AlterEgo
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I started to put this on the hat-astrophe thread until I realized it really didn't fit and thought it might prompt some stories of a qualitatively different genre that deserve their own dedicated thread.
"The Hat"
(Part 1 of 2)
I've mentioned this hat on Fedora Lounge before, and said then, “If it could only talk…” Since it cannot, I myself will have to tell this story in which it played the leading role.
The Hat:
My beloved grandmother sent me some money for my birthday when I was a freshman in college. I used it to purchase the hat at an upscale department store. The year was 1977, and I paid a then astonishingly expensive $55 at the store nicknamed "Needless Mark-Up" for good reason.
Made of a fine, smooth suede in a beautiful, dark amber color, it had a 1 3/4-inch, stingy brim, underwelted and finely stitched around in concentric circles; self hat band with a tall, great-looking, green, yellow, crimson, and black feather; a center-creased crown 4 inches tall at the front, 5 inches in the middle, and 4 1/2 at the rear; and two deep dents flanking the sides of the front at the very top of the crown. Though closest in form to a trilby, it had some alpine Tyrolean in its DNA, as well. Frankly, I've never seen another hat shaped quite like this one.
Inside, "Churchill" was inscribed on the full satin lining, and, in gold lettering, "genuine suede leather" and "Neiman Marcus," with its logo, printed on opposite sides of the reeded roan leather headband. At the rear was the perfectly tied ribbon bow, as well as the paper size tag--7.
Of all my earthly possessions during this period of time, if I had to pick just one, The Hat would have been my favorite.
The Story:
I was home from college on Christmas break of my sophomore year. Though we were both dating people at our respective colleges, it was like old times with my high school girlfriend Leigh, so when our old and good friend Barbara invited us to a New Years Eve party at her house, naturally, Leigh and I went together as a couple. We were not only eager to reconnect with Barb and the rest of the old crowd, but were interested to see her house. Yes, though she was but a sophomore herself, she was the youngest daughter of wealthy parents and had her OWN HOUSE, a turn-of-the-century one in the inner city near campus, which was probably full of beautiful things.
Its being a frigid evening, we were bundled up, and I had on The Hat, a bit over a year old then. As soon as we walked in the door, a couple of Barbara's new college friends snatched it off my head and cavorted about in it, rowdy and giggling. Normally, I would've read the riot act to such uncouth individuals and got my hat back pronto. But, since these two girls were pooty-faced and Barb's new buds, I cut them some slack, eventually retrieving The Hat and putting it in the spare bedroom on the bed with a pile of all the partygoers coats and scarves and such.
It was long after midnight and everyone else had left. But Leigh and I stayed with Barb because, not having seen one another since summer, needed to get in a good visit, just the three of us. When we were about to leave, I went to the bedroom to get Leigh’s and my cold-weather garb, but The Hat was gone! I immediately knew that the chicks had absconded with it, but when I told Barbara that it was missing, she maintained it must be in her house somewhere, so we all searched high and low—totally perfunctorily in my view--to no avail.
Before leaving, I told Barb in no uncertain terms that I was sure one of her new friends had taken it. I intentionally did not say “stolen,” but she bristled anyway and said they must have “accidentally” walked out with it, being so drunk and all. Now, I’ve never known anyone who suddenly becomes a thief due to over-consumption of alcohol, but I told Barbara I expected her to have The Hat back in her possession by noon, and that I would be calling her at that time to make arrangements to retrieve it. She acted really put out, but reluctantly agreed.
Passion with the lovely Leigh notwithstanding, I harbored a very bad feeling about The Hat, so I was up pretty early despite the late night merrymaking and started phoning Barb at about 9:00 AM, but she never answered after repeated attempts. So, at half past eleven, I jumped in my car and floored it over there.
(To be continued)
"The Hat"
(Part 1 of 2)
I've mentioned this hat on Fedora Lounge before, and said then, “If it could only talk…” Since it cannot, I myself will have to tell this story in which it played the leading role.
The Hat:
My beloved grandmother sent me some money for my birthday when I was a freshman in college. I used it to purchase the hat at an upscale department store. The year was 1977, and I paid a then astonishingly expensive $55 at the store nicknamed "Needless Mark-Up" for good reason.
Made of a fine, smooth suede in a beautiful, dark amber color, it had a 1 3/4-inch, stingy brim, underwelted and finely stitched around in concentric circles; self hat band with a tall, great-looking, green, yellow, crimson, and black feather; a center-creased crown 4 inches tall at the front, 5 inches in the middle, and 4 1/2 at the rear; and two deep dents flanking the sides of the front at the very top of the crown. Though closest in form to a trilby, it had some alpine Tyrolean in its DNA, as well. Frankly, I've never seen another hat shaped quite like this one.
Inside, "Churchill" was inscribed on the full satin lining, and, in gold lettering, "genuine suede leather" and "Neiman Marcus," with its logo, printed on opposite sides of the reeded roan leather headband. At the rear was the perfectly tied ribbon bow, as well as the paper size tag--7.
Of all my earthly possessions during this period of time, if I had to pick just one, The Hat would have been my favorite.
The Story:
I was home from college on Christmas break of my sophomore year. Though we were both dating people at our respective colleges, it was like old times with my high school girlfriend Leigh, so when our old and good friend Barbara invited us to a New Years Eve party at her house, naturally, Leigh and I went together as a couple. We were not only eager to reconnect with Barb and the rest of the old crowd, but were interested to see her house. Yes, though she was but a sophomore herself, she was the youngest daughter of wealthy parents and had her OWN HOUSE, a turn-of-the-century one in the inner city near campus, which was probably full of beautiful things.
Its being a frigid evening, we were bundled up, and I had on The Hat, a bit over a year old then. As soon as we walked in the door, a couple of Barbara's new college friends snatched it off my head and cavorted about in it, rowdy and giggling. Normally, I would've read the riot act to such uncouth individuals and got my hat back pronto. But, since these two girls were pooty-faced and Barb's new buds, I cut them some slack, eventually retrieving The Hat and putting it in the spare bedroom on the bed with a pile of all the partygoers coats and scarves and such.
It was long after midnight and everyone else had left. But Leigh and I stayed with Barb because, not having seen one another since summer, needed to get in a good visit, just the three of us. When we were about to leave, I went to the bedroom to get Leigh’s and my cold-weather garb, but The Hat was gone! I immediately knew that the chicks had absconded with it, but when I told Barbara that it was missing, she maintained it must be in her house somewhere, so we all searched high and low—totally perfunctorily in my view--to no avail.
Before leaving, I told Barb in no uncertain terms that I was sure one of her new friends had taken it. I intentionally did not say “stolen,” but she bristled anyway and said they must have “accidentally” walked out with it, being so drunk and all. Now, I’ve never known anyone who suddenly becomes a thief due to over-consumption of alcohol, but I told Barbara I expected her to have The Hat back in her possession by noon, and that I would be calling her at that time to make arrangements to retrieve it. She acted really put out, but reluctantly agreed.
Passion with the lovely Leigh notwithstanding, I harbored a very bad feeling about The Hat, so I was up pretty early despite the late night merrymaking and started phoning Barb at about 9:00 AM, but she never answered after repeated attempts. So, at half past eleven, I jumped in my car and floored it over there.
(To be continued)
