Looking for hat information?

[Winston Carter]

I have a bunch of different brand but none any better than Stetson Stratoliner. It' great to try all hats but $200 is the limit per hat for me.

 

[GHT]

How's that popcorn coming along?

 

[Winston Carter]

How's that popcorn coming along?

Smells burnt.

 

[jlee562]

I like what I'm seeing from Worth and Worth already!

I like their stuff, but they are pricey. We have members here who have reported good quality and service though. That Marfa Kumo straw is calling out to me, even though we're headed to the wrong season for straws.

I'd be remiss if I didn't also point out cheaper alternatives like Hatwrks in Nashville and Wellema Hats, both of whom dabble in the bohemian style.

I do like Stetson, but the quality of a custom hat will be higher. However, they are moving into the fashion forward market with hats like the West Bound B, Kings Row, and Renegade. The current catalog is online at : http://www.hat-co.com/public

 

[deadlyhandsome]

I'm new to the Fedora world and wanted to know if any of the pros can point me in the direction of the best hat makers out there? Also, I stumbled across some of Nick Fouquet brand. Is it all hype for that price or is he the real deal?

It’s all up to you. I think very few here on the Lounge care for the hats that Foquet makes without regard to price. Add in his prices and I don’t see the value or the attraction. They might be high quality, I’ve never handled one so I can’t say. Are you looking for a distressed looking hat?

If you want to buy new rather than vintage, and if Foquet’s prices don’t scare you off, you are in fine shape to get a great custom hat(s). None of the factory hats, Stetson, Akubra, Dobbs, etc. are as nice as what you can get with a custom, but you can get a decent hat from the big names at attractive prices if you don’t want to go custom. You can get custom made hats starting at less than $200. If your willing to pay more you’ll get more.

I don’t know who the “best hat makers” are but the recommendations you’ve already received will put you on the right path. For me, the law of diminishing returns kicks in at around $400-$500; You can get some incredible hats for that or less.

If the price doesn’t bother you and if you like the looks of Foquet’s hats then maybe he’s your guy? Just because he doesn’t get much love here...he’s more of a standing joke, doesn’t mean his hats aren’t a good fit for you. We all like different things.


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[Roadopen]

All hat brand and makers listed above is great. Now, depending how you want to dip your head in bad.
You can always start slow and get a feel of what is out there besides the mentioned above. There are great starter fedoras and alike w/o jumping in to fork out $500 and up or so. But if you are well verse in what you like with materials and usage then by all means jump right in.

I have learned earlier to go online and read up and check out the hat makers of all alike online as well as forums and blogs.
I started off with the Bailey's Of Hollywood brand as for me they listed quite array and style of hats/caps etc. that is well made and affordable to start. You'd be surprised what takes they have as of late with style/materials/shapes etc.

There is also the vintage market that you can pretty well get/purchase any brand but you need to do your homework.

Other's out there besides the bigger names are : Lock & Co./Christy's OF London/Goorin Bros./Biltmore etc.

In the end it will be your preference which hat maker/brand you will end up with.

Good Luck!
Ro

 

[Roadopen]

Smells burnt.

I thought it was the hat NF singed with a match/torch.

Ro

 

[Mustang Mike's Hats]

Considering the pricing of Nick F'head's "stuff", if I was to spend that kind of money (as in, price was not the main criteria), and wanted a well known L.A. designer, I'd go with Glady Tamez as my choice. As a hatter, I look for a true class act, and beyond our obvious choices here in The Lounge, (like Art Fawcett, Tim, at Alley Kat Hats, and a couple of others here), I see this lady as a true innovative artist in the craft. I would love to get the chance to pick her brain to see what she could share.

 

[MaxMan]

Eric, Thanks! I looked it up and indeed it’s not far from JFK Airport. The Chicago thing is puzzling like you wrote. But, that’s just what Berkeley Hat Co. wrote. Regardless, I guess Stetson is going for the urban look. JJ Hat Center in Manhattan calls their version that Stetson made for them “The Asher.”

Thanks again,
MaxMan

 

[Scuttle]

JJ Hat Center in Manhattan calls their version that Stetson made for them “The Asher.”

The fun part being, JJ Hat Center's "Asher" is produced with an Inwood label inside. At least, that's what mine has!

~ S.

 

[GHT]

I have a bunch of different brand but none any better than Stetson Stratoliner. It's great to try all hats but $200 is the limit per hat for me.

Esther made me a Strat look-a-like, I can't remember what she charged, I think that it was around the 200 Euros mark, or was it £200? I wanted a hat to match a suit that I was wearing to Hawaiian style wedding. Esther excelled herself.

 

[Mustang Mike's Hats]

@GHT ... Awesome pix sir!! Love the color palette choice!!!

 

[GHT]

Thanks for the compliment, I do hope that Esther sees it, that lady is a millinery talent.

