Most versatile color and asking about Stetson hats

[memphislawyer]

I have gotten in the last 10 days a Stetson Saxon hat, in the black color. I was reading and thinking that maybe that black is too severe. This is my first hat, and I want it to be versatile and that will encourage me to branch out. My thinking was that I wear black (2 of them), grey (5, from a medium grey to some plaids to dark chalkstripes) and navy and blues (6 suits). I was thinking primarily of a winter hat and because I have a black overcoat, black hat. But then someone said they thought Black hats were maybe too severe, very dressy and maybe grey was a better 1st choice. So the hatter locally is this week bringing in the Saxon hat in a caribou color, which is a medium color. They also come in graphite but that grey is so dark as to border on black itself. Now if it was a charcoal grey, maybe.

So, grey or black hat first?

Also, how does the Stetson Saxon compare to the Akubra brand? I paid $140, and it looked better on me than some wool hats and even the Dobbs brand. Should I get an Akubra instead? I dont know about bashing a crown if I got the Federation IV and those, you have to bash or get someone to do it.

Also, I did get a Diamante hat from panamabob at a great price to see if I will like, and even wear, a Panama hat.

I also need advice on when to start to wear the Felt fedora. What sort of temperatures. I think after seeing pics that I will like it with sweaters and dress pants, or suits alone, and my thinking that it only will get worn with the overcoat has gone away. I am thinking late October when it starts dipping below 60 and into late April, when it starts getting above 65 or so every day? What do you do for fall and spring? I am thinking the Panama hat is good for Memorial Day to maybe late September?

Sam

 

[gtdean48]

Go see Major Mike Moore in Covington, TN one weekend & look at all the shades he has first hand since you are in Memphis. I think a good Silver Belly is the place to start out as it can go with grays/blacks as wells as tans/browns. Akubras Silver Belly is toward the tan side though. Don't be afraid of creasing yourself or let Major Mike handle it for you. JMHO...
http://www.buckaroohatters.com/

 

[tortswon]

A few thoughts

Firstly, welcome from one lawyer named Sam to another. Firstly, any advice given by the esteemed gtdean48 should be carefully considered. He's a wise guy and seriously knowledgeable about these matters.

If you like wearing a hat, I think you will want several different colors. A medium gray is, IMHO, the most versatile color. It can be worn with grays, blues, and blacks. Silver Belly is a bit to light a color for me as a one and only hat. I would like something a bit darker. I am also not as partial to Silver Belly with tans and browns as others.

As for Akubras, I am in the distinct minority around here but I am not a fan. For the same price, you can get a vintage hat with felt that is IMHO so much better. The first hat I purchased was an Akubra and I have not worn it since I got my second hat (a vintage Stetson for $35).

As to when to start wearing felt, there are lightweight felts I would not hesitate to wear up to about 70 degrees. Obviously, heavier felts require cooler temperatures.

The takeaway from this is that if you are going to be a hat wearer, you need several hats (although probably not as many as most of us own being crazy and fanatical). For me, hat wearing became a different experience when I had to select between to different felt hats. It is kind of like having kids, having one is a very, very different experience from having two or more.

Once again, welcome to the Lounge. Enjoy your stay! Best, Sam

 

[skyvue]

For the same price, you can get a vintage hat with felt that is IMHO so much better.

You can if you have a small-ish head. Lots of folks nowadays have to look far and wide (and then pay a premium-plus price) for a vintage hat that fits them.

I doubt many Akubra wearers would choose them over a top-condition vintage model, but for many, the problem is a) finding a vintage hat that fits and b) raising the scratch necessary to buy it.

Akubra's are solid, sturdy, and affordable, and they come in the sizes many of us require.

 

[memphislawyer]

Well, wow, I was in Covington this morning. I will assure you that a trip will be made to Covington in the near future. Yeah, I am thinking a grey hat over the black one for a first one. I saw the SIlverbelly and thought too light also. What is the opinion about Caribou color in the Stetson?

