Federation IV too big?

[ariahokas]

Hey guys! I've been waiting for my new carbon gray Federation IV and finally it arrived today. I measure about 59.75-60 and I ordered a 61 thinking it would be perfect after reading they run small and shrink a tad.

However, the hat is massive. It literally swallows my entire head and ears. The foam strip helps it sit snug, but something still looks off, the dark gap around the edge from the foam not being compressed quite enough maybe. Without the foam strip, there hat is unwearable.

Either I've been wearing hats way too small or this is in fact way too big. What are you thoughts? Will it shrink an entire size? Or is it best to return it?

Thanks in advance!

 

[tommyK]

I've had mixed results with Akubra's shrinking. Some have shrunk a whole size, some not at all. If it's that far off it may never be right

 

[Bob Roberts]

I don't believe it will shrink an entire size. You can always saturate the inside of the sweat with distilled water and use heat to dry it. I've reduced a whole size + by doing this.

 

[ariahokas]

Thanks for the reply! Yeah, I was looking into soaking it, but I'm just worried it will mess with the symmetry of the hat. How did yours turn out?

 

[RJR]

Shrinking a full size may be pushing the limit.

 

[Bob Roberts]

Thanks for the reply! Yeah, I was looking into soaking it, but I'm just worried it will mess with the symmetry of the hat. How did yours turn out?

All fine. Just do it little by little. ie: less water and less heat over a shorter period of time at first. Then more and longer if you have too.

 

[jhoops01]

Here's my experience. I have three Fed IVs, all in size 61. I wear a 60 in all other hats, but was told when I bought them to get one size up. Sooo, the carbon gray fits fine, if slightly loose. The moonstone was too big, so shrunk it using Bob's method above. Now it's just slightly snug. Be careful with that heat. LOL. The brown one (Tawny Fawn?) has been heated, worn in pouring rain and still is way too big! I have foam all the way around the sweatband and it still doesn't fit quite right. In addition, as others have mentioned, the softness varies from color to color, maybe hat to hat. The moonstone is super soft, the carbon is firm and the brown is still extremely stiff.

 

[tropicalbob]

I think it varied from batch to batch, depending on the amount of starch used.

 

[Fed in a Fedora]

Hey guys! I've been waiting for my new carbon gray Federation IV and finally it arrived today. I measure about 59.75-60 and I ordered a 61 thinking it would be perfect after reading they run small and shrink a tad.

However, the hat is massive. It literally swallows my entire head and ears. The foam strip helps it sit snug, but something still looks off, the dark gap around the edge from the foam not being compressed quite enough maybe. Without the foam strip, there hat is unwearable.

Either I've been wearing hats way too small or this is in fact way too big. What are you thoughts? Will it shrink an entire size? Or is it best to return it?

Thanks in advance!

I would return it for a size smaller.

Been there and did exactly that.

 

[Kirk H.]

I agree with Fed. I wear a 59. I have two Fed IV, one brown and one tawny. They were both a tad big when they arrived, but shrunk down nicely to where I could remove the spacer after about 2 weeks.

 

[Michael R.]

I agree with Fed. I wear a 59. I have two Fed IV, one brown and one tawny. They were both a tad big when they arrived, but shrunk down nicely to where I could remove the spacer after about 2 weeks.

I don't have a FED IV , but the Akubra that I do have is a 59 cm , and I'm 58.5 cm . When it came it seemed huge . Added the strips , by two weeks they were out and it fit fine . I ordered another 59 in the CD , on the way .

 

[SurfGent]

Ya I have a Biltmore Panama that's way to big but the price was right and somehow sits nice on my head. I just have to watch out for thouse windy days.

 

[SurfGent]

And they never land flat. The brim makes the physics of a Goodyear tire

 

[TheDane]

I wouldn't hesitate to alter a second hand hat - or any other used item. A brand new hat is very different - I wouldn't hesitate a second to send it back.

Would I buy a can of paint and spray a brand new car, if I didn't like the color I initially ordered? Would you?

