Fedora Towns

[Pat_H]

Do any of you folks who travel notice a particular instance of Fedoras in any one town?

Yesterday I happened to be in Salt Lake City, and went to Lamb's Grill for lunch. The weather was a little cold and people were dressed accordingly.

The businessmen coming in were quite well dressed, and I was surprised by how many were wearing Fedoras when they came in. It isn't as if it was a horde, but it was more than usual. More than I'd expect to see in Denver, for example, when I'm there.

 

[T Rick]

Saw several at a local Blues Jam night over in Hamtramck (small "suburb" completely encircled by Detroit). I was surprised, but then all wearing them were Musicians. Most were of the cheap wool variety, but there was a mix, 2 stingies, a pork pie, one fedora with a huge feather (pheasant?), and of course my Mallory Ten (flipped Hollywood brim). Also saw a beret, and a couple of flat caps (one VERY large). Nice mix of hats really, for a small club and a small crowd.

 

[danofarlington]

Do any of you folks who travel notice a particular instance of Fedoras in any one town?

Yesterday I happened to be in Salt Lake City, and went to Lamb's Grill for lunch. The weather was a little cold and people were dressed accordingly.

The businessmen coming in were quite well dressed, and I was surprised by how many were wearing Fedoras when they came in. It isn't as if it was a horde, but it was more than usual. More than I'd expect to see in Denver, for example, when I'm there.

Here in the Washington area we are dominated by green wool outback hats worn with trenchcoats. I see more and more vintage fedoras though on the heads of thirty somethings.

 

[Pompidou]

I almost never see fur felt, but the wool department store fedoras seemed pretty popular when I attended a worker cooperative street faire in Willimantic, CT. I don't think it was Willimantic culture so much as the very liberal near hippie college-student-like culture the worker cooperative movement tends to attract most, and which has done a good job of absorbing me as well. It'd be very interesting to compare nonexistent photographs of the corporate hat wearing culture you witnessed vs the noncorporate that I did, but that's almost a thread in itself - culture and hat choice.

 

[EggHead]

I see more short brim stingies than any other type here in downtown San Francisco. But the ratio is still about 1:100 for those who wear brimmed hats.

 

[monbla256]

Do any of you folks who travel notice a particular instance of Fedoras in any one town?

Yesterday I happened to be in Salt Lake City, and went to Lamb's Grill for lunch. The weather was a little cold and people were dressed accordingly.

The businessmen coming in were quite well dressed, and I was surprised by how many were wearing Fedoras when they came in. It isn't as if it was a horde, but it was more than usual. More than I'd expect to see in Denver, for example, when I'm there.

Can't say that I see what we here define as a Fedora on all that many heads up here in N. Texas. Have seen a lot of stingy-brims, both pork-pie and pinched front, on the much younger 25 + under crowd in the 'burbs and over in Dallas. Over in Dallas I have seen MORE felts, mostly Aussie styled, many are Akubra's, or Tilley's Boonie styles. Over here in Ft.Worth and south of here you still see predominatly western especially now that the Stock Show is on for the next two weeks. But the predominate HAT you see are "gimme" caps driving around in their PUs and SUVs

 

[James71]

Plenty here in Katoomba.

 

[Historyteach24]

I think I am the only person in West Virginia with a Pork Pie. All kidding aside I see many wool fedoras but never a pork pie.

 

[Widebrim]

I now see cheap stingy brims on a regular basis here in Los Angeles, but more so in the "hipster" areas (e.g., Silver Lake, Los Feliz, Melrose, part of Echo Park, more or less Hollywood), as well as uptown L.A. There are some parts of the city where fedoras are not seen much, like East Los Angeles (which is actually unincorporated), Boyle Heights, Lincoln Heights, Mid-Wilshire, which are all pretty much low-income, Latino districts. One place where I would have expected to see more fedoras is the city of Beverly Hills, but such is not the case...As regards fuller-brimmed felt or straw fedoras, I don't see too many, but when I do they are usually worn by Black men.

