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jlee562

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,096
Location
San Francisco, CA
1) I have no desire to measure my face.

2) while I'm not saying that the eye-chin measurement isn't important, the things you're focusing on in your comments aren't the only factors in what makes a hat "work." Crown taper is equally important and something you don't appear to be considering. As is a person's height; facial structure; their build; their preferred style of dress; and the angle at which they wear their hat.

3) honestly, I think you're overestimating the utility for everyone else besides you.
 

RJR

Messages
10,620
Location
Iowa
1) I have no desire to measure my face.

2) while I'm not saying that the eye-chin measurement isn't important, the things you're focusing on in your comments aren't the only factors in what makes a hat "work." Crown taper is equally important and something you don't appear to be considering. As is a person's height; facial structure; their build; their preferred style of dress; and the angle at which they wear their hat.

3) honestly, I think you're overestimating the utility for everyone else besides you.
I agree.
 

jlee562

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,096
Location
San Francisco, CA
And look, I'm not a total curmudgeon, I'll happily share a direct link to my photobucket if you want too see all the hats I've posted on the lounge, and I'll be happy to give the specs to you, if you want to inquire about a specific one.

But basically: if you're buying a modern, pre-creased hat, you only have a few crown heights to pick from anyway. And if you buy a vintage or new open crown hat, you can crease, and re-crease, until you get it right.
 

Duff

New in Town
Messages
24
1) I have no desire to measure my face.

2) while I'm not saying that the eye-chin measurement isn't important, the things you're focusing on in your comments aren't the only factors in what makes a hat "work." Crown taper is equally important and something you don't appear to be considering. As is a person's height; facial structure; their build; their preferred style of dress; and the angle at which they wear their hat.

3) honestly, I think you're overestimating the utility for everyone else besides you.

1) My thread is not an obligation. If you're posting pictures and details on my thread, it generally means you're willing to measure your face.

2) I completely agree. Which is why adding any extra details/photos by the posters will be appreciated. I've mentioned height in my original thread, but of course I wouldn't mind having people add crown taper or any other details. Again, I'm not trying to say that the details I asked for are the be-all-end-all of what makes a hat work. Heck, I'm very aware that we'll never have an exact apples to apples comparison, but again, it'll be the closest you'll get only, and it'll be a good starting/reference point, I think.

3) You might very well be right, but it surely can't hurt to have such a thread be available :)

Cheers
 
Messages
10,575
Location
Boston area
@hatsRme @jlee562

I get what you're saying, but you have to keep a few things in mind:

1) I'm trying to start a new type of thread that not only helps me, but anyone new who shares basic measurements to my own.

2) I do not simply want to catalogue old photos. Think about how tedious and inefficient that would be: I'd have to comb through archives and scattered threads in hopes of finding pictures of people who actually mention any of the details I need when posting photos of themselves.

3) This point goes along with the previous one:
Even if someone mentions their hat size, and assuming it's a size 7 in this case, I'd have no way of knowing any of the other details unless I ask each person. Remember, knowing the distance between your chin and the middle of your forehead is a detail that's important, because a 5" crown won't look the same on a guy with a short face and another with a long one, but you might never know that simply by looking at two different photos of two different men.
You could really like a 5" crown on one of them, but that guy has face that 1" taller than yours, making that same hat look different on you. Again, we're trying to give the viewers important details to help them better make an educated guess as to what they should try out for their first hat.

4) My thread would have been a wonderful reference point to anyone who shares the same hat size/facial measurements/height as I do. We could have even made newer threads with a similar, streamlined format, like I previously suggested, where we make threads for people between X and Y hat sizes. We might even add some more details to the format, which could help.

5) Saying that there's a learning curve to guessing hat measurements or that people's tastes change has nothing to do with anything I'm trying to accomplish. My thread could only add to the community in a positive way, and it definitely wouldn't be redundant enough to merge with another thread like this one. Current and new members would post in that thread, creating a bigger and more centralized reference point that will help anyone who's looking or trying to figure out what might work for them at that particular point in time.

6) Tastes do change! The same people who may have visited my thread would now do so looking for something that suits them better this time around. It's not a one-time stop; you can revisit and look at different posts to find something new that works for your current/changing taste in hats.

