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Good looking boaters that won't break the bank?

indycop

I'll Lock Up
Messages
8,325
Location
Jacksonville, Florida
bolthead said:
I wouldn't consider that a Boater.

As far as Boater's go....that's why we have chocolate & vanilla. Some guys can pull it off, some can't. I don't think I could, so I wouldn't even consider trying it. They just look too stiff to me, like they would be very uncomfortable, that's my opinion.

I've see Dinerman wearing one, He and Douglas can wear just about anything and make it look good. Like I said, Some guys can pull it off, some can't. [huh]
Oh I didnt think of it as a boater, I would not wear a boater. I would wear that hat before ever wearing a tilley though.:rolleyes:
 

Wolfmanjack

Practically Family
Messages
547
I intend to wear my boater, seersucker suit (traditional blue/white) and white bucks on quite a few occasions this summer. All the 30-something ladies will think I'm cute as hell, and believe me, that's bliss for a 70 year-old codger like me.

My boater is vintage '40s and is very stiff. No go give at all. Nevertheless it is quite comfortable. That's because it fits my noggin perfectly and the leather sweatband continues to be soft and pliable. If you are considering a boater, it is absolutely critical that you get one that fits you very well.
 

carldelo

One Too Many
Messages
1,568
Location
Astoria, NYC
Agreed

indycop said:
Oh I didnt think of it as a boater, I would not wear a boater. I would wear that hat before ever wearing a tilley though.:rolleyes:

My recommendation was for Orvil who works on the water, so wasn't really a boater recommendation. I guess I sort of hijacked the thread, which I'll try to avoid. And amen to the Tilley comment - my wife's father has one he never removes - if I need a quick divorce, I can just start wearing a Tilley of my own...
 

Dinerman

Super Moderator
Bartender
Messages
10,562
Location
Bozeman, MT
I have one of these, and I've seen a couple more at stores, but there was another twist on the boater which you might like. It's the same sort of weave, and the same stiffness, but they had some which were blocked into a porkpie shape with a fedora-like snap brim (though it's blocked snapped down, and due to the stiffness, it's impossible to adjust). I think it was a '50s or '60s thing, though I could be way off. I'll post pictures of mine when I get my camera.
 

Dinerman

Super Moderator
Bartender
Messages
10,562
Location
Bozeman, MT
Here's the alternative boater I was talking about.
IMG_5433.jpg

And this is the one I wear.
IMG_5432.jpg
 

Boodles

A-List Customer
Messages
425
Location
Charlotte, NC
Wearing my boater

All I have is one of those off-the-peg Miller boaters with the blue and red ribbon. It's not old enough to be yellowed at all and it's as stiff as Oddjobs hat. I took it to the Abacos (Bahamas) in January, along with a blue seersucker jacket and a navy blazer. Although I probably looked more like an aging Good Humor man than anything else I got a bunch compliments on the hat (I realize that once I had passed the man or woman who gave the compliment may have cracked up with laughter). In any case, there is something kind of special about cruising through those little harbors, standing on the back deck sipping a Goombay, listening to that 30 year old Perkins diesel push you along at 2 kph, occasionally symbolically tipping the boater to bronzed women as your boat passes through all the moorings. For that week I would not have sold the boater for twice it's price.
 

David Conwill

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,854
Location
Bennington, VT 05201
I love the straw boater. To me they're emblematic of the Roaring Twenties college man (see my avatar) when worn with summery clothing (or a raccoon coat!). Wear one with a suit, and you have a slight Henry Ford look. Incidentally, I think Henry Ford is probably the most recent example I can think of seeing one in historic photographs.

HenryFord1941.jpg


HenryFord.jpg


I think you'd have to wear them with just the right clothing, though, or you'd look as odd as that goth kid in the mall wearing a top hat.

I'd love to own one, but I haven't got the guts to wear it regularly, or the finances to purchase such a novelty item. I want a c-crown panama for everday summer wear because my look is more post-WWII.

Montecristi_Panama_scotrace.jpg


If you consistently do a '20s or earlier look, though, I think the skimmer is a must.

-Dave
 

Tomasso

Incurably Addicted
Messages
13,719
Location
USA
I happened to catch a bit of Chariots of Fire last night; loads of boaters in that one. The British Olympic team sported them. Very snazzy.
 

Les Gillis

One of the Regulars
Messages
122
Location
Dallas, Texas
My straw boater is my favorite hat!

Out of all of my hats straw boater with the black band from Miller's Hats is my absolute favorite. It puts a smile on my face every time I take it out of the box. I know they're despised by some and goofy looking to others; but to me they have a classic look that projects a jaunty and fun loving attitude.

It wasn't just the college man in the raccoon coat wearing them; John Dillinger was wearing one at the Biograph. I wouldn't be surprised at all if we see Johnny Depp wearing one in Public Enemies. In fact I'll be disappointed if he's not. There are also pictures of Capone, Purvis, Alvin Karpis and a very young Clyde Barrow all wearing boaters. They were a very popular in the twenties and thirties.

In modern times I agree they don't go well with just any outfit.

Les
 

Dinerman

Super Moderator
Bartender
Messages
10,562
Location
Bozeman, MT
It takes something to pull them off. I decided to give them a second chance after seeing a guy about my age at the national folk festival in Richmond with one. It was a '20s or thirties one, you could tell by the weave. He was wearing it with a band t-shirt and cargo shorts, but he wore it with the right tilt and attitude that it looked like it didn't belong anywhere else. Like with any other hat, I think that's really the trick.
 

jake_fink

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,279
Location
Taranna
Wolfmanjack said:
I agree, the Hats in the Belfry boater looks very thin and flimsy, compared to my vintage boater, which is thick and sturdy like Dinerman's.

I also see that you have to have a vintage noggin (6-7/8, 6-3/4), if you want to wear one of their boaters.

lol I didn't even notice that. Funny.
 

indycop

I'll Lock Up
Messages
8,325
Location
Jacksonville, Florida
Saw this boater in an antique shop yesterday. I don't what size it is but definitely smaller than 7 5/8. There was another one that was 6 3/4, both were $45.

boaters.jpg


boater.jpg
 

Mid-fogey

Practically Family
Messages
720
Location
The Virginia Peninsula
I put...

...boaters in with bowlers as hats that should have made the jump to modern wear better than they have.

Similarly to the bow tie, the boater has been used as visual short hand. They have been depicted as a performance costume for so long that it's hard to break the stereotype.

"Skimmers" were popular for a reason: they provided superior shade and cool comfort. They were stiff to support an open weave and provide circulating room around the head. This provides great ventilation.

With the all around brim to protect from the sun and the "flow through" ventilation, they are a super Summer hat.
 

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