need style advice

[raw shark]

So, I bought a fedora for a costume a couple months ago, but I don't like it a whole lot and now I think I'm ready to buy a nice hat (not necessarily a fedora) with only myself in mind.

Here's a picture of me:

The problem is, I want a style that will go with pretty much everything I wear. Ideally I would buy light and dark colored hats, but I am not willing to spend that much money; only one hat for now. I usually wear a dark jacket like the one in the picture, a T shirt or polo shirt, and either khaki slacks or blue jeans. I dress pretty casually, but I have started to dress a little nicer. I just upgraded from tennis shoes to quasi-dressy black leather shoes .

Basically, I want a modest, but unique hat. I want a hat that goes well with my face and doesn't look too flashy, but not too boring either. This all probably sounds way too abstract.... but I want a hat that looks smart; one that says "physicist, but not the eccentric genius kind who can't tie his own shoes".

Any suggestions? I imagine the important things to consider are my general face shape, dark brown hair, blue eyes, and large nose.

I actually have a hat in mind, but I am open to other ideas. It would be a teardrop pinch-front fedora with a really stingy brim (and possibly a short crown), and it would be visibly blue (not that dark shade of navy that looks black). It would also have a contrasting grosgrain headband with a feather (maybe a lighter blue). I have not been able to find a hat like this online, so if anyone knows where to find one, let me know.

 

[Belegnole]

Oh, are you in for a world of hurt.....j/k

You have stepped amongst a group of people who collect hats like ....well women supposedly collect shoes. What I believe most of us have found is that like the snack food you can't have just one.

On a more serious note. I dress casually a great amount of the time and have found that any hat style can work. Stingy brims in grey, brown, or black would be my first choices, for a single hat a dark grey. Grey or gray will go well with black, brown or blue. Here is a link to a page discussing facial shapes and hat choices. They have a another page where colors are discussed, but that page isn't as helpful. Others are going to chime in so I'll step aside but before I go a couple of shots with my long bent nose, brown hair and blue eyes..

One of the hats with brim up and down and yes my eyes are more grey....

 

[jazzncocktails]

Raw Shark, good for you for making the leap to a regular use fedora. Like Belegnole, I began with the stingy brims, and once I discovered this forum, moved to the wider brims. Now I can't actually wear a stingy brim; with anything smaller than 2" brim on my head, I feel like a pinhead. That's probably just me.

As a relative newbie myself, I'd recommend the hat in Belegnole's photo above as a great starting point. The Federation IV in Moonstone is the way to go if you're willing to have a broader brim. I suspect it will look as good on you as it does in Belegnole in this shot--and the color goes with just about anything. You can go with the Standard or the somewhat pricier Deluxe--either are great. Dress it up or down, depending on your needs. And Hats Direct is a great company to work with--they have exclusive rights to the Federation IV.

Have fun, and good luck!

 

[bolthead]

Go Pork Pie.....

I think you'd look great in a Pork Pie.

Come to think of it, you even resemble "ViperMan" a little, maybe that's why I'm thinking Pork Pie.

Welcome.

 

[Feraud]

raw shark, if possible try to visit a local hat store and try on a few hats.
Get a feel for the different styles and what works best with you outfits.

 

[Torpedo]

I agree it would be appropriate to go and try several styles at a shop, if you have one near you. This said, it is more than probable than your tastes will evolve. I have a few stingies, which I acquired at the beginning, which I do not wear much now. It is typical to feel awkward with wide brims and straight and tall crowns, too, at first.

Most hats can work with informal clothes. This may not be for everyone; also, what looks well for a given gent does not for another. For instance, Goose has shown how he couples a variety of styles with informal clothes, even hats usually associated with dressy items, and it works for him.

If you have not done it already, go to the "What hat are you wearing today" and look at a few pages. You will find all kind of examples!

And welcome to the Lounge!

 

[raw shark]

Ok I have a number of responses:

Belegnole - I actually really like your 4th hat down, what is it? Also, in terms of color, is there something wrong with blue hats? Are they too weird? And thanks for the link; that page is really helpful.

jazzncocktails - So the Federation IV has an open crown... how does that work exactly? Will it stay in the shape I put it in? I don't know if I can trust myself with making my own hat style and having it look good; I'm not a fashion expert.

bolthead - I actually thought about getting a pork pie. The problem is I usually associate the hat with performers, like a barbershop quartet or something. Not that being a performer is bad, it's just not the image I want to convey. If you know any pork pies that don't give this impression, send me a link.

So, if I got an expensive hat, would I have to be paranoid about it? The other day when I was travelling I noticed a guy sitting in first class with a really fancy hat. He stored it in the overhead bin and kept pestering people to check on it for him. I don't want to be that guy . On that note, where do you put your hat when you go to restaurants and such, or when you travel?

Also, the hat that I already own (not thinking about myself when I bought it) was a brown stingy brim, and I felt that I looked like a farmer or something. My conclusion was that this impression was given by the brown color, tall crown (i think it's just normal height), and not-stingy-enough brim, but some of that could just be hat shyness or something.

 

[jazzncocktails]

I think you'd look great in a Pork Pie.

Come to think of it, you even resemble "ViperMan" a little, maybe that's why I'm thinking Pork Pie.

Welcome.

Gotta say, I hadn't thought Pork Pie, but I think Bolthead's right...do try that out.

 

[Not-Bogart13]

Welcome to the madness, Shark.

I think your instincts for hat type are good; Something with a brim that's narrower than 2 1/2 inches, fairly low crown.
Blue is a good color, but it's hard to find a blue hat in any blues other that powder blue and navy blue. If you like powder blue, then maybe you'll have a few options on Ebay.
Otherwise, I recommend a mid-to-light sage green, brown, or olives and in-between colors. They tend to go with everything. Frankly, I think navy blue would work with a lot, especially with a brown or black ribbon.