I would feel bad about taking the hat back and getting my money and then ordering online. I mean, the gentleman did spend some time with me helping me pick shapes and colors, and giving me a bit of an education - though not as extensive as the one I get by reading these threads. Now if that were some consensus that I should do that, then I do not want to be foolish and waste money on a hat that I will not wear or an inferior product, so which Akubra is most like the Stetson?

In casual clothes, I wear mostly red, blue and black shirts and sweaters and various polo tops (taken care of by the Panama hat in summer) and maybe a darker grey shirt.

I dont want too many hats as I get paralyzed in choices, and also don't have that much storage room, but 3 or 4 hats and the Panama are fine.

Me in the Black Saxon

 

[tortswon]

I would feel bad about taking the hat back and getting my money and then ordering online. I mean, the gentleman did spend some time with me helping me pick shapes and colors, and giving me a bit of an education - though not as extensive as the one I get by reading these threads.

:eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap Absolutely! If we do not support brick and mortar hat stores there will be none left!

I like the caribou color in the Stetson for a starter.

As for the price of large size vintage hats, I'm between a 7-1/2 and 7-5/8 and I find there are nice vintagehats available in my size for under $50. Best, Sam

 

[Torpedo]

Hi,

I understand you already have the black Stetson, so the suitability of black as a first choice of hat colour is a moot point. If you wear a black overcoat, it is a correct hat, as it is for grey suits, better with those not too dark. Taking in account your wardrobe (greys, blues and blacks), next one should be a grey, a medium one, like a granite or moonstone shade. BTW, it would go well with your casual clothes colours, too.

Seeing that you do not indulge in browns, tans or greens I would not think of any brown hat at the time being (although some brown or sand hues do work well with some blues and greys). Better to acquire different shades of greys, maybe silverbelly too (which depending on the source may have a tannish shade, but is usually a pretty versatile tone), even a navy blue.

Regards!

 

[dhermann1]

re: Blue

If you look at the Ebay offerings, you'll note that any shade of blue is an extreme rarity. I'd say start with a couple of grays, and look for either brown or tan. Also, the thing I've been focusing on as I build my modest collection is the ribbon as well. A tan or gray hat with a contrasting ribbon makes a very different statement from a gray hat with the same color ribbon.
Then you can start thinking about brim widths. Most guys seems to cling to one partuicular width range, but it can be interesting to try a very different width from what you're used to.
You may find, as I've started to, that collecting hats simply as collectibles starts getting your interest. You'll want a specimen of an Open Road, or a Whippet, or start looking for a Knox or a Disney. Then you'll just HAVE to own a homburg, then a bowler, and ultimately a fine topper. Just holding a delicious piece of felt in your hand becomes an aesthetic experience.
It's fun but addictive. Don't say you weren't warned!

 

[memphislawyer]

Torpedo, I may be getting the Caribou. The local store, Mr. Hats (and a great store it is as far as I can tell, very helpful guy, Mr. Lansky), had a lot of summer hats and will be getting in many more fedoras. He just did not have a lot of stock in my size (7 1/8) and the Saxon fit great. There was a firenze (graphite color) in the Elliott Ness sized fedora by Stetson - I forget the name - but the brim was too big and the darkness of the grey was very limiting. So, depending on if the Caribou looks great with the blue suit I plan to wear to his store when it comes in, I can exchange the hat or keep the black.

So far it appears that many say go with the medium grey and maybe the second hat is black or another grey.

I have no idea what lightweight is or not, and Memphis does not get a heavy winter usually. It can be in the 40s and 50s in December and very rarely get to freezing and if so, not for an extended time.

 

[Spats McGee]

Welcome to the Lounge, memphislawyer!

I'm a lawyer in Little Rock, so my weather will be pretty similar to yours. My work wardrobe isn't that far off, either: black suits, gray suits, navy suits, etc. All suitable for court appearances.

