Guide for first fedora/hat

[mark balen]

Yo haggard, the nemitrio.

 

[TheOldFashioned]

Which one is should i consider buying first,an stiff english bowler or an homburg hat?im gonna use them for formal attire,homburg first then bowler or the other way around?

I personally subscribe to the notion that a homburg is the more formal of the two. As an added bonus, a homburg can be made less formal so to speak by adding some soft dents if you wish.

That being said, most of the general public won't know/care about hat formality and hierarchy. They'll know the difference between a felt hat and a ballcap, but I would suspect most would consider a bowler perfectly acceptable for a formal affair.

Get the homburg first but also get a bowler.

 

[Rmccamey]

Homburgs are more often worn and the more popular of the two...but you'll get more compliments with a bowler

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Which one is should i consider buying first,an stiff english bowler or an homburg hat?im gonna use them for formal attire,homburg first then bowler or the other way around?

For me, the pairing with “formal attire” is the clincher. The homburg is the hat de rigueur for sem-formal dress (dinner suit/tuxedo). Unless you’re looking for a hat for white tie, in which case the top hat is the hat, I’d say go with a black homburg. The derby/bowler isn’t as formal.

For me the point of formal and semi-formal dress is not to defy convention, but rather to follow it with precision and get every detail right. When dressed in a dinner suit the goal, for me, is to have nothing stand out and yet for the ensemble draw attention for its simple perfection. Sadly, my dinner jacket is...er...a bit tight these days and the opportunities to wear it have decreased for me.

 

[Koechinggendoet]

Thank you very much for all of your suggestion/reply,i think im gonna go for an homburg,another question,where to buy homburg?any brand suggestion??

 

[Rmccamey]

Lots of options. Watch the Classifieds here on TFL or eBay or Etsy for vintage hats. Most hat makers made one or more homburg models. The Stetson St. Regis is very popular. Watch the What Hat are You Wearing thread, and other threads specific to Homburgs, for ideas. Many of the current hat makers can also build you a new custom to your specifications.
Here is a new custom from Mike at Northwest Hats.


And a vintage Knox Premier.

 

[Koechinggendoet]

Thank you very much sir,i want to ask,what you think of akubra homburg?they are near my country,and some people says that it was a great hat.what you think?

 

[Rmccamey]

Akubras are very durable hats and have a large following. I have no experience with the Akubra homburgs, so maybe others will jump in here.

Thank you very much sir,i want to ask,what you think of akubra homburg?they are near my country,and some people says that it was a great hat.what you think?

 

[Koechinggendoet]

Well,thank you to you sir,i want to buy an stetson but boy the cost of the delivery is the same as an vintage fedora that i see in my country,i always like stetson,maybe after buying and bowler and a topper,maybe i consider buying an stetson cowboy hat

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Well,thank you to you sir,i want to buy an stetson but boy the cost of the delivery is the same as an vintage fedora that i see in my country,i always like stetson,maybe after buying and bowler and a topper,maybe i consider buying an stetson cowboy hat

Can I ask where you call home?

I’m not a huge fan of the Akubra homburg. Akubra makes great durable hats, but I don’t think that their homburg is a good example of the breed. The brim curl isn’t “right” to my eye. If you spend some time you can probably find a new or slightly used Biltmore or a Beaver Brand that is more classically proportioned and with more attention to details. Depending on size, vintage homburg can often be had for bargains and they are the real deal and heads and shoulders above most of what you’ll find new.

Good luck.

 

[Koechinggendoet]

Its indonesia,it was near australia so delivery won't cost much

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Its indonesia,it was near australia so delivery won't cost much

See if you can find a homburg on eBay that you like. Lots of sellers ship international. I’ve shipped to New Zealand and the shipping wasn’t crazy.

 

[Koechinggendoet]

Thank you,what brand is good at an vintage homburg?

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Thank you,what brand is good at an vintage homburg?

Just a few:

Borsalino
Stetson
Mayser
Knox
Dobbs
Hückel
Resistol

Slightly less refined, but still nice and much better than the Akubra to my eye are:

Beaver Band
Biltmore (of Canada not the USA)

Spend some time going through this thread for ideas:

https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/homburg-nation.35848/

 

[Koechinggendoet]

How about rockel hats?hückel is a pretty good brand so far,just buy some of their fedora last year,still good

 

[deadlyhandsome]

I don’t own a Rockel, but I’ve read good reviews on their vintage hats from people here whose opinions I respect.

