Fedora without a suit advice

[Fletch]

My father worked in a design studio (albeit in 1947) and wore a suit to work every day. Didn't seem to impede his effectiveness

Of course it would have been a 1947 suit, made for working and walking and reaching and generally living in, not a 2007 suit, made for sitting and standing still in and then taking off.

 

[Stan]

I do it every day

Hi,

My usual attire is a golf shirt, blue jeans and black work boots. Yes, I could wear a full suit to work if I desired. Electrical engineers in an R&D lab environment can wear just about anything.

The Japanese contigent around here usually *do* wear suits (but never hats for some reason). The Swedes usually wear cargo shorts, T-shirts and sneakers - usually all with holes in them to boot. The Americans mostly wear the golf shirts and blue jeans.

Not that any of it matters when it comes to doing what it is we are being paid to do.

Anyway, I wear a hat every day. Usually it's some form of Open Road style hat. Sometimes it'll be a real Stetson OR, right down to the Cattleman's crease (as in what I chose to wear today). Sometimes it's a OR-style fedora.

The key is in the thin ribbon, I think.

I always feel that a thin ribbon says 'more casual' and a wide ribbon says 'more formal'.

Anyway, more food for thought.

Later!

Stan

 

[Torpedo]

The key is in the thin ribbon, I think.

I always feel that a thin ribbon says 'more casual' and a wide ribbon says 'more formal'.

Anyway, more food for thought.

Hi Stan,

I must say I completely agree with the ribbon detail. Thin ribbons look more casual to me too. And so do, as I see it, other varieties of ribbon, like leather, horsehair styles, braided, rope, the ones with buckles, metal trimmings, etc. In fact, some of these look far more casual than thin ribbon.

Not that thin ribbon is incompatible with a suit, but I believe they de-formalize it to a certain degree.

 

[bolthead]

Bob....

I wear my hats with whatever I want, sometimes with carpenter jean shorts and a t-shirt, sometimes with dress pants and a shirt and tie, sometimes with a suit (though not very often as I usually only wear suits to weddings and funerals and I don't necessarily enjoy either). The bottom line is that I wear hats because I like them and I like wearing them. Most often, I am the only one wearing a fedora while everyone else wears baseball caps or no hat at all, but I wear them for me, not for anyone else.

I couldn't have said it any better.....start to finish. :eusa_clap


Wear 'em when you want, and what with.....you're call. [huh]

 

[Colby Jack]

I agree with the thin ribbon statement also...That thin ribbon just goes with anything! ....well maybe not a speedo....

 

[Crane's]

A nice hat can go well with a casual look. I'm a bowler guy and it seems the consensus here is I make it work. I'm sure it can be done with a Fedora just as well.

 

[Dinerman]

If you can pull off a hat with no problem, you should be able to wear it with anything.

 

[ortega76]

It works. (There's an exception to every rule.)

I think it's because of the thin weight of the hoodie. It's obviously not a super-functional piece of workout wear.

Overall vibe is "New York jazz musician." The vandyke is key, the specs very much help.

Agreed, the overall outfit says "high-end casual" but you can buy thin sweatshirts with a "vintage wash" from Target and I love the softness of the same washing on tee shirts. It does give one a fun, funky vibe. I wear khakis to work with a uniform mandated tee. I got some notice from the cute lady at the jewelry store across the way (I work in a mall) rolling in today. Brown sweatshirt (thin and with a soft hand), khakis, tee shirt, brown fedora (stingy) and brown Chuck Taylor All-Stars. Like any other wardrobe choice- planning out your casual days is key to its success.

 

[ortega76]

A nice hat can go well with a casual look. I'm a bowler guy and it seems the consensus here is I make it work. I'm sure it can be done with a Fedora just as well.

I'd love to rock a bowler, but everytime I try one on, I feel compelled to say something like "Time for a little UV". My wife says it's a great hat. I agree with her and think it looks smashing on you!

 

[Ace Fedora]

Sounds about right for my office. Got any pics.

No pics yet, because I think I need 50 posts before I'm allowed to. I could post links, but I hate doing things that take people out of the flow of the thread.

Back on topic, I tried wearing both of my fedoras with an A-shirt and jeans while making dinner yesterday. I looked pretty good in both, if I do say so myself.

For comparison's sake, I also tried my mid-80s Seattle Mariners baseball cap (back when the caps were still made with the mesh)... I was instantly transformed from suave jazz-type to drunken lout.

Amazing what a difference a hat can make.

 

[Lefty]

You can post pics now. If you need help, just ask. We're here to help.

 

[Crane's]

I'd love to rock a bowler, but everytime I try one on, I feel compelled to say something like "Time for a little UV". My wife says it's a great hat. I agree with her and think it looks smashing on you!

Thanks! I'm convinced that most people who wear a bowler view it in British eyes versus American eyes. In British history it started out as a game keepers hat, turned into a very formal hat and stayed that way.

In American history the bowler is the great hat of the West and was worn by everyone no matter what they did or the occasion. It fell out of favor and has become something of an oddity but it still is what it is.

Get one, wear it and smile. You'll get more compliments than you can imagine.

 

[RBH]

)... I was instantly transformed from suave jazz-type to drunken lout.

...Amazing what a difference a hat can make.

Alot of us are louts. .
welcome to the cows.. err crows... I mean crowd.

 

[Fatdutchman]

I don't even own a real suit!

I wear a hat with jeans and a button front shirt. Never with a T shirt, though...it just don't look right, though when I have the mustache, it seems to work better than when I don't...

I dress in an "old fashioned" manner most of the time anyway. My normal everyday/work appearance:

 

[Magus]

Thanks! I'm convinced that most people who wear a bowler view it in British eyes versus American eyes. In British history it started out as a game keepers hat, turned into a very formal hat and stayed that way.

In American history the bowler is the great hat of the West and was worn by everyone no matter what they did or the occasion. It fell out of favor and has become something of an oddity but it still is what it is.

Get one, wear it and smile. You'll get more compliments than you can imagine.

My understanding is that it was also a form of early "hard hat" and you will notice that many early Americian construction worker pictures have bowler wearing gents.

As to the thread at hand...I RARELY wear a suit, and nearly ALWAYS wear a fedora. All brim sizes, all price ranges adn I get positive comments regularly from total strangers. I've even had teens try to buy the hat off my in the mall. lol.

I dont think its been mentioned, but Indiana Jones...not usually in a suit. (yeah yeah I know he isn't in the "real world" hehe...but the movie has prompted many a gent to done a proper hat.

 

[carter]

A few ideas.

Spencer Tracy (left)

Jimmy Stewart (right)

Gary Cooper (right)

 

[RBH]

You cant get more everyday than my grandfather CG Brock from 1936 Alabama.

 

[handlebar bart]

I wear a fedora to work everyday.[huh] I'm a construction worker, so it is blue jeans and t-shirt and or flannel shirt. Today was my old black stetson with wide ribbon and rear bow. Personally, I wear my fedoras with anything I own.

 

[ortega76]

Old pic. I love this hat- it's beat to hell, needs a new liner and it's a great lid!

 

[ScionPI2005]

Old pic. I love this hat- it's beat to hell, needs a new liner and it's a great lid!

Show us some more pics of that hat, ortega? What kind is it?