Like many others, I'd suggest going with a medium gray fedora. For what is essentially a "starter" hat, I'd avoid the silverbelly hats. They'd be fine for casual wear, but I'd be surprised if they went very well with dark, conservative work attire. Then again, I'm not a huge fan of silverbelly. Though I don't own any fur felt Stetsons, I suspect that the caribou color will work pretty well & be fairly versatile.

As far as Akubras go, I've got a couple of Stylemasters and the mid-gray goes with almost every suit I own. Akubra also does a couple of other grays that might work well.

 

[gtdean48]

...any advice given by the esteemed gtdean48 should be carefully considered. He's a wise guy and seriously knowledgeable about these matters...

Thanks, Sam...I think??? [huh]
Oh yea, I hardly ever wear a suit but do own one for weddings & funerals.
I do have a black Stetson Pinnacle that goes well with my charcoal wool overcoat. I really like a Silver Belly with a dark blue suit or an olive one...kind of sporty but then I'm no lawyer. I have needed the services of 1 from time to time but that is for another forum....

 

[suitedcboy]

ML,
The black looks good on you with your complexion and black hair. Probably would make your opposing counsel and his client have a wee bit of fear when you walk up the courthouse steps.

 

[St.Ignatz]

Memphis, I own a Caribou and a Midnight Blue Saxon. I've found I get more use out of the Caribou. I'm with you on the Stetson Style. I like the proportions and colors of the Stetson line much more than say Dobb's. It's just my opinion and I've found myself now owning ten or so of various ages and styles of Stetson's. This is not to say I don't have more than a few others but I digress. I get more use than I thought I would from my black hats but take a look at the Saxon Caribou if you like the style. As you know the felt is not so heavy or light so as not to get maximum use in you neck of the woods.
Tom D.

 

[HarpPlayerGene]

I can vouch for Caribou being a nice shade of grey in a modern fur felt hat.

 

[avedwards]

I can vouch for Caribou being a nice shade of grey in a modern fur felt hat.

I couldn't agree more. The only fedora I wear is a Stetson Chatham which is carribou and it works with everything, black, grey, blue and even beige and brown. However I do find the felt of these Stetsons a bit warm in summer (which is probably not even as warm as your summer). A light weight felt might be a good idea. As for a comparison with Akubras, carribou is similar to moonstone but apparently carribou is a little bit warmer as it has a hint of brownish colour under certain light.

 

[scottyrocks]

I tend to prefer darker hats over lighter hats, but I dont like black on my particular head. I have a dark brown fed4. If i get another one, itll be a charcoal.

As far as weight, I decided to try to see if i could wear my fed4 everyday this summer. Up until recently, it hasnt been too hot here, but Ive been able to wear mine up to 91 degrees with the same comfort as an average baseball cap. My head needs an occasional breather and mopping of forehead and sweatband, but i have to do that with any hat i have worn, short of a very well ventilated straw, which doesnt keep the sun off me as well as a felt.

Im definitely an Akubra fan. I prefer mine to the few vintage hats I own.

 

[HATCO]

Welcome to the Lounge.

Caribou would be the best color to start out with.

 

[St.Ignatz]

Welcome to the Lounge.

Caribou would be the best color to start out with.

You know It just occurred to me that the Saxon Caribou WAS my first felt fedora.

 

[Not-Bogart13]

Caribou is, in my opinion, the nicest color that Stetson currently has.

If I may say so, however... at size 7 1/8, you should check out ebay. Search "Fedora" and narrow down to clothes, and then vintage. I have seen a lot of vintage hats in that size lately.

 

[memphislawyer]

Caribou is, in my opinion, the nicest color that Stetson currently has.

If I may say so, however... at size 7 1/8, you should check out ebay. Search "Fedora" and narrow down to clothes, and then vintage. I have seen a lot of vintage hats in that size lately.

Oh, I will do that. But as I said earlier, I had gone locally and would feel bad about buying a hat and then having him educate me, helping me find what works best on my head from all he has, and then returning it so I can find a lower price or something 'better' on line. I am going to go today or tomorrow if the hat is in and with a blue suit on, try on Caribou and then the black and let my wife decide which one is more versatile and looks better on me.