Full Brim vs. Stingy Brim

[Forrest]

Really, though, shouldn't crown height and brim width be a matter of the wearer's head shape? There are suggested guidelines for these things somewhere, right?

For me personally, I look best with a 5 inch crown and about a 2 inch brim. I've tried taller and wider, and it wasn't pretty. I found an old Knox Twenty in my size at an antique shop a while back, but had to let it go because the 2 3/4 inch brim looked like a sombrero on me!

My hats range from 1 7/8 inch brims to 2 1/4 inch brims. Would you call those stingies? They don't look like stingy brims on me because they suit my narrow shaped head better.

 

[Mobile Vulgus]

I think that once you get to 2-1/4 its not a stingy anymore (though it is still too small for me). I'd say 2 inches and under and we've got stingys. But that is my opinion.

 

[Widebrim]

Strictly my opinion, but it seems stingies are worn by the hipster element, so wearing one is kind of like "trying a bit too hard." It doesn't come off as natural. Our fellow Lounger Daizawaguy knows the way of the stingy! He wears them beautifully and he happens to own a lot of quality hats with narrow brims.

Yeah, it is often more of a hipster thing, although as another Lounger posted, it has also been favored by jazz musicians in general for a long time.

 

[ukali1066]

I only wear stingy brims and caps, I love the look of a wide brimmed Fedora but it doesn't match with my appearance, but I agree sometimes a stingy brim can be too stingy...and with a fat face it can look unbalanced...like it's about to pop off the head

I've just bought a 1960's Resistol stingy that is the perfect style I've been looking for, quite a high centre creased crown

 

[Stan]

Hi,

Well, the posted pic at the start says it all. Someone with a rounder face needs more brim than someone with a thinner face.

Personally, I need at least 2 1/2 inches of brim and 4 1/2 inches of shaped crown height to go with my face.

And, there's the key. Knowing what fits *you*. It's tough these days, as there aren't enough towns with hat shops that have folks that know what they're doing to properly serve their customers. Mostly what I see are hats in piles that sit there waiting for the customer to pluck one out with no thought whatsoever.....

I have one hat, which I refer to as a stingy brim *on me*, and that's a vintage Cavanagh with cav edge that has a 2 1/4 inch brim. It's a grey that matches a suit and so gets worn on the rare occasions I wear that suit. with that small a brim and a 4" crown it looks too small on me, but I get away with it because it matches the suit so well.

Actually, I bought the suit to match the hat as the hat was in mint condition when I found it and is the only cav edge hat I own. It didn't go with anything else very well, so I took the hat to the suit store and made a match.

Later!

Stan

 

[John in Covina]

I would add that it is probably as much and age/generational think as well. Most of the "stingy brims" I see these days, and I have noticed quite a few more over the past year, are on the heads of 20/30 somethings almost exclusivly with wider brims fewer, and mostly on 50+ yo heads when seen. The range of ages for western hats here in Texas encompasses almost ALL age groups though. Folks in the music business, notably jazz musicians, have always liked the stingy brimmed hat and look to still like it. Since I'm WAY past being a 20/30 something, not much under 2.5", brim wise, gets worn by me

For many it has to do with whom you wish to emulate.

 

[scottyrocks]

How much, really, do we put upon others when deciding what to wear?

I think the stingy in the OP's picture looks, um, well lets just say I wouldnt wear it. Lets say that a whole bunch of people wouldnt wear it. Lets say NO one would wear it. But if its owner really likes it, then wear it, I say!

In reality, there is a whole group of people who wear hats like that. They wear them because they really like them and/or their contemporaries wear them, whatever that mix is. It would be funny if everyone wore them for the second reason and not the first - everyone wearing something they didnt like but wear it anyway because they thought everyone else who wore them liked them.

 

[GWD]

In my opinion, it doesn't matter if it's a stingy or wide, short or tall, if your comfortable in your hat, you're going to look fine in it. Those of you who have stated you wouldn't be caught dead in a stingy brim, obviously would be self conscious in one and therefore would probably look ridiculous.