7) Remember: not everyone has hat shops near by, or ones that carry the types of hats they'd like to try on, etc.
Sometimes, your only sources are ones you find online.

Gentlemen, the benefits of such threads far outweigh whatever negative points, if any, people might think of.

I can't seem to figure out how to find or contact the barkeeps about this, but if you guys think what I'm saying makes sense, let's try and communicate with a few of them and get this show on the road.

Thank you all for reading,
Duff


How much time and effort have others committed to this forum? If you put the time you have already spent driving your point into finding what you want among the existing content, you'd be well-along on your project. It's (mostly) all here, but you seem to want others to accommodate you. Yes, we DO expect you to not be lazy, and peruse the content yourself. Sorry to say, but you need to get off your duff!!

P.S. It is not YOUR thread...
 

scottyrocks

I'll Lock Up
Messages
9,178
Location
Isle of Langerhan, NY
I don't use guides on facial and head shapes. For me, crown height is dictated by what I, at first, see in the mirror, then what I see in photographs, and finally, what I see when I video myself in my den wearing my hats.

I've been wearing fedoras a long time, and in that time, my basic likes have remained pretty constant, with some variations thrown in.

I cannot emphasize enough that even small changes in a hat's shape can make or break the way I think a hat looks on me. Even a change of 1/8" in front crease height, for example, is very noticeable to me.

For me, personally, at 5'10" tall, 160lbs, with an average shaped head and face, a straight-sided crown with a pinch that results in the front of the crown measuring 4 to 4 1/4", depending on the hat, works best. Add to that a diamond top crease, and on some hats, sharply defined side creases, and I'm all set.

But the two most important things I need for a hat to even have a chance of being pleasing to my eye when it's on my head, is the ability to hold a front crease height in that 4 to 4 1/4" range, and have straight enough sides either with a center dent or a diamond top crease. A diamond will straighten up the sides of any hat compared to a center dent.
 

Duff

New in Town
Messages
24
How much time and effort have others committed to this forum? If you put the time you have already spent driving your point into finding what you want among the existing content, you'd be well-along on your project. It's (mostly) all here, but you seem to want others to accommodate you. Yes, we DO expect you to not be lazy, and peruse the content yourself. Sorry to say, but you need to get off your duff!!

P.S. It is not YOUR thread...


I think some kind of misunderstanding happened here. This isn't about laziness, nor am I trying to be a lazy person. And even if I never created this thread (well, the one previous to being merged), I personally think it'd be a helpful tool.

Why do I take the time to clarify and try to get my point across? Because clearly a lot of the main focus and nuance of my original thread seems to be getting overlooked.

Look, it's fine, we don't have to agree on the usefulness of my thread. In the end, I'm still gonna do my own research, and I'm not expecting people to simply accommodate me. Yes, it's frustrating and hard to find what I'm looking for online, but if I didn't think there was merit to the thread (even you were curious to see how it woukd turn out), I wouldn't have bothered.

P.S. When I say "my", I'm not saying I literally own the thread, rather, I'm referencing the original thread I created on this website.

Cheers
 
Messages
19,001
Location
Central California
It never hurts to have more information. I know that I would not have used such a thread when I started buying hats, but I also know that I can’t speak for anyone else.

As I look through modern and vintage hat sizing guidelines I’ve found that there is conflicting recommendations. Hat dimensions recommended in the 1960s didn’t exist in the 1940s etc. I know that you continually reiterate that you understand that these the dimensions have a component of personal preference, but I think it’s 90% personal preferences. I also think that a very small minority of new or perspective hat buyers would use such information even if they knew it existed. Most of us just aren’t wired that way, but there is nothing wrong with gathering the data for those who would/might use it.

I hope you stick around and you’ll find others of a like mind to you here. Don’t get discouraged just because people like me are naysayers. As to the merging of threads, if the titles are similar the bartenders often merge them. It’s happened to a lot of us. You might restart a thread with a unique title that is easily searchable but still substantially different from this threads title?

Good luck,

Brent


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

scottyrocks

I'll Lock Up
Messages
9,178
Location
Isle of Langerhan, NY
When I peruse the various hat threads on TFL, I invariably come across hats I like enough to want one for myself. From there I do my research.

