Want to buy or sell something? Check the classifieds
  • The Fedora Lounge is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

French Hats and makers.

Chepstow

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,406
Location
Germany/ Remscheid
Flea market find today!

Love that Mossant, a great deal and a wonderful suprise! Superbe condition, a bargain!

0oo1.jpg
 

Fastuni

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,277
Location
Germany
Wonderful Mossant, Manfred. Good that it is not a 59 to 61... (or I would have fainted from envy! ;-))

I got this Size 59 Flechet Homburg - excuse the poor photos! Can you experts make sense of the numbers, names and tags? Ideas about the age (not pre-1937 obviously).
I get that "Chapeau Hauby" was the store, "Smart" is the Model name. What about the handwriting? Thanks!

P.S.: The plastic front stabilizer was inserted by me.

Flechet.jpg

Flechet1.jpg
 
Last edited:

Garrett

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,782
Mossant Esterel (size 3 1/2). Slight up-brim flange. Guessing late 30's



 
Last edited:

Purplesage

One Too Many
Messages
1,995
Location
Boulder, CO
French Velour Imported by Saks Fifth Avenue (Unknown Manufacturer)

I don't suppose there is anyway of finding out who the French manufacturer is! Maybe someone here might be able to tell me more about the hat. I think it's from the 30s but I'm not really sure. The velour is practically unblemished. Looks like it was owned by Dr. B.M. Lewis whose name is stamped on the sweatband. The hat has a 2 1/2" brim with an overwelt edge and a 5 3/4" open crown which is wrapped in a 1 3/4" black grosgrain ribbon. This was practically a steal so I couldn't pass it up.

photo3_zps481e7f81.jpg

photo1-21_zps3ecb92c2.jpg

photo1-373_zps1e006b7c.jpg

photo5-280_zps3972f8cc.jpg

photo5-22_zps9c709dce.jpg

photo4-25_zps9e8479f1.jpg

photo5-281_zps2b757382.jpg

photo1-24_zpsa4bf5e05.jpg

photo2-28_zpsec47c596.jpg

photo3-23_zps953fb005.jpg
 
Messages
17,489
Location
Maryland
Super find! I am not sure of the maker. You may want to go back and check if you can match the size tag. My guess would be later 50s early 60s.
 

Purplesage

One Too Many
Messages
1,995
Location
Boulder, CO
It looks older to me with the wide brim and high untapered crown. The ribbon also looks like a much older style. I would have to see some 50s or 60s Fletchets for comparison purposes. The hat box could provide a clue if anyone would know what period it's from. The size tag might be a place to start as you say.

photo2-71_zps3e8e5b9e.jpg.html

photo2-72_zpsa531c25b.jpg

photo3-27_zps6ad32101.jpg

photo3-24_zps9d3e587a.jpg
 

TheDane

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,670
Location
Copenhagen, Denmark

The typeface used on the order-label is Futura, designed for Bauhaus by Paul Renner in the late 20s. If I remember right, it was released by the type-house Bauer in the year of the Berlin Olympics - 1936.

The version used on the label is not an early version, but one of the "Americanized" versions - very frequently used by the fashion industry during the 50s, 60s and 70s. The difference is the much smaller "over-" and "under-heights" - here visible on the "d" in the word "Ordre". In a "decent" version of Futura, the vertical stroke of the "d" would be significantly higher.

The 50s, 60s or 70s would in my mind be a realistic guess. Also the seemingly low quality sweatband and the indisputable low imprinting quality points to the same era
 

besdor

Vendor/Sponsor
Messages
1,727
Location
up north
The box seems late 1950s -early 1960s .After that Flechet was sending much to the USA. But the size of the brim seems to be late 1950's.
 

Purplesage

One Too Many
Messages
1,995
Location
Boulder, CO
Can we say for sure that this is a Fletchet? The order label does look similar to some I've seen on Fletchets. I agree the leather sweatband quality is not that good, it's thin and fairly cheap feeling. The rest of the hat is top notch though. I would still like to a Fletchet from the late 50s-early 60s for comparison. I can't say I've seen many hats from that era with high untapered crowns in combination with fairly wide (2 1/2") brims. Maybe Borsalino was still making some hats with those characteristics at that time. That is interesting about the Americanized version of the typeface on the order label. I still haven't found a size tag that matches this one.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
109,140
Messages
3,074,940
Members
54,121
Latest member
Yoshi_87
Top