Mohair hat and is it considered a fedora?

[Viviene]

I have in my posession what I believe is a mohair mens hat. I'm not sure if you would call it a fedora or not. The top of the hat is not shaped in any way but can easily be manipulated to hold a tear drop shape if I shape it.

I'm just trying to find out if I can accurately call this a fedora or not. It is brown mohair, no moth bites and the labels inside read The Halle Bros Co. Cleveland Hallebrook. It's a size 7 3/8. It has a yarn woven band in red, tan and brown.

Any assistance on what I have here and what era it is would be much appreciated.

 

[feltfan]

Why wouldn't it be a fedora? Looks like a stingy brim 60s fedora to me.

It is not, however, mohair. It might be angora goat fur, but
it's a felt hat. There are a lot of fuzzy or hairy hats on this site
(including the recent thread on James Taylor's hat). Have a look.
I don't think hats were made of mohair as such.

 

[Viviene]

Thanks very much. The mohair is how the person described it in their listing. I've never had a fedora that fuzzy before so I went with their description. I actually was just on the James Taylor thread a few minutes ago. I appreciate the help.

 

[BanjoMerlin]

We had a thread going a while ago to define exactly what a fedora is.

The short answer is: If you think it is a fedora then it is a fedora. Others' opinions may vary.

 

[Undertow]

Watch out!!

Oh no, not again!

 

[Undertow]

Although it's difficult to tell, it could very well be a fur felt. Stetson has put out long hair furs throughout history. I've encountered one 60's version that looked very similar to yours but in camel color, and one modern one.

That's not to say it can't be wool or a wool fur blend. Sometimes it's difficult to tell just by feeling it as I've felt wool felts (e.g. the Stetson Cashmere) that were thick and pliable like fur, and I've felt furs (e.g. Adams fedora purchased at BCF) that felt like rough wool.

I must make one correction to feltfan - Mohair IS Angora goat fur. When one discusses the term Angora fur they refer to the fur taken from an Angora rabbit.

From a textile position, it's entirely possible that a hat could be made from mohair in as much as mohair is a pliable wool with a lusterous appearance that is more durable than regular wool. On the other hand, it is highly unlikely that mohair was used in creating a hat as it would not be cost effective by any means. Furthermore, it's most certainly not Angora fur (rabbit) as this would not be durable or economical.

 

[Viviene]

Wow, I didn't mean to start that discussion all over again. From a seller's point of view I just wanted to make sure I called it what it actually is and did not want to make a blatant error. Again thank you so much for clarifying things for me.

I have women's fedoras that are wool but what I term plush wool which is completely different than the fedora I showed you here. I knew it was not plush but wanted to get a better idea of what it was.

 

[bumphrey hogart]

I have a very similar hat made by Dunn & co,a uk company that started in the late 19th C and unfortunately went bust about 20 years ago.Mine is cashmere, very soft,but with the longer felt.If you look on ebay uk under Dunn & co hats, there is a grey one advertised for £90,I can't get the woman to give me a size,it's been on for months,she's got it down as 'free size' which as we all know is ridiculous,(in fact if any of you chaps feel like emailing her with size enquiries, telling her how absurd it is to not put a size on, I'd really appreciate it).Style wise,my own thoughts are porkpie,the brim is already almost there,just the crown needs 'porkpie-ing',would be really interested in seeing a reposted picture in that style.

 

[Viviene]

That was one of the reasons I posted the hat in the first place. I was looking at listings on eBay, although people call things over there a lot of things they aren't in the name of key words, so I was not willing to call the hat I posted a fedora without checking here first.

I was looking at the porkpie hats and that's what got me to thinking. I see the differences in how the top of the hat is shaped and I didn't see any indication that this hat had ever been shaped like a porkpie so that's what made me post.

I am still on the hunt for the elusive size 8 1/2 hat for DH LOL and if I ever find one I'll never ever let it go.

 

[bumphrey hogart]

Hat names here in the uk are very different to in the us.1)A fedora is a term just used for a very wide brimmed hat,3 1/2 inches plus,the crown style is kind of immaterial but would normally be heavily dented and is associated with 'arty types',think oscar wilde or quentin crisp.2)Then there's the trilby,1 1/2-3 1/2 inch brim,standard top and front creases.3)porkpie,small brim that doesn't necessarily have to turn up slightly all round,and a crown that doesn't have to have the porkpie 'crust' top,in fact alot of people would call a trilby with a 'stingy brim' a porkpie.The vast majority of 'fedoras' I see here on the FL, would be called trilbies here in the uk.Sorry if this has got off topic,but I still get confused because we use such different names I wonder if we're talking about the same things sometimes.

 

[Viviene]

I'm sure it's the same thing with women's hats as well being called one thing here in the US and quite another in the UK. I have several books on womens hats that I've invested in to make sure I'm accurate in my descriptions.