would like to know is if there is a way to determine the proper crown height for a person of a certain height? Thanks a lot.

 

[johnnycanuck]

What you can do is go out and buy an open crown hat like the Akubra Campdraft, Squatter, or a lounge favorite the Federation. http://www.hatsdirect.com/cgi-bin/products.cgi?group=Fedora+Hats
Then you can give it a nice diamond bash or a c-crown and play with the height all you want until you get the height you want.
You can also do this with the hat you have, but I am not sure if you want to do that.
Or just go down to your local hat shop/western shop and try on the different hats and measure the crown heights there.
Johnny

 

[Lefty]

Hello,
What I would like to know is if there is a way to determine the proper crown height for a person of a certain height? Thanks a lot.

No. There are some general rules about skinny guys not wearing hats that are way too tall, and fat guys not wearing the stingiest of brims. These rules, however, are for the people who want to follow them. If you want to find something that looks good on you, take an honest friend or significant other to a hat shop and try on a lot of hats. Many of the members here have a range of tall crowns with wide brims (like a Stetson Open Road or Akubra Campdraft) to short porkpie crowns with stingy brims.

The best rule is: find what you like and enjoy it.

 

[Art Fawcett]

Welcome to the Lounge Deadpickle ( love that name)

First, let me say that almost every time a gent starts wearing hats, the crown feels too high. It's a natural thing as you arent used to wearing a hat at all. There are basic formula's that seem to work but mostly it's about getting comfortable with hat wearing period. Then you can start experimenting more with what looks good on you. take your time, it's a fun process

 

[indycop]

Deadpickle I also have an Indy PB custom and it does have a tall crown that took a little getting used to. But it is a great hat that I don't think twice about wearing. It also was my first real hat and I will never get rid of it, so just give it a little while and see how it goes.

 

[MrFusion]

I agree with Art and IC.
It takes some getting use to. It did for my wife (and me at first). When I got my first custom, an Art Fawcett Sportaire, my wife thought the crown was a bit too high for me. Now when I wear my Grandfather's old 60's stingy brimmed fedora, she says the crown isn't tall enough! lol

 

[indycop]

I bought a DVD of the first 48 episodes of Rin Tin Tin While we were shopping yesterday and there are a ton of fedoras in it. Every man and woman has a hat on. ALL the fedoras were very tall crowned and a bunch had shorter looking brims. A lot of centerdents and a few raiders tight pinches. And one centerdent creased front and rear! Most of them made my PB crown seem short.

 

[handlebar bart]

Howdy Deadpickle! You will enjoy it here. I have a PB custom also. It was my first custom and my second hat. And it is TALL I love a tall hat and I have plenty, including one Art made me, but the PB was clownish tall. I don't know if it is the felt thickness, or the centerdent, and/or the dimensional brim; but it looked way too huge. My wife started laughing when I put it on. I felt like I was wearing a top hat. I cut the brim down to an even 2 1/2" and put a diamond in the crown and now I like it alot more. I can't force myself to wear a low crown hat, but the PB was beyond what I can pull off. So I guess my point is that you aren't alone and there is a fix if you feel the need. But also like the others wrote, the tall crown will grow on you. Unfortunately I worked on my PB before I took a picture. I wish I had taken a picture of the hat on my noggin straight out of the box so everyone could have got a chuckle.

 

[indycop]

You can always roll the height down a little by pushing the rear crease down. I did that on mine.

 

[handlebar bart]

You can always roll the height down a little by pushing the rear crease down. I did that on mine.

True enough, and please nobody take away from my post a dislike for the PB custom. It is a great, tough hat that I wear more than most. It just happened to have been the first victim of my hat tinkering

 

[retro50]

My first fedora was a Camptown Fieldmaster with a 5 3/4" crown. When I first put it on the height seemed odd, if only because all the other hats I have worn were low-crown Aussie bush hats. But it took only a few days and many positive comments and I'm hooked on the tall crown. I recently picked up a Whippet with a lower crown and don't like it near as much. I only now have to decide on the ideal brim width for me. Once I have my VS custom, I may just decide to let the Whippet go. I just don't think it's me, but it has helped me to find what is right for me.

 

[MattJH]

Reading that makes me jealous. I've been looking for a Whippet in my 7 5/8 - 7 3/4 size for forever. I know I can get Akubra's version, but I'd really like the classic.

 

[retro50]

Well, even my 7 1/8 was hard to find. Everything seemed to be 6 7/8 or 7 1/4, just bracketing my size. The fact that I was able to find a long oval and that it was NOS was just plain dumb luck. And yes, this is somewhat fftopic: , so carry on!

 

[ScottyBlues]

For me, crown height is more a factor of brim width. I think the ratio of the height to width determines whether the hat will be flattering to and individual or not. A taller crown can make a medium brim look more like a stingy, and a shorter crown will exaggerate a medium brim.

Most people are initially uncomfortable with a tall crown, because they are unusual. As you wear hats more, you will become used to how you look and become more open to a somewhat more dramatic look.

My favorite hats are my tall crown ones, particularly the ones I've gotten from Art Fawcett. By comprison, my shorter crown hats look much more casual and sporty. So, when I really want "the look", it's one of my big hats.

 

[duggap]

Welcome to the Lounge Deadpickle ( love that name)

First, let me say that almost every time a gent starts wearing hats, the crown feels too high. It's a natural thing as you arent used to wearing a hat at all. There are basic formula's that seem to work but mostly it's about getting comfortable with hat wearing period. Then you can start experimenting more with what looks good on you. take your time, it's a fun process

Man let me second this. I started out with the smallest crown I could find and now I have some of the tallest Art makes and love them. Now if it isn't tall it isn't right.:eusa_clap

 

[deadpickle]

Thanks for all the input, I am feeling better about the purchase. I decided to wear it all weekend and now its starting to grow on me. I thought that after all this talk I should post a pic of me wearing the hat and now that I see it, its not so bad. I got the crusaders with a tight raider pinch btw I dont think I every said that. Thanks again for all the help and info, I will definitely be around.

 

[indycop]

Looks great to me! Mine is Raiders all the way, see they all look tall.

 

[handlebar bart]

Dang those PB's look good on you two. Here is my lowriderlol5" at the front

 

[RBH]

Thanks for all the input, I am feeling better about the purchase. I decided to wear it all weekend and now its starting to grow on me. I thought that after all this talk I should post a pic of me wearing the hat and now that I see it, its not so bad. I got the crusaders with a tight raider pinch btw I dont think I every said that. Thanks again for all the help and info, I will definitely be around.

I for one think it looks great. Just wear it more and the more you wear it the more you will get used to it.
The tall[er] crown may not be what you will like in the end but that hat does look fantastic on you. Just give the high crown a chance.
Oh and welcome to the Lounge!!!!!

 

[RBH]

fftopic:

I bought a DVD of the first 48 episodes of Rin Tin Tin While we were shopping yesterday and there are a ton of fedoras in it. Every man and woman has a hat on. ALL the fedoras were very tall crowned and a bunch had shorter looking brims. A lot of centerdents and a few raiders tight pinches. And one centerdent creased front and rear! Most of them made my PB crown seem short.

And ..... will you show these in Memphis?