How popular is the fedora in 2011? Are hats seeing a resurgance finally?

[mercuryfelt76]

Ok so the fine fur felt fedora won't come back into fashion but what I WOULD like to see (and think is possible) is enough people wearing fedoras and vintage clothing that is becomes something of a visible and recognised minority culture not attached to any specific age. There seems to be a lot more vintage wearers is London these days and I see a lot of young men wearing 3 piece suits.

I can't imagine seeing the majority of people wearing brimmed hats but I can imagine another sub-culture becoming recognised - the word "dandy" seems to be a popular description in London. I also hear the word "dapper" a lot when people comment on my style. Does anyone else think it's possible people might one day label smart dressers as "dappers"?

 

[Mr Vim]

I think we're already at that point Merc, there is a defined minority culture where folks who dress up.

 

[danofarlington]

I can't imagine seeing the majority of people wearing brimmed hats but I can imagine another sub-culture becoming recognised - the word "dandy" seems to be a popular description in London. I also hear the word "dapper" a lot when people comment on my style. Does anyone else think it's possible people might one day label smart dressers as "dappers"?

I don't know the U.K., but in my estimation another big cycle might be rolling around. Styles swing like a pendulum. Here in the U.S. we've been in "dress down" mode for quite a long time. It's just natural that some will want to break away from that, and whatever they do will gather momentum as being something new. So based on that, I think the pendulum will swing back to dressiness at some point, leastways here in the U.S.

There was a day when U.S. styles followed U.K. styles. I don't think we do anymore, as far as I'm aware, but maybe the U.K. will follow U.S. styles in that regard if it happens.

 

[mercuryfelt76]

I don't know the U.K., but in my estimation another big cycle might be rolling around. Styles swing like a pendulum. Here in the U.S. we've been in "dress down" mode for quite a long time. It's just natural that some will want to break away from that, and whatever they do will gather momentum as being something new. So based on that, I think the pendulum will swing back to dressiness at some point, leastways here in the U.S.

There was a day when U.S. styles followed U.K. styles. I don't think we do anymore, as far as I'm aware, but maybe the U.K. will follow U.S. styles in that regard if it happens.

Most British people do dress a lot like Americans already. In fact the hat and suit died out in Britain BEFORE it did in the US. After WWII hats were probably seen as an expensive luxury in a time of food rationing and very quickly became old fashioned much sooner here than in USA.

 

[jkingrph]

I went down to a small town to do some relief work. Caught some positive comments about my Panama from a couple of younger folks, a man and woman at different times.

 

[Corky]

I don't know how you think about the resurgence of fedora wearing; but if I am wearing a fedora, then to wear a fedora is to be in the forefront of fashion.

 

[danofarlington]

I don't know how you think about the resurgence of fedora wearing; but if I am wearing a fedora, then to wear a fedora is to be in the forefront of fashion.

That's the way I look at it also.

 

[Corky]

Spelling, Punctuation, and Usage Thread (Cont'd)

My version:

There is a school of thought that it is not the only exception.
The Deity knows, neighbour. But why shouldn't I weigh in?


beige, cleidoic, codeine, conscience, deify, deity, deign,
dreidel, eider, eight, either, feign, feint, feisty,
foreign, forfeit, freight, gleization, gneiss, greige,
greisen, heifer, heigh-ho, height, heinous, heir, heist,
leitmotiv, neigh, neighbor, neither, peignoir, prescient,
rein, science, seiche, seidel, seine, seismic, seize, sheik,
society, sovereign, surfeit, teiid, veil, vein, weight,
weir, weird

 

[dogrocketp]

Dan and I had a face to face about this a couple of weeks ago. Here in Washington, DC, we are seeing a lot of the Chinese paper stingy hats being worn on the street. They are cheap, but they serve as an introduction to hat wearing for many people. Personally, it took me a good 5 years of looking at the hat box to pull it out and put it on my head. Both Dan and I put on our lids every day both for style and protection. He has better hats than I, which gives me something to aspire to. Of all the things that have disappeared from male dress, the hat is the greatest mystery to me. A good Panama protects us from sunburn, cools us a little and looks mighty fine. I find in the winter my good felt hats keep the old noggin warm. Lord knows, women in this town notice. All my African-American friends do as well. I enjoy the random compliment, and give it to other hat wearers. I think that we lost this very practical accessory because a good hat was never cheap, In the end, I believe it's fear of standing out that keeps the fedora off many peoples heads, as it did mine. My 17 year old wears fedora all the time to school. His classmates think he is cool, and the teachers let him wear them to class, which he does every day. I've made sure he has nice assortment so it's something he looks forward to each day. Even my sartorially challenged 26 year old has a good panama, and a good fedora. I do expect that because of its practicality, this is the one item that should return. The other stuff (vintage clothes, et al) Inow wear because I want to, and I have a good tailor.

 

[bobm]

Matt, I also live in Philly and l have to say that I think you are spot on with everything you have said. I'll tell you if you are gonna wear a fedora do it because you like the look, not because of what others think or to be under some delusion that you are starting a trend. It's a great look if you like it and that should be reason enough.

