Is there a resurgence in Hats or...

[Spatterdash]

Depp wore spats recently.

Everything is proceeding according to plan...

 

[ortega76]

Because of it's connection with Michael Corleone in The Godfather, the Homburg is extremely popular (in my experience) with young urban men of all races. Check out prom night- pink homburgs with white zoot tuxedos and pink vests.

Interesting, that. What kind(s) of fedoras? It's regrettable that the large majority of the new hats on offer at the local store are of these styles that just don't do much for me. You know, brims too short, crowns too tapered. That look works for some guys, but not for me.

Although they did have some Homburgs -- Beaver Brand, I think they were -- in some pretty wild colors, which I thought were cool in their own way. A very traditional (sober, some would say) style in anything but traditional colors.

In my book, if there is one celeb who really knows how to sport a lid (well, how to dress in general) it would be Johnny Depp. The young man goes for the vintage look. I've seen numerous photos of him in some very stylish old duds. And he has some great old hats, which he wears in a way that just plain works. He (or whoever, if anybody, helps him with this stuff) definitely has an eye.

 

[tonyb]

Despite prognostications in the press, my day-to-day experience wouldn't support the notion that there has been a hat resurgence. In fact, honestly, I marvel at how retail hatters even stay in business. The times that I see someone else out on the street wearing a fedora are scarce, to say the least.

Cheers,
JtL

Yeah, I sometimes wonder the same thing. My hat is off to the people who actually make a go of it in that segment of the industry.

Out here, where it seems to rain more often than not, a person might think he would see more hats than he does. If as many men as to comprise one full percentage point of their population routinely wore hats, well, I'd be surprised the number was that high.

But, niche that it is, certain parts of the market appear to be doing fine. And if the steadily climbing prices vintage hats are fetching is any sort of indicator, interest in that segment is on the rise. And when I see the hat work some of our own are doing (Stoney comes to mind), I can't help but think others will follow their lead and, who knows, a coupla-three or four years down the road we may well see considerably more custom hat shops than we have today. And then, we may not, but when I witness the success of Steve Delk, and I hear how he got into making hats by making hats (and hat-making equipment), knowing very little to start but applying common sense and trial-and-error and his experience in other trades, well, it gives me hope.

I just wish that more of those rarely sighted hats were better hats. Not just higher quality, but better looking styles. Forward, gentlemen! (And ladies.) Enlighten the unscrubbed masses!