Guide for first fedora/hat

[bostonbrewer]

Hi,

I'm 37, and I've finally decided to ditch the baseball cap and move over to a fedora hat(s).

After trolling these forums for a day or so, and doing other research, I came to the conclusion that fur felt fedoras are the best all around use hat. Is this right? I also want a panama, but since I wear a lot of dark suits, I thought I'd get a black fur felt fedora as my first. Is this thinking not correct. Would I be out of season in the spring/summer?

I ask because I live in Boston, and I went to one of the only stores in the area (Toppers near the Common), and they don't have any fur felts in stock because of the season. So, now I'm totally confused.

Help guys. I'm itching to get one, but I now don't know where to start.

Thanks.

 

[Yeps]

I would shy away from a black hat as your first. They are not quite as versatile as they seem. A light gray fedora with a wide ribbon looks especially nice with a dark suit, and compliments a wider range of colors than black does.

If you want a panama try getting one from Panama Bob. He tends to have the best price for value, and he is a really great guy to buy from.

As for a felt, the main answers you will get around here are a) be patient and go for ebay. You can get some really great deals there, if you are willing to wait. b) get an Akubra, which tend to be the best hats for the money of new, factory made hats. You could go for a custom, but they are really expensive, and probably not the best choice for a first hat.

*oh, and as to season, straw hats are much more comfortable in the summer, in my opinion, but I think that fur felt is more useful all around, since it holds up in the rain.

 

[monbla256]

I would shy away from a black hat as your first. They are not quite as versatile as they seem. A light gray fedora with a wide ribbon looks especially nice with a dark suit, and compliments a wider range of colors than black does.

If you want a panama try getting one from Panama Bob. He tends to have the best price for value, and he is a really great guy to buy from.

As for a felt, the main answers you will get around here are a) be patient and go for ebay. You can get some really great deals there, if you are willing to wait. b) get an Akubra, which tend to be the best hats for the money of new, factory made hats. You could go for a custom, but they are really expensive, and probably not the best choice for a first hat.

*oh, and as to season, straw hats are much more comfortable in the summer, in my opinion, but I think that fur felt is more useful all around, since it holds up in the rain.

Very sound advice and I would only add to stay away from wool felt, you'll end up buying two for every one yu'd buy in a fur felt.

 

[johnnycanuck]

If it was me I would go for a Akubra Stylemaster in a grey, most likely moonstone. http://hatsdirect.com/cgi-bin/products.cgi?view=46&returncat=Fedora+Hats&returnpage=0
Grey is neutral enough it will go with anything. Black also can get hot on sunny days.
It comes with the crown shaped and the brim is wide enough to give you some protection but not wide enough to be imposing. The brim is also short enough you can wear it while driving and it will not get in the way of the head rest.
My two cents worth.
Johnny

 

[danofarlington]

Hi,

I'm 37, and I've finally decided to ditch the baseball cap and move over to a fedora hat(s).

After trolling these forums for a day or so, and doing other research, I came to the conclusion that fur felt fedoras are the best all around use hat. Is this right? I also want a panama, but since I wear a lot of dark suits, I thought I'd get a black fur felt fedora as my first. Is this thinking not correct. Would I be out of season in the spring/summer?

I ask because I live in Boston, and I went to one of the only stores in the area (Toppers near the Common), and they don't have any fur felts in stock because of the season. So, now I'm totally confused.

Help guys. I'm itching to get one, but I now don't know where to start.

Thanks.

Why not stop by Salmagundi in Boston? On their blog they seem to have some really excellent hats you could just try on for fun.

 

[doghouse riley]

Hi,

I'm 37, and I've finally decided to ditch the baseball cap and move over to a fedora hat(s).

After trolling these forums for a day or so, and doing other research, I came to the conclusion that fur felt fedoras are the best all around use hat. Is this right? I also want a panama, but since I wear a lot of dark suits, I thought I'd get a black fur felt fedora as my first. Is this thinking not correct. Would I be out of season in the spring/summer?

I ask because I live in Boston, and I went to one of the only stores in the area (Toppers near the Common), and they don't have any fur felts in stock because of the season. So, now I'm totally confused.

Help guys. I'm itching to get one, but I now don't know where to start.

Thanks.

What size is your noggin? That will widen or narrow your shopping window. This time of year you can usually find some decent deals on fur felts. Not to confuse the issue further… the type of fur makes a difference.
Try Goorin Bros. in the Black Bay neighborhood. That may be the best bet in your neck of the woods (Boston). Online their selection is mostly not what you are looking for. In store stock may vary. At lest you can try some on and get the look and feel before you order online.

 

[Lloyd]

Personally I like black hats but they can take some getting used to. I'd recommend a dark brown with a black ribbon for your dark suits.

 

[hatophile]

If you live in Boston, you can also try some of the antique and resale shops in the surrounding areas. Many of them will have vintage fedoras for a reasonable price which might get you started. The North Shore toward Essex and up to Georgetown have a plethora of antique stores to look in. Dano is also right in checking some of the vintage clothing shops in Boston. There's another one I think is called Bobby's of Boston.

I agree with the others on material, straw is definitely more comfortable in the hot summer weather. By the same token, a nice light color felt would be more appropriate in summer than a black felt. I only wear blacks in the cooler months.

Good Luck,

Perry

 

[John in Covina]

I'd suggest going to a few different shops and trying on hats so that you get an idea as to possible style choices and maybe some color options. Most important you want to get an idea as to what size fits your head. Size is very important, on line a variety of hat places like Miller hats and our supportive friends will have info on measuring and sizes. If you can measure your head you have an idea as to where to start looking size wise.

As to brands and such it depends on what $ you are looking to spend. If you are looking to get in relatively inexpensive I'd point at Akubra.