 

[Winston Carter]

Esther made me a Strat look-a-like, I can't remember what she charged, I think that it was around the 200 Euros mark, or was it £200? I wanted a hat to match a suit that I was wearing to Hawaiian style wedding. Esther excelled herself.
View attachment 141473 View attachment 141472

Beautiful dress hat.

 

[Winston Carter]

Esther made me a Strat look-a-like, I can't remember what she charged, I think that it was around the 200 Euros mark, or was it £200? I wanted a hat to match a suit that I was wearing to Hawaiian style wedding. Esther excelled herself.
View attachment 141473 View attachment 141472

The shape and color is like my dress Stetson. I keep it boxed and only wear it with suits and nice clothes.

 

[belfastboy]

It’s all up to you. I think very few here on the Lounge care for the hats that Foquet makes without regard to price. Add in his prices and I don’t see the value or the attraction. They might be high quality, I’ve never handled one so I can’t say. Are you looking for a distressed looking hat?

If you want to buy new rather than vintage, and if Foquet’s prices don’t scare you off, you are in fine shape to get a great custom hat(s). None of the factory hats, Stetson, Akubra, Dobbs, etc. are as nice as what you can get with a custom, but you can get a decent hat from the big names at attractive prices if you don’t want to go custom. You can get custom made hats starting at less than $200. If your willing to pay more you’ll get more.

I don’t know who the “best hat makers” are but the recommendations you’ve already received will put you on the right path. For me, the law of diminishing returns kicks in at around $400-$500; You can get some incredible hats for that or less.

If the price doesn’t bother you and if you like the looks of Foquet’s hats then maybe he’s your guy? Just because he doesn’t get much love here...he’s more of a standing joke, doesn’t mean his hats aren’t a good fit for you. We all like different things.


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I have custom fedoras from 8 different hat makers, about 20 hats altogether. Most of them by hatters represented here on the Lounge but a couple who are not. The prices range from $200 to a high of $500 (all Beaver felt). I could line all the hats in front of you and I think you would be hard pressed to point out the most expensive from the least expensive. There is a difference if you inspect closely....finer linings, more expensive boxes, a few finer details. But in terms of the quality of the felt, the pouncing, the binding, ribbon etc etc the quality is very close and I love all of the hats. Having said that I do not own a Fouquet hat (his style does not appeal) but in my survey of the market over this past decade I would say spending over $400 for a custom hat is WASTED money unless it is for a vintage felt, a mink or chinchilla mix or some other exotic offering.

 

[belfastboy]

Thanks for the compliment, I do hope that Esther sees it, that lady is a millinery talent.

I love Esther's work but I have just 1 of her creations. Living in Canada the postage from Europe is a killer and that has stopped me from ordering a second one.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

I have custom fedoras from 8 different hat makers, about 20 hats altogether. Most of them by hatters represented here on the Lounge but a couple who are not. The prices range from $200 to a high of $500 (all Beaver felt). I could line all the hats in front of you and I think you would be hard pressed to point out the most expensive from the least expensive. There is a difference if you inspect closely....finer linings, more expensive boxes, a few finer details. But in terms of the quality of the felt, the pouncing, the binding, ribbon etc etc the quality is very close and I love all of the hats. Having said that I do not own a Fouquet hat (his style does not appeal) but in my survey of the market over this past decade I would say spending over $400 for a custom hat is WASTED money unless it is for a vintage felt, a mink or chinchilla mix or some other exotic offering.

I agree, but to be honest I haven’t personally handled any of the more expensive hats. I do have a VS made with a NOS 1950s Mallory felt: I like the hat, but I have new Beaver customs I like better.


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[GHT]

The shape and color is like my dress Stetson. I keep it boxed and only wear it with suits and nice clothes.

View attachment 141548

What a lovely Stetson, I'm not surprised that it's the one for topping off a dapper outfit. If you go back up to my photos and look to the right, you will recognise the Stetson box that my Royal Sovereign lives in.

I was so keen to show off the hat that Esther made I forgot that there was two of us at that wedding, remiss of me I know, especially as she made her own outfit.

I love Esther's work but I have just 1 of her creations. Living in Canada the postage from Europe is a killer and that has stopped me from ordering a second one.

How I empathise with you, a Stetson that I bought from The Village Hat Shop in San Diego, cost $55 postage, then I had to pay a further £8:50 import duty. What a rip off

 

[Winston Carter]

What a lovely Stetson, I'm not surprised that it's the one for topping off a dapper outfit. If you go back up to my photos and look to the right, you will recognise the Stetson box that my Royal Sovereign lives in.

I was so keen to show off the hat that Esther made I forgot that there was two of us at that wedding, remiss of me I know, especially as she made her own outfit.
View attachment 141564

A dress silverbelly fedora always gets compliments when you wear one. People that don't wear hats can even see the quality.