 

[AmericanIron]

Hey guys, I'm brand new to hats and picked up two different models to try to get what I'm looking for. Was hoping to get some advice from you guys who know a lot more about what's out there. I'm looking for a hat for outdoor activity. Wood splitting, snowblowing the driveway, camping and hiking etc. I'd like the hat to be able to block snow from my eyes which is why I'm looking for a full brim, preferably wool as it will keep my head warm.

The first hat I tried was the Filson Wool Packer hat. I have one of their mackinaw cruiser jackets and that 26oz mackinaw wool is fantastic so I thought the hat might be a good option but it's just not fit right for my head. The XL is too large and the L is too small. Also the brim is a little too short.

I returned the packer and purchased the Stetson Bozeman to replace it based on the picture I included on this thread. It looked like a nice flat brim all the way around. Think of the hat Samuel Jackson wears in Hateful Eight. That's kind of the idea but with a more triangular crown. The issue with the bozeman is that it's far more curved in real life. It swings up as it goes past the ears and dips back down in the back. The pictures online show it quite differently.

Just wondering if anyone in here had a recommendation. I'd really like to stick to hats made in the USA if possible. And nothing too high of a crown as my face isn't very long.

Thank you so much for the advice, and Merry Christmas to you all!

 

[ChicagoWayVito]

If you are going to keep the Bozeman, then you can get a spray bottle with water and mist the brim with it and then using a heavy iron and a flat surface you can flatten the brim. Just keep the iron moving and don't make it too hot. You want want to burn the felt. You can put down a piece of natural cotton fabric that is wet as well to go over the brim an protect the felt some as well.

Now, you mention that you prefer wool but going to fur like rabbit and beaver will provide you a hat that will last much longer in holding its shape and great at blocking out the elements. It will cost you more though.

Welcome to the lounge and good luck on your search.

 

[jlee562]

Disclaimer: these are just hats that came up on JJ Hat Center's website, not recommendations per se.

Wool:
https://www.jjhatcenter.com/collections/felt-hats/products/the-bullhide

Fur felt:
https://www.jjhatcenter.com/collections/felt-hats/products/the-tri-city-by-stetson
https://www.jjhatcenter.com/collections/felt-hats/products/the-stetson-great-plains

If you want a completely level, flat brim, as opposed to a brim which merely has an extremely shallow flange, you may want to consider upgrading to fur felt. Not only are most fur felt hats offered in correct sizes beyond S/M/L/XL, they will be more durable in the long run. Sometimes the completely flat brims can go a little wonky, but they are easily ironed with a clean press cloth.

 

[belfastboy]

Hey guys, I'm brand new to hats and picked up two different models to try to get what I'm looking for. Was hoping to get some advice from you guys who know a lot more about what's out there. I'm looking for a hat for outdoor activity. Wood splitting, snowblowing the driveway, camping and hiking etc. I'd like the hat to be able to block snow from my eyes which is why I'm looking for a full brim, preferably wool as it will keep my head warm.

The first hat I tried was the Filson Wool Packer hat. I have one of their mackinaw cruiser jackets and that 26oz mackinaw wool is fantastic so I thought the hat might be a good option but it's just not fit right for my head. The XL is too large and the L is too small. Also the brim is a little too short.

I returned the packer and purchased the Stetson Bozeman to replace it based on the picture I included on this thread. It looked like a nice flat brim all the way around. Think of the hat Samuel Jackson wears in Hateful Eight. That's kind of the idea but with a more triangular crown. The issue with the bozeman is that it's far more curved in real life. It swings up as it goes past the ears and dips back down in the back. The pictures online show it quite differently.

Just wondering if anyone in here had a recommendation. I'd really like to stick to hats made in the USA if possible. And nothing too high of a crown as my face isn't very long.

Thank you so much for the advice, and Merry Christmas to you all!

In my experience a fur felt has as much warmth if not more than a wool hat and will last so much longer and look better as well.