Guide for first fedora/hat

[Warlord of The Weejuns]

Lack of Color is an interesting Australian hat site. The site has 2 flat brim fedora style hats that I have and like. The models are women, but they look as good on men (unisex hats). There is the Zulu (tan) and the Jethro II, which is black with a slightly higher crown. There are other flat brim hats that may interest you.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Here’s a link that @Yahoody shared with me a while back. He speaks well of them so that’s a heck of an endorsement:

http://cowcampsupply.com/buckaroo-hats/

I’ve come close to ordering from them several times, and I’m sure that one of these days I’ll pull the trigger.

 

[AmericanIron]

Thank you guys so much for all these suggestions. I knew I was coming to the right people with this.

a quick update. I think I’m going to end up buying two. I tried the packer hat again, shaping it after having worn it outside during a shower and it was very easy to kick up the front and rear of the brim which flattened out the sides completely. Left to dry this way it now stays fully flat and that thick mackinaw wool is perfect for my activities.

that being said it’s very thick and rugged and wouldn’t be suitable for anything more formal so I’d like to get a beaver fur version for that. That cow camp supply link looks like it has some really great options I may go that route.

Thanks guys!

 

[AmericanIron]

Here’s a few shots of the Filson packer. Those lack of color ones look like a fantastic option too. Similar crown but a dressier type of material.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Here’s a few shots of the Filson packer. Those lack of color ones look like a fantastic option too. Similar crown but a dressier type of material.

My daughter bought a Lack of Color wool flat brim hat. She did it without consulting me...she wanted the style and not a lecture on hats
While the Lack of Color hat has the style my daughter wanted it did not impress me. I think there are less trendy options that are of higher quality and more suitable for years if wear rather than a fashion trend of the moment.

 

[Neiru]

I've never owned a fedora, but always wanted to. I want one more for practical purposes than style. I live in Florida which is warm and sunny practically all year round. Can someone recommend hats for such weather that will provide protection from the sun as well as keep the head cool? What are some good websites? There are no classic hat stores where I live. Thanks.

 

[belfastboy]

I've never owned a fedora, but always wanted to. I want one more for practical purposes than style. I live in Florida which is warm and sunny practically all year round. Can someone recommend hats for such weather that will provide protection from the sun as well as keep the head cool? What are some good websites? There are no classic hat stores where I live. Thanks.

There are temperature limitations for fur felt and living in Florida might exceed that for much of the year. I would suggest a good quality Panama would be a great fedora to own. There are a number on Ebay and you could start out with a cheaper one $100 range and move up if you like it or commission a custom panama once you settle on a style.

 

[Neiru]

Thank you. I looked on the Stetson website and they had some straw fedora's in the $100-130 range. I heard Stetson makes quality hats. I will continue to look around.

 

[belfastboy]

Thank you. I looked on the Stetson website and they had some straw fedora's in the $100-130 range. I heard Stetson makes quality hats. I will continue to look around.

Stetson makes a wide range of hats....from cheap crap to expensive middle of the road. Decide on a price point and you can get some more directed responses here.

 

[Neiru]

$130 and below is a good price range for me. It's my first real hat.

 

[BobHufford]

A duplex (Panama crown and fur felt brim) is also a good choice for sun. The ventilation of the crown and the superior sun blocking of the felt brim (including reflected sunlight) make for a stylish and practical hat (although these examples can be expensive).

 

[deadlyhandsome]

I’ll second the semi-calado Panama hat recommendation.

personally, I like milan hats better than Panama hats for daily wear. Panama hats can be a bit delicate for how I use my hats.

 

[Scooterz]

I would say look at hemp straw hats and palm straw hats. Stetson makes a few hemp straw hats like stratoliners, whippets, and others. Akubra makes nice looking hemp straw hats too. There are several makers of palm straw hats but one that is decent is Sunbody. Palm and hemp straw hats probably will not be as ventilated as a nice panama hat but they are tough. Vintage straw hats are probably available in Florida if you hunt around. There are hats made of different types of straw from natural fibers and others from synthetic straw. Some cheap straw hats are great, and expensive straw hats, if they fit your style and pocketbook are really nice. Palm straw and to some degree hemp can handle some rain or water fine. Some straw hats can be damaged by too much rain so you may want to research the type of straw and how to take care of it. I would love to find a vintage straw hat from real milan straw. New Stetson milan straw hats are synthetic straw and probably a little hotter than natural straw but they can probably handle some rain. Good luck.