Matt and Brad, so well said and the most common comment is referencing most any felt fedora back to Indiana Jones.
I love hats, but am also aware of or have my own strong opinions - that some hats look so good and some not so good, some hats enhance one's features and "style" other hats IMHO surely don't. So very many of the hats worn here by the members are gorgeous; very impressive and is making me expand my hat "horizons". I've sold a 25 year old Borsalino because I just never felt comfortable in the way it looked on me and can't imagine why I bought it in the first place. And when wearing just trying it on show some friends their response just echoed my opinion that it was just not the hat for me. Bought a few other fedoras, being more selective and just felt way more confident about them. Yep, there will always be someone making some type of silly comments, but the real deal bottom line is, if you like and are comfortable wearing it, then just it wear it.

Bob

 

[AtomicEraTom]

http://www.tbs.com/shows/trendswithbenefits/

I just saw this clip on TBS while watching a movie. They were talking about hats, real hats, making a comeback.

 

[LoveMyHats2]

http://www.tbs.com/shows/trendswithbenefits/

I just saw this clip on TBS while watching a movie. They were talking about hats, real hats, making a comeback.

As said with a slight smile...,"we're here"!

Overall, Fedora hats are being seen more often, I really think that wearing Fedora has been a more popular trend, and I really think it will continue and no matter what article or review any media source may or may not give to it, all you have to do is look at what is happening. You see Caps and Fedora'a being worn even at the Grammy Awards, etc, they are here....Fedora's.....(houston, mission control, we have landed"...!

 

[AtomicEraTom]

And it's a wonderful thing! I do see them in the media all the time. I'm hoping to see them in my little town on people besides myself and a couple of other old timers, puttering around in their LeSabres, Grand Marquis, and Park Avenues lol Besides, if the 'trend' lands in my town, it's landed everywhere!

As said with a slight smile...,"we're here"!

Overall, Fedora hats are being seen more often, I really think that wearing Fedora has been a more popular trend, and I really think it will continue and no matter what article or review any media source may or may not give to it, all you have to do is look at what is happening. You see Caps and Fedora'a being worn even at the Grammy Awards, etc, they are here....Fedora's.....(houston, mission control, we have landed"...!

 

[BR Gordon]

I typically see three or four on the subway each day, but this morning at the local outdoor produce market I must have seen a dozen or more. Arms full of produce no camera.

BR

 

[hatsRme]

After wearing fedoras to every basketball game I've attended over my son's college career, (yesterday was his "senior day") I actually saw the number of respectable fedoras in the crowds DOUBLE!! Yes, a 100% increase in the number of hats being worn. Another gent was sporting a 50's vintage center creased gray/green beauty, thus doubling our number!!

Moreover, he happened to be seated right behind my wife, so that when I joined the fray I had to ask him if this was the fedora seating area. We had a good laugh.

 

[Widebrim]

Well, as we've discussed on this and earlier threads, there obviously has been a resurgence of hat-wearing over the last ten or so years, beginning with the Hipster crowd. To what degree has always been the question, but speaking of the Los Angeles area, I can say that the "phenomena" has continued, and has extended to other age groups. Yesterday while in Glendale (an L.A. suburb), I saw quite a few fedoras exhibited (mostly straw and stingy-birmmed); made me feel right at home with my Golden Gate top my crown. And as was mentioned above, it wasn't just on younger guys, an age shift which is necessary if hats are to truly be an acceptable part of men's wardrobe again.

 

[newturnofphrase]

In Toronto they seem to be having a slight comeback. Every day I see a number of hipsters, musicians, and students wearing fedoras, as well as older men. Stingy brimmed, small crown fedoras that are too small for their wearer seem to be a trend within the gay community as well. But overall, mainstream adoption is minimal so far, and I think is unlikely for now as long as the hats are so strongly associated with those groups. I think the prolonged absence of Mad Men, and the failure of Pan Am and the Playboy Club has also stalled out the momentum for mainstream acceptance of real hats. If the new season of Mad Men proves popular and gets a lot of media attention, it may help. But the fact is, a real hat is more work than no hat, and we live in a lazy, slob culture.

Edit: also, hats seem to be more popular for big social events. We have an arts fair called "nuit blanche" in Toronto where one night a year they close the streets to car traffic, and put up art exhibits around the city for people to walk around and see. I saw a number of pedestrians wearing top hats, Bowlers, and fedoras that night. Same goes for New Years. And one afternoon I saw a pedestrian wearing a felt top hat for no reason at all.

 

[Oldsarge]

Two of us had fedoras on at choir rehearsal this morning and the organist loved it. I told him about Akubra so maybe in a few weeks there will be three. Everyone who sees my new Stylemaster compliments me on it. I may have to get another in some other color. But Moonstone sure goes well with everything I own.

 

[Alex Oviatt]

I think so. I am seeing more in Los Angeles and I am wearing them more often!

 

[jlee562]

There are definitely more hats out and about here in San Francisco. Granted, most of them are the cut and sewn "fedora style hats" and wool ones, but they're out there.