English Patient straw

[Mojave Jack]

I was re-watching bits of the English Patient the other day, and realized that I really liked Almasy's straw hat when he and Maddox were in Cairo, and Almasy was asking Maddox about the suprasternal notch.

Given my limited technical skills, I can't get any screen grabs. Does anyone know or figure out the particulars on that hat, like brim width, etc.?

Thanks!

 

[Hemingway Jones]

That is about the best I could do from the web.

If memory serves, it's a pretty generic modern style panama. You shouldn't have any problem replicating it from one of our venerable hatters.

 

[Mojave Jack]

Here are a few better pics. They never show the back or the top, though. Can you tell if it's a C-crown or a teardrop?

Any guesses on the brim width?

 

[tonyb]

I'm guessing 2 and 9/16ths inches, or maybe 2 and 19/32nds. I say that because I have one of quite similar proportions and that's pretty darned close to what its brim measures.
I'm right with you on your assessment of that hat's look, Mojave. It has elegant proportions. It looks good without screaming to be looked at. You like it more the more you look at it, which is perhaps the essential attribute of good style.

 

[Hemingway Jones]

Jack, I was thinking about this hat last night. -Now that you got me thinking about it, I am going to have to find out what sort of crown it has. I really need to buy the DVD, BTW.- Anyway, by memory, I am not sure they ever show the top of it, though if someone watches the film, I could be easily proven wrong.

Personally, I would prefer a tear-drop. And as for the brim width and all of that; are you looking for a replica of that hat or one that will look like that on your face? If you want a replica, then by all means, go about whatever sort of measuring and approximation as you can, as they do at COW. Comparing known ribbon widths with brims can accomplish this.

However, if you want a hat like that for yourself, to give that effect, then send the picture from the film and a picture of your mug to Art and have him replicate it for you. You would want one in proportion, not one exact to Mr. Fiennes, in that he could be five feet tall with a little pin head for all we know.

It does have a fairly low crown, perhaps four and a half inches by my eye, in comparison to say, the gangster in "Key Largo" posted in that thread and on the "Belt and Suspenders" thread who clearly has a five and half inch crown and perhaps a three inch brim.

The apparent taper in the crown, the low crown height and the modest brim look to my eye as a fairly standard modern fedora Panama with a very nice ribbon to jazz it up. I can't tell from that pic if it is grosgrain or pugaree. It looks black. I could go for something other than black, perhaps a navy or dark silvery gray. Everyone has black ribbons on their Panamas.

Just some thoughts as I sit here eating my lunch.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

The hat's proportions remind me of 1940s featherweight felt Borsalinos made for the European market. I've also seen several 1950s British and American featherweight felt fedoras (essentially clones of the Borsalinos) that look like this one: low crown, narrowish ribbon.

To my eye, it's a panama version of a Borsalino-style featherweight felt, albeit with a narrower-than-usual brim.

.

 

[BellyTank]

The costume department could have tried a little harder for a more era-inspried look with that hat- (although it'sperfectly suitable for the era)it's a stamped-out factory hat with a teardrop, typical of the 'Everyman Panama' style.


B
T

 

[Hemingway Jones]

As an aside, I just bought "The English Patient" off iTunes just to see that scene. :eusa_doh: Well, not just to see that scene, I also thought it would be cool to have it on my iPod.

 

[Hemingway Jones]

After watching this scene on iTunes, it is just as I suspected; they never show the crown of his hat. They do, however, show Maddox's crown and it is a center crease. Personally, and I know it is annoying when you ask for one thing and we sermonize you with our personal preferences, but allow me to indulge upon our friendship and say, for my money, Maddox's hat is really interesting. Here it is on the table:

 

[Mojave Jack]

I like both hats, actually. I thought it would be easier to find something like Almasy's since, like BT pointed out, it's pretty generic. Turns out there seems to be more like Madox's hats around. I like the brim better on Almasy's, but you know that from out conversations! I hate a floppy, asymetrical brim.

I like my current straw, but it is cheap, and it has a bit too much dip in the brim.