This has led me to the general size, styles and dimensions I mentioned in my earlier post.

A thread such as the one that Duff is proposing would be completely redundant, as far as I'm concerned. Not to mention the idea that an identical hat can look significantly different on two heads that share similar dimensions.

Of course, such a thread (no, wait - many threads, as there would need to be one for each hat size, correct?) can be started, and people are free to contribute to it. Whether it takes off or not, in the face of so many other hat threads that supply so much information, remains to be seen.
 
Messages
19,408
Location
Funkytown, USA
I think some kind of misunderstanding happened here. This isn't about laziness, nor am I trying to be a lazy person. And even if I never created this thread (well, the one previous to being merged), I personally think it'd be a helpful tool.

Why do I take the time to clarify and try to get my point across? Because clearly a lot of the main focus and nuance of my original thread seems to be getting overlooked.

Look, it's fine, we don't have to agree on the usefulness of my thread. In the end, I'm still gonna do my own research, and I'm not expecting people to simply accommodate me. Yes, it's frustrating and hard to find what I'm looking for online, but if I didn't think there was merit to the thread (even you were curious to see how it woukd turn out), I wouldn't have bothered.

P.S. When I say "my", I'm not saying I literally own the thread, rather, I'm referencing the original thread I created on this website.

Cheers

Seriously, you have been a Member for a week or so; you have what, 26 posts? I am truly grateful to have a new and engaged Member join us, but how much time have you spent looking through other threads? I'd say my first six months here were spent looking at old threads of hats, history, etc. I learned tons of things from these threads, not limited to fit and look. I think that, once you have done that, and have a few hats under your belt (so to speak), you might reconsider the efficacy of this project.

I'm certainly not going to stand in the way of your efforts - go to it. But I think it's telling that, since your first post, not one person has weighed in with photos and the information you are requesting.

Not even you.


Sent directly from my mind to yours.
 

Duff

New in Town
Messages
24
It never hurts to have more information. I know that I would not have used such a thread when I started buying hats, but I also know that I can’t speak for anyone else.

As I look through modern and vintage hat sizing guidelines I’ve found that there is conflicting recommendations. Hat dimensions recommended in the 1960s didn’t exist in the 1940s etc. I know that you continually reiterate that you understand that these the dimensions have a component of personal preference, but I think it’s 90% personal preferences. I also think that a very small minority of new or perspective hat buyers would use such information even if they knew it existed. Most of us just aren’t wired that way, but there is nothing wrong with gathering the data for those who would/might use it.

I hope you stick around and you’ll find others of a like mind to you here. Don’t get discouraged just because people like me are naysayers. As to the merging of threads, if the titles are similar the bartenders often merge them. It’s happened to a lot of us. You might restart a thread with a unique title that is easily searchable but still substantially different from this threads title?

Good luck,

Brent


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Firstly, thank you for taking the time to write, I genuinely appreciate it.

With that being said, I think I'm just gonna walk away from this. I feel like I've spent more time having to justify my thread/train of thought than anything else.

Before I go, I'm just gonna end my string of posts on this topic with the following:

1) Why does it matter than I've figured out an efficient way (for me) to get information that I think will help me out? It's not unethical or against any rules to create a thread that helps me out. Either way, I was hoping to expand on it and make more useful threads for others based on it (assuming it took off).

2) People like to point out flaws in my suggested method of creating an online reference point. It should be noted that if you're not in front of a mirror with an infinite number of hats to try on, then anything you try and do to help you figure what kind of hat might suit you better is inherently flawed.

3) I don't have hat shops anywhere near me to try hats on, not a one. If I did have hat shops around, I wouldn't be looking online to try and figure out what kind of hat I'd like to get myself someday; or if I want to have a custom hat made, what that hat's specs should be like.

Lastly, I've been researching on here and other places for all kinds of information long before I joined as a member. I'm mentioning this because the words lazy and redundant were being thrown around.

Anyway, I'll continue to research for helpful information online the old fashioned way.

Cheers
 

Scuttle

One of the Regulars
Messages
114
Well, that happened.

enTsz5v.gif


:cool:

[I have appreciated all the education I've gained from reading and looking and comparing contributions here with my own on-head discoveries, and learned more all over again in everyone's responses here. Thanks!]

