Do you wear a fedora with your leather jacket?

[Oldsarge]

When I had a flight jacket I wore the fedora on cool, sunny days. However, the jacket was a cheapie and it died. Later I got a leather sportcoat and wore a suede cap with it. I never really liked that coat but some day I'll get another one I like better and, yes, I will wear a fedora with it. Another fight jacket? Unlikely. Don't ride a motorcycle or fly an open cockpit so I really don't have much use for one. That could change . . .

 

[Seb Lucas]

When I had a flight jacket I wore the fedora on cool, sunny days. However, the jacket was a cheapie and it died. Later I got a leather sportcoat and wore a suede cap with it. I never really liked that coat but some day I'll get another one I like better and, yes, I will wear a fedora with it. Another fight jacket? Unlikely. Don't ride a motorcycle or fly an open cockpit so I really don't have much use for one. That could change . . .

I see. I've known many people who wear leather flight jackets and motorbike jackets. Not one of them has ever ridden a bike or flown a plane. The items transcend their origins. Do you need to ride horses up in the Scottish highlands in order to wear a Harris tweed hacking jacket? No.

 

[James71]

I wear my leather and my fedoras all the time. Because I wear a hat every day, either in a suit to work or in casual clothes its pretty much just become part of me. A leather jacket and a good felt hat is a very practical way to dress down here.

And I also dont give a rats what people think. Happiness is a state of mind and if putting myself into a good state of mind by wearing what I like then I am all the happier.

 

[djd]

Well said James

 

[Bassman]

I do. I love the look I see in films of the '30s/'40s/'50s.
I don't like the look with a leather jacket that has epaulets (that's just me), but otherwise...sure!

 

[MikeBravo]

Currently I wear my mid-grey fedora with my black biker (short) jacket and have never had an Indy comment.

As I now have a dark brown Akubra Whippet I want/need a brown leather jacket. I will look at getting a long (below the belt length) brown one rather than a shorter style.

 

[Tomasso]

A very good general rule, I think - it's a matter of complementary shapes.
A cap does, however, also look good with single-breasted raglan-sleeve raincoats and similarly-styled tweed overcoats .

I was actually going to mention the same but didn't for the sake of brevity.

 

[Seb Lucas]

I wear my leather and my fedoras all the time. Because I wear a hat every day, either in a suit to work or in casual clothes its pretty much just become part of me. A leather jacket and a good felt hat is a very practical way to dress down here.

And I also dont give a rats what people think. Happiness is a state of mind and if putting myself into a good state of mind by wearing what I like then I am all the happier.

I get that. However, I couldn't live with myself if I knew I was dressed up as a fictional character.

 

[Woodfluter]

I'm pretty much with Scotty and James on this.

Long before the Indy movies, lots of folks dressed in casual jackets of various sorts including leather, and donned a fedora - it was just their hat. They didn't think twice about it. So to show I'm *not* influenced by fictional characters, I'll do the same and not avoid any combination just because of somebody else's stereotypes.

I have prints and loads of negatives my dad took (an avid photographer) in the late 1930's and 1940's in S. California; when folks were wearing a hat, it was generally a fedora. B&W, so can't always be sure about color. But quite a few leather jackets. My dad had one that closely resembled that used in the I.J. movies, and one shot shows him wearing that hiking in cooler weather up Mt. Whitney - but he wasn't a hat guy. For me, if I like it I'll wear it!

 

[Seb Lucas]

I'm pretty much with Scotty and James on this.

Long before the Indy movies, lots of folks dressed in casual jackets of various sorts including leather, and donned a fedora - it was just their hat. They didn't think twice about it. So to show I'm *not* influenced by fictional characters, I'll do the same and not avoid any combination just because of somebody else's stereotypes.