I personally wear both styles depending on what I'm wearing and the activities at hand. i.e.: I always wear a stingy brimmed hat playing golf, a wide brim wouldn't be apropos. I usually will wear a wide brimmed hat with a suit but if it's summer, I will wear a stingy straw in the warm evenings.

It's all about your attitude!

1 3/4" Brim

2" Stingy Brim

2 1/4" Brim

2 3/4" Brim Whippet

 

[scottyrocks]

GWD, all your hats look dynamite on you because youre good at picking them for your face, and you look completely comfortable in them.

 

[Raider]

Love that Granite. Next on my list.

 

[danofarlington]

I think this pic of my band from last night pretty much says it all. My singer on the far right is wearing a stingy brim hat, and I'm standing next to him in my Penman Granite Indy hat.

Even though I know its not a very good photo, Alex's brim appears so small, it just looks like he's wearing a little cone on his head.

Jack Henry

Well, he's a hipster. But don't worry, you're cool.

 

[monbla256]

GWD,
Is that a newer or vintage Whippet? IMHO, it looks the best on you ( the others work, especially with the obvious thought to what they are worn with, I just think the Whippet compliments your head shape better.)

 

[danofarlington]

In my opinion, it doesn't matter if it's a stingy or wide, short or tall, if your comfortable in your hat, you're going to look fine in it. Those of you who have stated you wouldn't be caught dead in a stingy brim, obviously would be self conscious in one and therefore would probably look ridiculous.

I personally wear both styles depending on what I'm wearing and the activities at hand. i.e.: I always wear a stingy brimmed hat playing golf, a wide brim wouldn't be apropos. I usually will wear a wide brimmed hat with a suit but if it's summer, I will wear a stingy straw in the warm evenings.

It's all about your attitude!

2 3/4" Brim Whippet

True, you can pull them off in great shape. Personally I like the Whippet. Good dimensions and a very nice color.

 

[Alex]

I'm trying to figure out which length of brim would look best on me.

It's a Scala Hyde Park with a 2 1/2" brim. Do you guys think it's a decent fit?

I personally prefer a full brim. Short stingys can look good though, as danofarlington has demonstrated.

 

[monbla256]

Without a full, non-cropped pic it's hard to say. Do you have another pic that shows ALL of the hat on you ?

 

[Widebrim]

In my opinion, it doesn't matter if it's a stingy or wide, short or tall, if your comfortable in your hat, you're going to look fine in it. Those of you who have stated you wouldn't be caught dead in a stingy brim, obviously would be self conscious in one and therefore would probably look ridiculous. 2 3/4" Brim Whippet

There is a certain amount of truth to what you say; confidence plays a large part in pulling anything off. However, we do have to take asthetics into account, and some hats just don't look good on some heads. I think you look best in the above Whippet, like an early-50s L.A. detective...

 

[danofarlington]

I'm trying to figure out which length of brim would look best on me.

It's a Scala Hyde Park with a 2 1/2" brim. Do you guys think it's a decent fit?

I personally prefer a full brim. Short stingys can look good though, as danofarlington has demonstrated.

Thanks, but actually that was GWD's photo. In my opinion, 2 1/2 is a maximum brim size for you, when you want to go with a rakish look. Your standard hat might be better something less, like a 2 1/4 or 2 3/8.

 

[Widebrim]

Thanks, but actually that was GWD's photo. In my opinion, 2 1/2 is a maximum brim size for you, when you want to go with a rakish look. Your standard hat might be better something less, like a 2 1/4 or 2 3/8.

That's what I was thinking, under 2 1/2.

 

[Alex]

Thanks for replying guys, honestly it's my first hat but hey, gotta start somewhere right? I've been into the look for a very long time, just never got around to buying one.

 

[monbla256]

Alex,
Much better I personally think it ALL works on you, crease, crown height, brim width, color et all. Nice choice! Now you need to get a Sydney from David Morgan and crease it yourself