~ S.
 

Duff

New in Town
Messages
24
Well, that happened.


Sent directly from my mind to yours.

Haha, nothing happened, man. I actually think that, for the most part, there was plenty of civil discourse going on.

I really hope none of this will get in the way of all of us getting along.

Seriously, the FL is a hell of a resource for all kinds of information. About a year ago, this site helped me out plenty when researching pea coats.

I Look forward to continue being a part of the FL.
 

Duff

New in Town
Messages
24
And look, I'm not a total curmudgeon, I'll happily share a direct link to my photobucket if you want too see all the hats I've posted on the lounge, and I'll be happy to give the specs to you, if you want to inquire about a specific one.

But basically: if you're buying a modern, pre-creased hat, you only have a few crown heights to pick from anyway. And if you buy a vintage or new open crown hat, you can crease, and re-crease, until you get it right.

Hey jlee,

Somehow I managed to completely miss your post. Seriously, thank you for the help, I really do appreciate it.

I'll definitely keep on searching online and doing some more research. I'll also have a look at the photobucket link; again, thanks for that.

For me, and I know this might not be everyone's first move, I think I'm going straight for custom hats. I have no hat shops around me, so my only options are vintage hats on eBay/Etsy (which I'm not against, just haven't found anything that is worthwhile/really stood out to me) and custom.

Cheers
 

hatsandcanes

Familiar Face
Messages
92
Location
Tennessee
I am a long time reader but new in town to posting. I notice that the majority of people here prefer a pretty tall crown and most look great in them. I have some vintage hats with the taller crowns and really like the hats. I have an old Bradford blocked in the style of a strat that I just love the feel of it; however, the tall crown looks terrible on me. Therefore, I usually pick a hat with a crown around 4.5 inches and a brim 2 3/8 to 2 1/5 because they just fit my face so much better and I feel more comfortable wearing.
What is your opinion on crown height? Also, Do you pick a hat that flatters your face or do you just pick a hat that is more correct to early to mid 1900's? Just curious??
 

RJR

Messages
10,620
Location
Iowa
I am a long time reader but new in town to posting. I notice that the majority of people here prefer a pretty tall crown and most look great in them. I have some vintage hats with the taller crowns and really like the hats. I have an old Bradford blocked in the style of a strat that I just love the feel of it; however, the tall crown looks terrible on me. Therefore, I usually pick a hat with a crown around 4.5 inches and a brim 2 3/8 to 2 1/5 because they just fit my face so much better and I feel more comfortable wearing.
What is your opinion on crown height? Also, Do you pick a hat that flatters your face or do you just pick a hat that is more correct to early to mid 1900's? Just curious??
Very simply;wear the hat,don't let it wear you.What you like is what matters.
 

hatsandcanes

Familiar Face
Messages
92
Location
Tennessee
Good advice.Thank you
My experience is that if you start out with a crown with lots of height you have something to work with. By playing with the depth of the bash I can find the height that seems to fit both the hat and me. If you start out with a low crown you are restricted as you have less hat to work with.
!
 

AbbaDatDeHat

I'll Lock Up
Messages
8,823
I am a long time reader but new in town to posting. I notice that the majority of people here prefer a pretty tall crown and most look great in them. I have some vintage hats with the taller crowns and really like the hats. I have an old Bradford blocked in the style of a strat that I just love the feel of it; however, the tall crown looks terrible on me. Therefore, I usually pick a hat with a crown around 4.5 inches and a brim 2 3/8 to 2 1/5 because they just fit my face so much better and I feel more comfortable wearing.
What is your opinion on crown height? Also, Do you pick a hat that flatters your face or do you just pick a hat that is more correct to early to mid 1900's? Just curious??
Welcome to the lounge hatsandcanes.
As far as crown heights, i just see a hat that looks good to me and buy it. I don’t pay much attention to what the heights and widths are, just how it looks. Sometimes we overthink the whole dimensionality thing. Just like wearing them. Some days i feel like a wide brim, some days not. Variety is the spice.
At least with me.
Glad you are posting and welcome.
Bowen
 

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