I have prints and loads of negatives my dad took (an avid photographer) in the late 1930's and 1940's in S. California; when folks were wearing a hat, it was generally a fedora. B&W, so can't always be sure about color. But quite a few leather jackets. My dad had one that closely resembled that used in the I.J. movies, and one shot shows him wearing that hiking in cooler weather up Mt. Whitney - but he wasn't a hat guy. For me, if I like it I'll wear it!

I get that people say they like fedoras and that they wear one with leather regardless of Indiana Jones. Me too.

My questioning comes when people say that but then wear a hat specifically made to look like an IJ hat (an Akubra Federation or similar) and then go and crease it in that highly notable IJ fashion. "Me trying to look like Indiana Jones? I just like retro."

Mind you, if people want to dress up in character that's fine. I'll stand up for anyone who wants to dress as Spock or Kirk or Indiana Jones. If you like it, do it. As long as no one else gets hurt.

 

[Mad w/o power]

I don't really understand the 'dressing for yourself' thing. I personally don't dress for myself; I know who I am, and my day-to-day appearance has absolutely no effect on how I feel about or perceive myself. Basically, I dress for other people, and if I think *they* think I look good, then it will have an effect on how I'm feeling.

Here's where it gets complicated... Though of course there are also negative social implications from fitting in too well - as much as you may wish to ignore how you are perceived in your social environment, the negative effect that your appearance can have on how you are perceived should be taken into account, because (by my previously stated reasoning) our appearance has everything to do with how others perceive us, not how we perceive ourselves.

Its different wherever you go, but for example, in most social circles, seeing a man walk into a coffee shop on a Tuesday night, wearing sunglasses - he may feel great about his bad, James Dean self, but good chance every girl in there is rolling her eyes, and will have little interest in interacting with this man. How about socks and sandals? I remember every girl i knew whined about this in the 90's. To me, sandals were and are generally ugly, but if i ended up wearing a pair, i avoided the socks because of how it was perceived by virtually all girls, regardless of how comfortable they may or may not have felt with the addition of socks. Essentially, there is a thin line between confidence (going 'against the grain') and simply being ignorant to relevance.

Anyway, I'm not saying wearing a fedora and a brown leather jacket is the equivalent of wearing your renaissance attire to the grocery store, a week after the fair ended, but ultimately, it is a similar principal.

And don't take too much offense at my perspective, because in all honesty, though I do actually ride a motorcycle, I have been looking quite a bit like a extra from The Wild One lately.

 

[James71]

I get that. However, I couldn't live with myself if I knew I was dressed up as a fictional character.

Thats cool man. I dont see myself as dressing as a fictional character. I dont specifically dress like Indy, but I am not going to avoid wearing a jacket and hat in case someone judges me because of it.

I like to think of myself as well dressed rather than dressing up. For work I generally wear a charcoal suit and wear a grey fedora coming and going and whenever Im outside. Sometimes that a glen grey CD and sometimes a moonstone stylemaster. I often wear my leather with a silverbelly CD or a willow green squatter or CEO paired with jeans.

On stage I dress for the function, but generally formally with a vest rather than a jacket unless its a pub gig in which case I wear a black bogart with Tshirt and Jeans.

When Im out hunting I tend to wear safari shirts and khaki work pants along with a drizabone vest and a squatter or cattleman. I prefer the safari look for bushwear than the modern military camo that so many hunters wear. I guess I look like Alan Quatermain, but the fact was that people in that environment wore those clothes because they were intensely practical.

They remain so.

Besides, Im old enough and big enough not to have to sweat it if people judge me on my clothes. Frankly dont care.

 

[Spitfire]

Besides, Im old enough and big enough not to have to sweat it if people judge me on my clothes. Frankly dont care.

I like that! Well said!!!

 

[The Good]

I don't really understand the 'dressing for yourself' thing. I personally don't dress for myself; I know who I am, and my day-to-day appearance has absolutely no effect on how I feel about or perceive myself. Basically, I dress for other people, and if I think *they* think I look good, then it will have an effect on how I'm feeling.

