Hitler's fedora

[Jabos]

Being new to this, I now notice hats when I never had before. Watching Hitler's Bodyguard tonight I saw that often shown color film footage of him with Eva and the crew at the Eagles Nest. He was wearing a great looking thin ribbon brown fedora with the back turned up. I assume he would have the best made at the time. Were there some fine hats being made in Germany at that time? Just an observation.

 

[Goose.]

I recall seeing footage of perhaps that same brown lid the corporal was wearing. But, don't know a thing about it.
Someone that knows what I don't know may chime in with an accurate answer to your question.

In the interim, I did a search and came across this thread that you may find of interest: http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?p=641112#post641112

 

[Maguire]

Pictures of hitler in a regular suit and tie are relatively rare. Is this the hat you are referring too?

there is a humorous story about how he was advised upon meeting mussolini to wear a suit and tie to the meeting. He showed up with a suit and tie instead of his uniform and mussolini arrived wearing his jackboots, fez and full uniform, complete with sword and whip. I believe there are pictures from this meeting online (i imagine so) and it does look comical, considering Mussolini's position compared to Hitler's.

I found more pictures here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/27615928@N08/3147239688/

 

[BlindeMan]

You have to know your country is headed the wrong direction when your leader is wearing a fez and carrying a whip.

 

[PabloElFlamenco]

it does look comical, considering Mussolini's position compared to Hitler's.

Not that there's anything comical about these guys; I would fftopic: say that the Duce's position, as perceived -anywhere- at the time (before WWII), was in no way less than that of the leader of Germany. After all, Italy was an empire of sorts...
In later years, that perception did shift, temporarily (except in some circles) in favor of the Austrian. Bigger than life, always.

der Paul

 

[Baron Kurtz]

fftopic: Sadly we're not allowed to discuss it, but i could quite successfully discuss the comical nature of dictators in general - and Hitler in particular. Not funny, but certainly comical. The inherent, and essential, comedy of the melodramatic performances of both Hitler and Mussolini (bare chest-thumping speeches when wearing a fez and knee breeches. Ooohh! Suits you, Sir!) are what allowed Chaplin and Warner Bros to have such a field day parodying them.fftopic:


Regarding the hats. AH seems to have been remarkably consistent. In almost all the pictures of him in civvies he is using the hat pictured in this thread already. It appears to have been a "beaver finish" in dimensions which suited him perfectly.

bk

 

[Dixon Cannon]

Hitler fedora....

He tended to wear it around Berchtesgaden when relaxed and 'off'. There is some film of him there in his fedora.

-dixon cannon

 

[mineral]

Regarding the hats. AH seems to have been remarkably consistent. In almost all the pictures of him in civvies he is using the hat pictured in this thread already. It appears to have been a "beaver finish" in dimensions which suited him perfectly.bk

Do you think that hat is the "broad-brimmed black gangster affair" referred to in this memoir?

http://books.google.com/books?id=GW8VEnNjqCAC&pg=PA62&lpg=PA1&output=html

From the text, it appears that Hitler's friend didn't think much of its coordination with his skin color (a fashion consideration which even we fedora enthusiasts on this board rarely devlve into).


Scratch what I wrote originally, a little research shows that someone is even selling his tophat along with hatbox online:

http://www.germaniainternational.com/hitler19.html

The manufacturer as seen in the hat box is "Jul[ius] Thannhauser" in Munich, some of whose ads(?) could be found in the German ebay auctions:
http://cgi.ebay.de/Reklamemarke,-Ju...emQQimsxZ20090117?IMSfp=TL0901171210004r36336
http://cgi.ebay.de/Reklamemarke-Mir...temQQimsxZ20090117?IMSfp=TL090117129001r14083

 

[Baron Kurtz]

It's clearly not a broad brimmed gangster affair. And not black. But it could be the "very expensive greyish-yellow fedora", i suppose. But that would be a stretch. The book is describing a relatively early time. I would think it unlikely that the hat would be the same one.

bk

 

[PabloElFlamenco]

BTW, I recall some thread on the board having some member mention he had a hat just like Hitler's, including pictures of it.

Unfortunately, I need to follow a course in "effective use of search functions" (usually the search returns a very very long list...)

Paul

 

[BellyTank]

Guilty...

Quite similar-

My favourite hat.

B
T

 

[scotrace]

That's very close.
Vintage Ethel Gamerman hats have a unique look.

 

[Sefton]

Quite similar-

My favourite hat.

B
T

Beautiful. Does anyone still make that type of felt or is it one of those lost hat tricks of the ages?

 

[demian]

*Awesome* LOL

You have to know your country is headed the wrong direction when your leader is wearing a fez and carrying a whip.

 

[donCarlos]

There was a documentary on TV recently about Martin Borman, I managed to capture a few screenshots...

Snap brim, Borman style... In Obersalzberg




This is a very nice hat:




And I believe this one is already here, but not in such detail:




And BTW, there are plenty of pictures with Hitler in suits (amazingly nice suits), most of them dated before 1938. These pictures are Usually used in documentaries about Hitler´s private life (there is currently a series about Hitler´s women, last episode about his relationship to Wagner´s heiress, very interesting stuff)

 

[Undertow]

You have to know your country is headed the wrong direction when your leader is wearing a fez and carrying a whip.

lol

 

[avedwards]

I'm glad fedora wearers are not typecast to be like this wearer. Trying to be apolitical, I have to say that I would be put off wearing a fedora in this style, regardless of how nice, due to the fact that it was worn by Hitler, and I try to be anything but like him.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Not this again …

I'm willing to gamble that every style of headwear ever fashioned has been worn by some despot or nasty person somewhere at some time. So why wear a hat at all?

bk

 

[Sefton]

I'm glad fedora wearers are not typecast to be like this wearer. Trying to be apolitical, I have to say that I would be put off wearing a fedora in this style, regardless of how nice, due to the fact that it was worn by Hitler, and I try to be anything but like him.

I can understand not wanting the association, although I believe it's unfounded. The images of Adolf in a fedora aren't seen that often and I'd guess that if you asked most any person on the street to describe what type of hat he wore they would be hard pressed to answer. If you find a fuzzy fedora wear it (unless it's a size 7 3/4 and then you should send it directly to me).

 

[Sefton]

I'm willing to gamble that every style of headwear ever fashioned has been worn by some despot or nasty person somewhere at some time. So why wear a hat at all?

bk

Yes and we all know what Stalin did for the turban with tropical fruit hat. Or was that Carmen Miranda? One of them had a moustache I think...