 

[jlee562]

If you're going to look for a relatively inexpensive straw hat around $130ish, just be mindful of the material. There are a variety of things sold as "straw" hats. You have your natural straws (e.g. Coconut palm; toquilla straw aka Panama hats; wheat straw; palm leaf, etc). But you will also find synthetic straw, namely Shangtung, which is a kind of plastic coated paper. Most hats at this price point are going to be Shangtung. There are pros and cons. They are durable, one blew of my head once and bounced off the pavement to no ill effect. They are water resistant. But they are less breathable than natural straws. There are also some hemp straw hats that are pretty nice.

Check out JJ Hat center, they've been almost perpetually on sale during the pandemic: https://jjhatcenter.com/collections/straw-hats

Also, I recommend choosing a hat with proper sizing, i.e., NOT S/M/L/XL

 

[itsallgood]

At your price point, I would take a look at Everything Australian for a felt Akubra.
https://everythingaustralian.com.au/row/shop-by-brands/akubra.html?___store=row
The Banjo Patterson is $168 Australian which converts to US currency at $130 today.
Rip the liner out and toss it away, you won't miss it and the hat will be a lot cooler.
Being an Akubra, you won't worry about getting caught in a Florida rain shower like you would with a Stetson.

If you want to go the Panama route and are not really an afficiando, I think a Coolibar fedora is a solid contender that's in the vicinity of your price point.
https://www.coolibar.com/sun-hats/mens-sun-hats/men-s-panama-fedora-upf-50.html
To jlee's point, it's produced in exact sizes. It has an inside pretty good leather sweatband, and it looks better in person than the photo indicates on the website.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

The Akubra hemp hats are decent, but I’m also a fan of the Country Club. It’s a polypropylene hat, but it’s well-vented and is cool wearing. It has traditional fedora-esque styling and it is easily cleaned and does well in humidity and even rain which can’t be said of Panama hats. It’s also very affordable.

 

[Neiru]

Great recommendations, thanks. I'll take a look. I sometimes wear a linen newspaper boy cap, but I want something more than just a cap. I work mostly outdoors.

 

[johnnycanuck]

Great recommendations, thanks. I'll take a look. I sometimes wear a linen newspaper boy cap, but I want something more than just a cap. I work mostly outdoors.

I will throw my two cents worth in. As you say you work outdoors so you will want a hat that has been tested and has a UPF protection as well.
#1. I will reiterate Akubra. All their hats have been tested. They offer hemp and an artificial straw. Hatsdirect and everything Australian are the two web pages I have ordered from myself.
#2 https://www.sunbody.com/ I do not own one but it is on my list for a summer hat. The web page indicated UPF 50. Apparently they can take the rain just fine. I would probably give it a hit of scotchguard if I was concerned about crazy rain. FYI the 3” fedora is a ringer for an Allen Grant hat from Jurassic park.
#3 if you don’t care how the hat looks but want practical sun protection Tilley hats are always a nice option. I have one that’s 28 years old now. It shows it but still a practical, serviceable hat.
Finally a word of warning. If you want sun protection not all materials are made equal. Felt is naturally sun blocking. Some “straw” hats are actually rice straw and offer no sun protection at all. UV rays shoot right thru it. If the web page doesn’t specify I would contact the company’s directly to see what the UPF factor is. Vendors may not have that information. Just a word of warning.
Hope that helps
Johnny

 

[itsallgood]

If I worked outside in the heat and humidity of Florida, I'd probably wear a pith helmet.
https://www.villagehatshop.com/category/84/1/pith-helmets.html
They make so much sense when you look at the design.

 

[johnnycanuck]

If I worked outside in the heat and humidity of Florida, I'd probably wear a pith helmet.
https://www.villagehatshop.com/category/84/1/pith-helmets.html
They make so much sense when you look at the design.

I personally love the interesting and long history of these hats and use them myself in the summer. However I do know they have been askew in recent history and are not to everyone’s taste. But they are really good for what they are supposed to be. A hot sunny weather head gear.
Johnny