Here's where it gets complicated... Though of course there are also negative social implications from fitting in too well - as much as you may wish to ignore how you are perceived in your social environment, the negative effect that your appearance can have on how you are perceived should be taken into account, because (by my previously stated reasoning) our appearance has everything to do with how others perceive us, not how we perceive ourselves.

Its different wherever you go, but for example, in most social circles, seeing a man walk into a coffee shop on a Tuesday night, wearing sunglasses - he may feel great about his bad, James Dean self, but good chance every girl in there is rolling her eyes, and will have little interest in interacting with this man. How about socks and sandals? I remember every girl i knew whined about this in the 90's. To me, sandals were and are generally ugly, but if i ended up wearing a pair, i avoided the socks because of how it was perceived by virtually all girls, regardless of how comfortable they may or may not have felt with the addition of socks. Essentially, there is a thin line between confidence (going 'against the grain') and simply being ignorant to relevance.

Anyway, I'm not saying wearing a fedora and a brown leather jacket is the equivalent of wearing your renaissance attire to the grocery store, a week after the fair ended, but ultimately, it is a similar principal.

And don't take too much offense at my perspective, because in all honesty, though I do actually ride a motorcycle, I have been looking quite a bit like a extra from The Wild One lately.

I definitely understand where you are coming from. I even do this myself, out of habit. The "dressing for yourself" thing's fine with me, but I'd like to try to appear as well-dressed as I can, practically speaking. Timeless, classic attire aids in this, whether of a vintage or more modern fit, but I think one must be a bit careful with pairing any of one's attire with uncommon, and perhaps borderline-outdated or anachronistic clothing. The way I see it, if you know you're going to look good in that hat or leather jacket, then wear it if you want. If you get the feeling that you probably should not be pairing your fedora with your leather, due to reasons of doubt and discomfort with the idea, then maybe it would be a better idea to go without one of either for the day, and wear the other.

I too don't want to offend anybody's sensibilities, that's just my opinion.

My questioning comes when people say that but then wear a hat specifically made to look like an IJ hat (an Akubra Federation or similar) and then go and crease it in that highly notable IJ fashion. "Me trying to look like Indiana Jones? I just like retro."

Well, my own Akubra Fed IV hat is creased quite a bit like one of the Indiana Jones movie fedoras. I mean, while I have intended to crease it after the film (it's that brown color too), or at least crease it in inspiration from it (that's how it is right now, it's not an exact copy), I still do wear it outside of the context of costume; as a standalone piece. Like I said though, I try not to pair it with a leather jacket too often. I must have only done that two or three times, to count.

 

[James71]

Besides.... I think my CD goes nicely with a leather jacket...

 

[scotrace]

MUST get me a Campdraft.

 

[Indy_Rhodes]

I love Indy. His look is iconic. However...like somebody said earlier I could not really ever wear more than one item of his at any one time. So my brown Fed IV never goes with the brown leather jacket. It's a great look...but it's his, and as far as I'm concerned he's bagged it for himself!

 

[The Good]

I love Indy. His look is iconic. However...like somebody said earlier I could not really ever wear more than one item of his at any one time. So my brown Fed IV never goes with the brown leather jacket. It's a great look...but it's his, and as far as I'm concerned he's bagged it for himself!

That sure is a good point, "he's bagged it for himself!" Some looks are so identified with one person or character, it's a stereotype. It doesn't have to necessarily be just Indiana Jones for example. Contrast collar and cuff shirts are often associated with Wall Street's Gordon Gekko, for example, and I even own one of these, blue too.

 

[erikb02809]

Vanson T-Bird and AB Fedora are my standby's for Fall, mild Winter, and most Spring weather in New England.

 

[gtdean48]

:arated:

Besides.... I think my CD goes nicely with a leather jacket...

I don't own an "Indy" type hat. Doesn't stop the "where's your whip?" comments. At FedFest2...