Hat articles and photos...

[scottyrocks]

Thanks for posting this. I enjoyed it greatly.

 

[Philip Adams]

Thanks for posting a great article.

One point that was made really struck a chord with me:

"It’s not that they don’t put anything on their heads; they are swathed in all manner of caps and other strange contrivances. But those are not hats—attire befitting a walker in a great city. Last week on the subway I saw a Wall Street-bound man whose solemn black suit matched his solemn banker’s visage. But on his head was an orange Phillies cap.That’s someone seriously out of touch with the idea of fashion as an integrated statement".

People seem to have forgotten that hats ARE part of the an integrated fashion statement. I bet that banker wouldn't have been seen with shoes that didn't match his suit (although nothing would surprise me these days) but he thought it acceptable to put an orange cap on.

I see similar things here in London. Men and women wearing wollen headgear that totally ruin what would be an otherwise nice work outfit. The ones that particularly irritate me are the ones bright patterns with coverings for the ears that end in long tassles. I think they are of a certain northern Scandanavian origin. They just look out of place when wearing a suit or other office attire and people don't seem to realise this.

 

[Shangas]

A fantastic article. Interesting and dare I say, funny and insightful at the same time. A pleasure to read.

 

[Hal]

People seem to have forgotten that hats ARE part of the an integrated fashion statement. I bet that banker wouldn't have been seen with shoes that didn't match his suit (although nothing would surprise me these days) but he thought it acceptable to put an orange cap on. I see similar things here in London. Men and women wearing woollen headgear that totally ruin what would be an otherwise nice work outfit. The ones that particularly irritate me are the ones bright patterns with coverings for the ears that end in long tassels. I think they are of a certain northern Scandinavian origin. They just look out of place when wearing a suit or other office attire and people don't seem to realise this.

Such incongruities are, sadly, nothing new; men have been wearing tatty zipped outdoor-pursuits jackets over business suits for forty years at least. Nor is it unusual to see business suits worn with trainers (I think Americans call these sneakers) -nor (ugh!) suits worn tieless with open-necked shirts. American commentators have reported seeing men in business suits with proper overcoats wearing baseball caps. Integration - what goes with what - was at first ignored; afterwards "mixed modes" were even encouraged. And while I cannot see any way of correcting this sort of thing without sounding reactionary and patronising, there's no need for any FL member to follow that way of dressing.

 

[HatsEnough]

I emailed the author and told him about the Lounge. Let's see if I hear back at all?

 

[bowlerman]

It was nice to read that article. Thanks for posting. I'd still like to see a similar writeup by a younger, less crotchety author who also appreciates fine headwear. Those journalists must be out there somewhere. It would make the younger generations feel better about actually wanting to wear nice hats instead of giving in to market pressure or peer pressure, instead of the natural reaction of defying the impulse after getting scolded by their elders.

 

[Ordinary Guy]

Loved the article......

I truly believe men want to wear hats but since the norm has turned to baseball caps, they do this in mass....

They actually don't feel out of place with a suit and ball cap......

I have noticed that in the last few years that I have been wearing Fedoras, the reactions have been changing.

I can truthfully say I rarely get a negative comment anymore and upon watching people as I walk along, many do not even notice my Fedora... Those that do, usually give me a smile or a nod, with even the casual "Nice Hat" or the knowledgeable ones even say "Nice Fedora"....

I have also noticed two restaurants in the area have put up coat and hat hooks by their tables...... YAY !!!

 

[scottyrocks]

Yes, it has come to the point that when I show up somewhere sans fedora . . . wait, I don't go anywhere anymore without a fedora . . . but when I have gone somewhere without one in the last few years (when was that again??), I got the 'where's your hat?' comment. I am, as others have said, the guy with the hat. And I'm proud of it.

 

[Philip Adams]

As has been mentioned by other posters on this thread, I think there's a lot of pressure from marketing and advertising types to 'be comfortable' rather than be stylish.

