Matching A Panama

[BriarWolf]

Afternoon, ladies and gents. A long time lurker and first time poster, I'm glad to finally be a member of this excellent community. I come first and foremost as a man in need of assistance, with my rather dismal wardrobe. Currently the only hat I own worthy of mention is this Scala Classico Panama,which I picked up for a very good price over a year ago. However, it hasn't seen much use, as for the life of me I can't seem to match it to anything I own. Its band is this awkward shade of charcoal grey, that to my untrained eye, just seems to look wrong with everything I try to match it with. I have shirts in several colours including various shades of navy, grey, and wine red, with a few pairs of lamentably cheap slacks in black and navy alongside my denims. I regrettably lack the funds to put towards good suits, so for the moment my target is 1940s-1950s casual. Can anyone offer any advice to someone woefully undereducated on the witchery of matching? I'm considering replacing the band with a black one to match the black leathers I typically wear. A good move, or is the grey of more use then I realise?

 

[Feraud]

Avoid trying to match colors at all costs! Seek complimentary colors to go with your current wardrobe.

Have a look through the various threads in this sticky and get an idea of what works.
http://www.thefedoralounge.com/show...STICKY-Catalog-scans-and-other-useful-threads

 

[jhe888]

That is a moderate gray and should "match" lots of different colors. It seems to be a warmer/browner gray, as opposed to a cooler/bluer gray, but it looks just dandy with that gray-blue shirt, for example. I would think there aren't too many colors that gray wouldn't coordinate with pretty well. It should be especially good with browns, tans, taupes, and fall colors. But even "natural" blues and greens will be good with it.

 

[Tomasso]

You may want to reconsider pairing a leather jacket with a straw hat; kinda like wearing a parka with flip flops.

 

[BriarWolf]

Actually when I said leathers I meant shoes and belt, apologies for the miscommunication. Even I could tell you what an eyesore wearing that hat with a leather jacket would be!

Thanks everyone for the replies so far; so complementary, not matching. Its something I'm gonna have to develop an eye for.

 

[TheDane]

kinda like wearing a parka with flip flops.

Be a little realistic ...! Who on Earth would ever wear a parka without flippers and snorkel ...?!??!!!

 

[BriarWolf]

Be a little realistic ...! Who on Earth would ever wear a parka without flippers and snorkel ...?!??!!!

TheDane has it. Anything else is just undignified.

 

[TheDane]

so complementary, not matching.

True and neutral black, white and gray should theoretically go with any color - because none of them are actually colors. A surface is said to have a color when it doesn't reflect all wavelengths in the same way and amount, when shone upon with white light.

If a surface reflects all wavelengths exactly equal, it's said to be "neutral gray" - and if it at the same time reflects close to all the light, it's called "white". Does it absorb close to all light, it's called "black". Does it reflect the wavelengths in the end of the spectrum, we associate with blue, and absorbs all other wavelengths, we call it "blue" - and the surface actually has a color.

As it can be hard to match the colors of two different fabrics exactly, it's often safer to use a complementary color. "A little off" is far worse when trying to match two colors, than it is when you try to complement.

Different fabrics also reflect natural and artificial light different - which makes an exact match even harder to make. Furthermore the colorshift from natural morning/evening light (which is orange) to mid-day light (which is a lot bluer) can vary a lot between fabrics. And we haven't even talked about textures, that also have a big influence on the color perception.

I hope that cleared up things and made choosing easier

 

[BriarWolf]

I had noticed that pairing the hat with a shirt coloured a darker grey look notably off; so I could theoretically throw this lid on an outfit without a shred of grey in it and make it work?

You'll have to forgive the simplistic questions; its a whole 'nother perspective for me to learn, and the only members of my family who grew up with the fashions and had an eye for them are long gone.

 

[1961MJS]

You may want to reconsider pairing a leather jacket with a straw hat; kinda like wearing a parka with flip flops.

Oddly enough A.C. years ago during the summer of my Sophomore year in college I spotted a VERY attractive short blonde girl wearing a tube top, daisy dukes, and flip flops. She was carrying a parka. I thought it odd, but quickly forgot about it.

Several hours later I went to the auditorium for Differential Equations. The auditorium was directly above the Math department's computer room and the temperature on the air conditioning control read 55 degrees Fahrenheit.

The previously mentioned blond quickly walked down the aisle moved to a seat, put on the parka, zipped it until all you could see was her eyes, and folder her legs under the parka so she wouldn't FREEZE to death. Sooooooo, you can see that wearing a parka (in this case an Air Force Snorkel Parka) and Flip Flops IS an important fashion pairing. It DOES kind of depend on where you put it on though.



Now back to our usual programming...

 

[MikeBravo]

Personally I would get rid of the grey band for a black one. Black is considered more traditional, due to Edward VII (like the bottom button on a waistcoat/vest remaining undone).

Or maybe a multi-coloured hat band? I would match that to the pinched crown your hat has, I feel that gives it a casual feel as opposed to a less pinched crown.

This web site has replacement bands for $5 each, I am not sure if you need to buy one of their hats first though: Panama Hats Direct

 

[BriarWolf]

I had noticed Village Hat Shop carries hatbands as well.

http://www.villagehatshop.com/hatband_cotton_twill_3_pleat.html

I suppose at its core all this goes back to my curiosity over choosing complimentary colours. Can anyone recommend some threads that may delve into the subject in detail? I admit I'm not having much luck with the search function.

 

[TheDane]

I suppose at its core all this goes back to my curiosity over choosing complimentary colours. Can anyone recommend some threads that may delve into the subject in detail? I admit I'm not having much luck with the search function.

Actually, I think most of the style afficionados of TFL more or less have given up on that issue. As I tried to say in my last post, it's a very complex issue ... and it's just as much about fabric types, textures and light. To teach a person how to combine ingredients in a meal is very complex, and probably not a realistic task for a webforum. A tasty meal is not just about the flavour of the different ingredients on their own - but just as much about their texture and their interacting in texture and taste.

If you don't have a natural feeling for what suits what, my advice would be to focus on learning about colors in general. To know what garment colors complement each other, you'll first have to understand what makes two colors complementary. Furthermore it's very handy to know how different light enhances some colors and dampens other. Changing from daylight to light from incandescent bulbs, changes a lot of hat colors dramatically. A hat may suit a jacket in daylight but not in artificial - and so on.

There are no "template answers" to your question. It's a complex issue and a slow learning process. Some learn it ... some never do [huh]

 

[TheDane]

PS: You can try to look in the "Art Fawcett VS Hall of Fame" thread. Here Rabbit has tried to make some really great comparison pictures. They are mainly about hat and ribbon colors - not about complementing clothing colors. Actually, I think Rabbit and I are pretty much in sync on the complexity issue

 

[BriarWolf]

Understood. I appreciate the help, gentlemen.