Addendum: If you want to see older men in "real" fedoras, go to Clifton's Cafeteria on Broadway in uptown L.A. Just about every time I'm there I see an older gent or two sporting their lids...

 

[Mobile Vulgus]

I always see at least a handful whenever I have business in downtown Chicago. Especially in the winter time.

 

[fmw]

I'm nearly alone here among the baseball caps. Interestingly, I was at the supermarket with my wife yesterday wearing my Stetson Sturgis - an inexpensive outback/western sort of woolie. A man wearing a cowboy hat came up smiling and said he loved my hat and wondered where to get one. I told him. We chatted about hats for little while and he went on his way. I've had people comment on my hats many times, but never someone wearing a felt hat. That's how rare felt hats are around here.

 

[danofarlington]

IAs regards fuller-brimmed, felt or straw fedoras, I don't see too many, but when I do they are usually worn by Black men.

That's also largely true here in Washington, actually. Black men wear a lot of fur felt hats, usually stingies but also some vintage ones, that look pretty good. Those are the guys who are not afraid of style. It's my fellow white guys here that wear the green wool outback hats. Seems to be the only style they dare to attempt. I don't have to tell you what I think looks better--it's the fur felt, non-outback hats in the city.

 

[The Wiser Hatter]

Louisville,Kentucky becomes a hat town during the Kentucky Derby the rest of the year it is a Ball Cap town. Most men wear ball caps with a UK or U of L logo on the cap or perhaps a camo hat with a college logo on it. Such imagination it makes it easy to stand out wearing a porkpie or fedora.

 

[Widebrim]

I always see at least a handful whenever I have business in downtown Chicago. Especially in the winter time.

I would hope that you'd see at least a few! To me, Chicago is the place to wear a hat (in the spirit of Crime Story).

 

[BogartsHat]

This is good news, more Fedoras being wore. Usually I'm the only one wearing the Fedora within a sea of baseball caps. Maybe people around here think it's too hot to wear anything but a cap in the deep south. The weather is cold lately but I must admit, I haven't noticed many heads because I'm always running to get out of the cold and wind. Now that you're brought this up, I'll be looking for those hats!

 

[John in Covina]

I think the real question goes beyond where do you see fedoras being worn in greater numbers but why is it that some areas you see more fedoras being worn than others?

We know why we as Fedora Lounge Members wear them but why is it that some areas have the greater numbers? Greater classic influence, greater nostalgia influence? Where does the influence come from as a vortex of style?

 

[HeyMoe]

I will occasionally see a fedora or two around Montpelier Vermont. Most of them are cheap JC Penny wool crushables but I occasionally see a nice quality hat.

 

[theinterchange]

Here in Orlando, I can only think of two instances of running into people with "real" fur felt hats beyond the odd smattering of cowboy hats in rural areas... And one of those was in a meetup with fellow Lounger Rodkins. The other was a few days ago, I passed an elderly gentleman wearing a very nice looking stingy that appeared to be vintage. I would have stopped him to chat, but he seemed to be on a mission.

Randy

 

[Mobile Vulgus]

I would hope that you'd see at least a few! To me, Chicago is the place to wear a hat (in the spirit of Crime Story).

Yep. Last month I was downtown for a function and I turned a corner of a building and there were four of us in nice fedoras. One guy going down some steps, me walking west, another guy walking east and one guy standing on the corner. We all just had a sort of wry grin on our faces when we all realized the situation.

 

[DanielJones]

I see a few fedoras in my neck of the woods that are worth noting , but the predominant hat is the western as this is a ranching and farming community. During the summer I see some really nice straw fedoras at the Concerts in the Park, and sometime there are more fedoras there since I wear mine regularly there. Folks wonder where I'm from and where to get one. They are usually surprised to find out I'm a local if they don't know me.

Cheers!

Dan