Every day I see advertisements on the television showing young people who 'breaking the mould'. In these ads you see the young man and woman who step outside of their community where people all dress and present themselves in pretty much the same way, running off into the sunset. The implication is that 'being different' is not only good, but it's the way to find happiness. With images like this it's hardly surprising to see that most people don't have any idea of what is appropriate when it comes to matching clothes.

The irony is that in the media I also see pages and pages of criticism of people (mainly, but not exclusively women) who don't measure up to 'acceptable' dress standards.

So on the one hand people are being told to be 'comfortable' and 'different' and yet on the other the media will jump on you if you're in the spotlight and aren't stylish.

All of this just reinforces for me the notion that a suit is appropriate in most situations and a good hat properly complements it. It's such a simple concept and yet so many men and women go to great lenghts and expense to 'be different' without IMHO anything much to show for it.

 

[Florida_Marlin]

I was in Portland, OR earlier this month. I dined at the Portland Grill and Jake's seafood. Both places had coat and hat racks at the tables. The first night, I had already found a place to stash my hat when the waiter informed me that there were hat racks at the tables. Nice.

 

[bkfist]

Good, well written article. He makes a very good point about having nowhere to put one's hat! He also makes a very good point about the respect that a fedora seems to bestow. My wife often comments about the good service we will receive in a store or a restaurant, and my comment is always "They respect the hat". Too true. Thanks for posting the article.

Good article, and yes, it was that look of "deserving respect" that a man who is wearing a hat gives off that drew me to finally purchase my first hat last week.

 

[scottyrocks]

Every day I see advertisements on the television showing young people who 'breaking the mould'. In these ads you see the young man and woman who step outside of their community where people all dress and present themselves in pretty much the same way, running off into the sunset. The implication is that 'being different' is not only good, but it's the way to find happiness. With images like this it's hardly surprising to see that most people don't have any idea of what is appropriate when it comes to matching clothes.

The whole advertising concept or being (or dressing) 'different' is laughable. Sure the clothing companies want you to dress different, and they want you to do it in their clothes, and they want everyone ot do it so they sell more goods. How different are ypy then when everyone is wearing what you're wearing? Then the manufacturers come out with something new and it starts all over again.

I remember years ago when I used to ride. All the guys dressed like rugged individualists. Nothing like seeing several hundred rugged individualists looking almost exactly the same at a poker run.

 

[Thunderball]

http://www.gentlemansgazette.com/homburg-hat-history-style/

 

[Dubya]

Nice article old boy! Cheers! :eusa_clap

 

[randooch]

Thanks for the post; interesting overview. Maybe post it in the Homburg thread as well?

These two strike me as quite goofy:

 

[Matt Deckard]

I wouldn't refer to them as homburgs. More like small bicorn hats.

 

[le.gentleman]

Thanks for posting a link to my Homburg Hat Article. At least in Germany, these were the beginnings of the Homburg.
I have added some information about the Italian Lobbia who supposedly invented it first. But sadly, I have not found any newspapers or drawings confirming that.

 

[rlk]

Contemporary account of attack on Lobbia(pp. 401-2)
http://books.google.com/books?id=rv...GYQ6AEwCA#v=onepage&q=lobbia cappello&f=false

Hat referred to as Cappello Lobbia 1869
http://books.google.com/books?id=5t...wQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=cappello lobbia&f=false

Soft hats of the style already existed in Europe and USA, but Celebrities create fashion trends.

Similar Stetsons of 1878:

 

[The Wiser Hatter]

I read it last Thursday basic article there where hats
of this style being made as Robert pointed out.
Sometimes like today a popular person propels a
Hat style to public awareness.

 

[le.gentleman]

The Raymond is pinched and does not have a bound brim, but I agree with you that it was probably invented first.
I translated the sources you quoted with google translation and it is just secondary, talking about Wagner wearing a lobbia hat with a crown and red feather.
It also seems to be a year book, but not a local newspaper. In BadHomburg, I saw the newspaper from the day afterwards, where they described the hat.
I have not found such a piece of primary evidence for the Lobbia hat. Also, there seems to be hardly any information as to what hatmaker created it...
Thanks for the pic though.