John

 

[fmw]

I definitely recommend against Ebay for a beginner. My first attempts at Ebay were either awful or expensive because of all the restoration I had to have done. The vintage hats worth buying on Ebay are more expensive than new ones or nearly so. Most here will say that they are better than new ones but that hasn't been my experience.

This is what I would do. Look through the Stetson line (not because it is better but because it is broader.) Look at some of the fedora styles such as the Whippet, Temple etc. and then call the Hatco factory outlet store at (972) 494-0337. See if they have the hat you like in your size. Two most common colors for modern day Stetson fedoras are caribou (a taupeish gray color) and tawny (a medium brown.) Both are great colors that complement a wide variety of clothing colors. The outlet store has great prices and quick service. I think they also may have Dobbs hats there since they are made in the same factory as the Stetsons. The Dobbs hats are also outstanding.

If a local hatter doesn't have what you like I can recommend Delmonico in Connecticut, not far from you. They have a great selection of fine hats and impeccable service. You can find them at http://www.demonicohatter.com. Another great on line source is http://www.hats-plus.com in Chicago. I've bought from both of these sources and they are excellent. The Hatco outlet store, however, will save a considerable amount of money if they have what you want.

Yes you want a fur felt hat, not a wool hat. Wool shrinks like crazy so hats made from it don't last long. A fine fur fedora can last a lifetime. I view straw hats as short lived so I don't spend much money on them. My recommendation is just to find something you like and get it. I've done pretty well with Panama Bob and with the low end Panamas from Stetson. It is straw season now so maybe the thing to do is get a straw now and a fur felt in late summer for the fall/winter season. Good luck with the quest.

 

[DJH]

Brewer; since you are in Boston, head over to Salmagundi on Center Street in Jamaica Plain.

I stopped by there a short while ago and they had a pretty good selection of different hats.

 

[John in Covina]

I definitely recommend against Ebay for a beginner. My first attempts at Ebay were either awful or expensive because of all the restoration I had to have done.

It has been a long time since i bought a vintage hat on Ebay, my luck has be so-so. 2 of the 5 need restoration work. I had written a seller's guide for fedoras that got posted at Ebay that is a good lesson for buyers too but I can't find how to access any of the sellers guides on Ebay any more.

 

[fmw]

Since I've written half a book here I should include Panama Bob's URL which is http://www.panamas.biz. I have done pretty well on Ebay buying brand new straw fedoras so I would recommend that as an option as long as you stay away from vintage hats until you have more experience. Here's a shot of a nice but inexpensive brand new Stetson Panama I bought for $35 on Ebay. Below that is Stetson Avenue milan braid I bought on Ebay new for $45. Finally, I agree with those who like Akubra hats. I do too and own three of them. However, they are best known for their Australian outback style hats rather than for dress fedoras. Their line of dress fedoras is good but small and the Dobbs and Stetsons are just as good. Here are the straws.

Stetson Panama Fedora

Stetson Avenue Milan Fedora

 

[John in Covina]

Link to a post on the FL that has my fedora sellers guide for Ebay

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?7496-Sellers-Guide-for-Dress-Hats-on-Ebay

Some good info for buyers too.

 

[fmw]

It has been a long time since i bought a vintage hat on Ebay, my luck has be so-so. 2 of the 5 need restoration work. I had written a seller's guide for fedoras that got posted at Ebay that is a good lesson for buyers too but I can't find how to access any of the sellers guides on Ebay any more.

I think buying vintage hats on Ebay is risky for beginners. I have gotten a few nice hats out of it but certainly not bargains at least from my perspective. I think the best I did on Ebay was this Stetson Milan I got for $26. I bought a new pugaree for it and it looks pretty good. Getting it looking good was a real chore. I literally washed the thing in a sink with soap and water and then had to deal with re-creasing, stretching from the shrinkage etc. I would certainly pay $26 for what you see below but I wouldn't have gone through all of that again. There are collectors and hat wearers. I'm just a hat wearer. Here's the $26 milan.

 

[Pompidou]

I'd definitely recommend visiting a store in person rather than buying off the shelf online. My hat history is the following: My dad got a size 7 vintage off eBay and wanted a wearable one that was similar. So did I. The 7 was too small for me. I got an crappy indy repro that was 7 3/8, thinking it wouldn't take much to fit. It was incredibly tight. I didn't keep it long. I got a 7 1/2 Bailey's pork pie, and it was very close to fitting. I could, in fact, wear it, but it left a red mark. My next hat was a 7 5/8 Stetson Whippet that, aside from custom made, was about as good as I was going to get. The moral is, I wasted a lot of money guessing my hat size by trial and error. Don't be dumb like me.

 

[fmw]

Measure twice, order once.

http://www.villagehatshop.com/head_size.html

 

[John in Covina]

The only concern is measuring gets you only to an approximation of size because if you are a long oval or extra long oval you'll be disappointed with what is supposed to fit according to the measurements. One need to try on some hats of reputable manufacture to get a better idea as to what is what.

 

[fmw]

I'm an average 7 1/8. I've had new hats from reputable manufacturers marked 7 1/8 that were too tight to wear and some that were loose enough to need stuffing the sweat band. I don't mind stuffing the sweat band so I just return any that are too tight. I think going to a store and trying on hats will only fit you for one make and model of hat - or even worse, one single hat. There is more variation in the finished product than there is in the measurements. At least that has been my experience.

 

[Cliffnopus]

Brewer; since you are in Boston, head over to Salmagundi on Center Street in Jamaica Plain.

I stopped by there a short while ago and they had a pretty good selection of different hats.

:arated: On Salmugundi; not that far for you and well worth it.

DJH, Jessen told me on a recnt visit that you were heading there to visit. Did you take any photo's? Did you enjoy yourself?

Cliff