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My son's first hat.

David V

A-List Customer
Messages
305
Location
Downers Grove, IL
My son, 25, wanted a hat for Christmas. He also let it be known that I was the only person who could select the hat.

I decided that a good "starter" hat was called for. How serious was he on wanting to wear a hat? This was also going to have to be done "long distance". it's not that he lives that far but we would not have the opportunity to see each other very soon. I settled on a Jaxon C-Crown wool felt crusher in brown.

He has worn it everywhere since getting it and has received some nice comments here in Chicago and in New York, where he is currently visiting friends.

I told him that when he is ready to pick-up another I'll go with him to Hats Plus where he can try them on and make his own selection.
 

Mr. Paladin

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,133
Location
North Texas
Good plan. I suspect you will have many father/son trips to hat shops in the future...followed by explaining TFL Classifieds and fundamentals of e-Bay! Well done!
 

ValEag

One of the Regulars
Messages
156
Location
Ohio
And another one . . .

A young man I work with in his mid twenties has been curious about my Akubras that I wear to work for some time. At first, he started kidding me about them in a light hearted way, then he developed some true interest. We had a Christmas lunch last week, and he informed me that he ordered an Akubra C.E.O. from Hats Direct!

I've had two people at church in the last week ask about determining their hat size and where to order from. One of those was about 30, the other about my age (mid fifties).

Congrats BTW - David V - I've given my son a vintage Champ stingy that looks really nice on him, but he has yet to show much interest in it.
 

theinterchange

One Too Many
Messages
1,673
Location
Why do you ask?
ValEag, sounds as if you're doing some good for the hat population lately. :eusa_clap

Interesting that several church folk all of the sudden are coming to you with hat questions. What vendor/brands have you steered them toward?

Randy
 

AlterEgo

A-List Customer
Messages
320
Location
Southern USA
I am so glad to hear that we have another convert.

Just wait until he asks for a custom from Art or Steve Delk. Then, you may regret his expensive new addiction!

Though my dad and granddad wore hats, I don't think my love of them was a monkey-see monkey-do type of thing. I seemed to just be born with an instinct for hats, as I started wearing them at a VERY early age, even before I entered elementary school, asking for them when I was out shopping with my mother.

This was particularly peculiar in that I grew up in the '60s and '70s when hats were at their nadir. And I had a full head of pretty long hair, too! So much for the long hair = don't-need-a-hat-theory, huh? The only under-30 men who wore hats in my neck of the woods in those days were dudes driving black Cadillacs with dark windows "supervsing" scantily-clad women.

I still have every single one of those hats and caps; I just wish any of them still fit. On second thought, a middle-aged 6' 2" 175-lb man would probably look pretty ridiculous with a pin head!
 

ValEag

One of the Regulars
Messages
156
Location
Ohio
theinterchange said:
Interesting that several church folk all of the sudden are coming to you with hat questions. What vendor/brands have you steered them toward?

Randy

They usually see me in my Akubra hats, so I naturally point them to that brand, at Hats Direct, Everything Australian and Dave Morgan. I encourage them to check out the Lounge as well to get their own answers. I do get a lot of compliments on my hats at church, and I get the impression many more of the men are interested - just not ready to take the plunge and wear one.
 

ScionPI2005

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,335
Location
Seattle, Washington
This isn't quite a conversion story, as the recipient was already a hat wearer (although a wearer of the stingy "wal-mart style fedoras if I understand correctly).

I had a 1960's stingy brim Dobbs in my hat collection that was just a tiny bit too tight for me and had been looking for someone interested in the hat so I could share the symbolism of the hat with someone. It turns out a coworker of mine has a grandson interested in hats. I gave him this Dobbs to take home when his grandson was visiting to see if it fit. Turns out it did. It definitely feels good to share the fedora wealth! :)
 

theinterchange

One Too Many
Messages
1,673
Location
Why do you ask?
RobFedoraField said:
how did you like the hat? I've been looking at those to keep as a "spare" winter hat. for less than $50 shipped, I didn't think you could go wrong.

Cheers,

I was looking at those the other day, too. I'm curious myself what you thought of it, David V.

Randy
 

SamReu

One of the Regulars
Messages
192
Location
Red Clay USA
Brimming with curiosity

My firstborn, who is closing in on 9, likes to wear my hats. He is not particularly gentle with them, so the old man has to watch closely when, for example, he crams a Stylemaster on his head. His kid brother, 6, is just as rough.
I've noticed that their classsmates are curious about my hats, too. Whenever I visit either class, the students in each clamor for my hat. Does this portend another generation of hat-wearers? I cannot say.
I can say this: A youngster wearing his old man's fedora is awfully cute.
 

dnjan

One Too Many
Messages
1,690
Location
Seattle
David V said:
I decided that a good "starter" hat was called for. How serious was he on wanting to wear a hat? This was also going to have to be done "long distance". it's not that he lives that far but we would not have the opportunity to see each other very soon. I settled on a Jaxon C-Crown wool felt crusher in brown.
... and here I was proud of the fact that I had hand-braided my son a leather "hippy-headband".
I guess I'll have to work on the hat idea a bit stronger.
 

FinalVestige79

Practically Family
Messages
787
Location
Hi-Desert, in the dirt...
theinterchange said:
Good to hear another person in my age bracket has joined the ranks of hat owners! [And it's not a Target stingy brim!]

Randy

I hate those hats, they need to be cleansed from the earth! Little teeny bopper hipster ba***rd hats. *Goes to Target with a pair of scissors and a lighter*

Very cool on the hat choice by the way! I see many hat in your son's future!
 

David V

A-List Customer
Messages
305
Location
Downers Grove, IL
RobFedoraField said:
how did you like the hat? I've been looking at those to keep as a "spare" winter hat. for less than $50 shipped, I didn't think you could go wrong.

Cheers,

I thought them nice as a spare or rough use hat. We needed to work the brim in steam to get a good curl going. It has a nice shape. The edge is folded back onto itself. As I said, I wanted to be sure he really wanted to wear a hat and didn't want to drop a lot on something that was going to end up in the back of a closet.
 

theinterchange

One Too Many
Messages
1,673
Location
Why do you ask?
Thanks for the review, it was helpful. Buying a cheaper hat like that gives new hat wearers a chance to see if they like a style, AND is a good way for regular hat wearers to expand their style palate to see if they like a look on themselves

Randy
 

ValEag

One of the Regulars
Messages
156
Location
Ohio
SamReu said:
I can say this: A youngster wearing his old man's fedora is awfully cute.

That doesn't really go away either. My son is 27 and I still like to see him try on my hats :)
 

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