 

[ariahokas]

This was super helpful. Thanks all!

So I emailed The Hattery with my concerns, and she was very informative and helpful. She recommended I go ahead and keep the 61 because I measure a 59.75 and the 60 measures 59.5 straight out of the box. So this got me wondering what the 61 ACTUALLY measures. It measured roughly a 60-60.5 depending on how good you are at holding a measuring tape .

This was a revelation. I decided to measure my Biltmore I've been wearing for a year or so, after all, that fit was what I was comparing to. It measured 58! Long story short, I've been wearing my hats too small for a while now.

I took Trudi's advice and kept the hat. I have to say, I'm super happy I did. I decided to commit and go ahead and bash it with steam. I gave it a great looking diamond crease and kept the foam insert in the hat. It looks amazing, fits amazing, and has probably shrunk half a size by now. Soon I'll be taking the foam band out I imagine.

Lesson for anyone else that measures 59.75: GET A 61.

 

[Michael R.]

This was super helpful. Thanks all!

So I emailed The Hattery with my concerns, and she was very informative and helpful. She recommended I go ahead and keep the 61 because I measure a 59.75 and the 60 measures 59.5 straight out of the box. So this got me wondering what the 61 ACTUALLY measures. It measured roughly a 60-60.5 depending on how good you are at holding a measuring tape .

This was a revelation. I decided to measure my Biltmore I've been wearing for a year or so, after all, that fit was what I was comparing to. It measured 58! Long story short, I've been wearing my hats too small for a while now.

I took Trudi's advice and kept the hat. I have to say, I'm super happy I did. I decided to commit and go ahead and bash it with steam. I gave it a great looking diamond crease and kept the foam insert in the hat. It looks amazing, fits amazing, and has probably shrunk half a size by now. Soon I'll be taking the foam band out I imagine.

Lesson for anyone else that measures 59.75: GET A 61.

When you wore the small Hats did you have a red mark in your forehead ? Like it was screwed on your head , took hours to go away ? My Akubras always come larger feeling ,and I add the sizing foam strips , and it shrinks to fit . Glad it worked out . It will really get comfortable if it gets rained on while you're wearing it , if you let it dry on your head , or properly off and slowly away from heat , well ventilated . I turn out the sweat band to let it dry , also . Enjoy your Hat !

 

[APP Adrian]

Hey guys! I've been waiting for my new carbon gray Federation IV and finally it arrived today. I measure about 59.75-60 and I ordered a 61 thinking it would be perfect after reading they run small and shrink a tad.

However, the hat is massive. It literally swallows my entire head and ears. The foam strip helps it sit snug, but something still looks off, the dark gap around the edge from the foam not being compressed quite enough maybe. Without the foam strip, there hat is unwearable.

Either I've been wearing hats way too small or this is in fact way too big. What are you thoughts? Will it shrink an entire size? Or is it best to return it?

Thanks in advance!

Give it the summer. Mine was massive but it fits perfectly now.

 

[ariahokas]

You know, I rarely got the red ring becuase it was a 2 inch brim, which k felt was better suited to wear casually and further back on my head. But if I wore it forward in "bike mode", I got the dreaded ring.

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

 

[APP Adrian]

You know, I rarely got the red ring becuase it was a 2 inch brim, which k felt was better suited to wear casually and further back on my head. But if I wore it forward in "bike mode", I got the dreaded ring.

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

I don't mind the ring, it beats getting my head roasted.

If it's not too windy and the sun is behind me, I'll tip it back a bit.

 

[scottyrocks]

I know you have decided to keep your hat, OP, but I have three Fed IVs, all in my size, that started out a tad too big, and they have shrunk to fit my head in accordance with how much I have worn them. IOW, the one I wear the most fits best. I can't imagine having bought a size up and having it shrink down to fit properly.

As long as the hat can fit on your head with even a little room to spare, it will shrink down to fit your head and then stop.

I have also found that they are much roomier pre-bashed.