Need some feedback on wearing fedoras

[singlechange]

The Reddington character in The Blacklist looks like he wears fedoras with short brim, maybe in 2 inches wide at the most. A whole lot of short brim fedoras show up for sale everywhere, way more than the 2 1/2 inch or wider brims (more expensive), so you will easily find your hat and they will be really within the budget of a twenty something fedora newbie. A lot of us here browse a lot looking, so let us know what size you are. We can alert you to a Good Deal or even a Big Deal.

 

[neuron]

Good day gents,

Some of you may be familiar with the show, The Blacklist. If not and you enjoy crime, I highly suggest it. Well, the main character (Raymond Reddington) wears fedoras and the first time I saw one I immediately fell in love.

I actually managed to find the man who made the hats for the show, Mr. John Penman (penmanhats.com) and would love to purchase one for myself one day, once I have a little more money set aside

My predicament however, is I'm not the best dressed man out there and, I'm not really a man yet either. Firstly, I'm only 20 and a lot of what I've seen/read makes me think fedoras are more of an older man thing. Is 20 too young to be able to enjoy these fantastic hats?

Secondly, I tend to dress pretty casually. Some clean jeans and a nice t-shirt or button down. Again, a lot of what I have seen/read indicates that fedoras are more of a "fancy" piece of head wear. Would wearing one in a more casual way be acceptable or do I need to try and find another type of hat to fit my style?

Thanks!

 

[neuron]

This is back to original topic. When I bought my first serious hat (1976--a Borsalino fedora in "midnight blue"), I lived in NYC: I wore it everywhere. And I took a lot of sh*t from everyone. I was called a lot of things, most politely, "the Cat in the Hat." Some people asked whether i was "religious". One young woman, whom I dated at the time, said I looked like Arlo Guthrie. That might have been the comment that convinced me to stop wearing it.

Today, I live near San Francisco and people are quiet with anything negative, so I usually just get smiles from women who might say, "I like it that you care enough about your appearance to wear that instead of the ball cap that everyone else is sporting," and if no one else is within earshot : "I really like that hat."

Some men, however, wink and say, "Say, is that a Montecristi/Borsallno? Thought so: nice hat." True, the hair that sticks out is grey now, and the smile makes lot more lines. So, I "carry it" better.

People think that I know something, or someone who does.

 

[GHT]

I tend to dress pretty casually. Some clean jeans and a nice t-shirt or button down. Again, a lot of what I have seen/read indicates that fedoras are more of a "fancy" piece of head wear. Would wearing one in a more casual way be acceptable or do I need to try and find another type of hat to fit my style?


Thanks!

Welcome Red, it's good to have you on The Lounge. You might, one day, when you are a tad bored, look up this thread. https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/how-do-folks-react-to-your-hat-wearing.73283/page-172 It currently stands at 172 pages, more or less positive reaction.

You write: "A lot of what I have seen/read indicates that fedoras are more of a "fancy" piece of head wear." My guess from that you are thinking along the lines of:

Not exactly in keeping with your other comment: "I tend to dress pretty casually. Some clean jeans and a nice t-shirt." Others have been succinct in encouraging you to wear what you like. My advice would be the same, wear whatever you like and if that takes you out of the mainstream, so what?

This guy looks comfortable to me. No suit, no collar & tie, just a tee shirt and the most flamboyant fedora hat you will ever see.

Now you could argue that his red hat is some sort of defiant pastiche and is more of mocking image than an actual everyday fedora hat. I would have to disagree.

I am probably three times the age of the guy in the photo, but he certainly gets my admiration.

No apologies for wearing a tie, it suits the blazer.