If you have a smaller head size (say 7 1/4 or smaller), you may find plenty of good offerings on Ebay. If you have a bigger size, it's still worth looking just in case.
Good search terms are; Dobbs, Knox, vintage fedora, trilby, stingy fedora.
If you get good deals there, then you might be able to have two or more hats for what you'll pay to get one brand new.

Also, take a look here; http://www.hats-plus.com/
On the left, click "dress hats" and on the next page click "small brim." You'll end up with pages of stingies.

I don't know what kind of price range you expect, but you'll probably have to drop about $100 - $120 to get a new hat made of fur felt. Wool felts can cost in the range of $35 - $85, but I wouldn't pay more than $50 for any of them.
I know of one modern blended fur hat that isn't bad, but it only comes in black and brown; http://www.bencrafthats.com/product.php?pid=259&subcname=Stetson

Good luck in your search.

 

[jazzncocktails]

jazzncocktails - So the Federation IV has an open crown... how does that work exactly? Will it stay in the shape I put it in? I don't know if I can trust myself with making my own hat style and having it look good; I'm not a fashion expert.

...

So, if I got an expensive hat, would I have to be paranoid about it? The other day when I was travelling I noticed a guy sitting in first class with a really fancy hat. He stored it in the overhead bin and kept pestering people to check on it for him. I don't want to be that guy . On that note, where do you put your hat when you go to restaurants and such, or when you travel?

If you're anywhere in California near Long Beach, Village Hat Shop is a good place to try on a variety of different styles. I wouldn't necessarily buy a hat from them--there are better deals online--but it's a good place to visit to try on a look. Search this site; I understand there are hat shops in LA and San Francisco that people have referred to here.

Yeah, the bashing of an open crown hat can be a little intimidating at first, but once you try it and follow others' directions, you'll find it's pretty easy to do--and it makes the hat much more your own than dropping on a pre-molded lid. There are, of course, some great pre-molded lids out there...

Check out the sticky posts at the top of the hat thread, particularly this one on Hat Creases:

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=10272

On page two of that thread, Dinerman has posted a video on how to do a Diamond bash--that got me started, and is easy to accomplish.

Also, Jimmy the Lid has just posted a great tutorial on how to do a Teardrop bash:

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=40203

I like the Fed IV as a starter fedora because it's a pretty sturdy hat; hard to screw it up, in my experience, and you can change the bash and practice on it as much as you want. I do find myself evaluating where I go with it, since I don't want to be the guy you worry about becoming, either. Most bars and restaurants are cool, since there's often an empty chair or table space to rest it on, but if I think I'm going to a crowded place, I'll likely leave it at home.

Best advice might be to continue surfing the website and checking out what others are wearing and saying...have fun.
Steve

 

[Trimen1000]

If you're anywhere in California near Long Beach, Village Hat Shop is a good place to try on a variety of different styles. I wouldn't necessarily buy a hat from them--there are better deals online--but it's a good place to visit to try on a look. Search this site; I understand there are hat shops in LA and San Francisco that people have referred to here.

Yeah, the bashing of an open crown hat can be a little intimidating at first, but once you try it and follow others' directions, you'll find it's pretty easy to do--and it makes the hat much more your own than dropping on a pre-molded lid. There are, of course, some great pre-molded lids out there...

Steve

I actually went down there today and tried a variety of hats on. Got a hat brush and some stiffener from them too. It's a good shop, with a good variety of hats available.

On bashing an open crown hat, I was considering it and decided that it's a good idea because it's easy to keep on adjusting it until you like it. So on that note, I'm planning on getting a few akubras soon.

 

[Belegnole]

Ok I have a number of responses:

Belegnole - I actually really like your 4th hat down, what is it? Also, in terms of color, is there something wrong with blue hats? Are they too weird? And thanks for the link; that page is really helpful.

The last photo is the same hat as the first. The first shot has the brim snapped up and the second is down with the feather in. It is vintage Royal Stetson of which model I would love to find out as it has no model mentioned on the hat. The brim is 1 6-7/8" with a 1 5/8" grosgrain ribbon. The crown is 3 7/8" at the crease and 4 1/2" open crown. The felt probably started life as a dark grey but now has various tones dependent on the lighting. I am assuming we are not talking about the brown hat...because the pictures show up 2 across for me...

Color, well I just thought off the top of my head as to what might work the best with what you mentioned. Navy is a great color of which I will end up adding to my collection as are many other colors. Certain colors are just thought by some people to go with more things and thus be a good color to start with...nothing more than that. I happen to love a certain "beaver rust" hat made by one of the members here...it may not go with as many things as my grey Fed though.

I also think that you should go to a hat shop if you can. Plan to spend some time there and try on everything you can. Figure out what sizes and styles work best for the look you want and just have fun. If you like messing with people or just really want to get a feel for how it would work with your favorite outfits...by all means bring the coat and a couple of shirts etc. I figure its worth the time...of course I now have a growing collection too....lol

 

[quintox]

Another different style to consider
http://www.vaidilute.com/images/poet-crowley.jpg

q


He's on cloud nine, headed for mudhole no. 7

 

[Doc Smith]

Basically, I want a modest, but unique hat. I want a hat that goes well with my face and doesn't look too flashy, but not too boring either. This all probably sounds way too abstract.... but I want a hat that looks smart; one that says "physicist, but not the eccentric genius kind who can't tie his own shoes".

How about this hat?

That one says physicist about as loudly as any hat in history.

 

[Belegnole]

 

[bolthead]

Nothing Wrong With Blue At All......

bolthead - I actually thought about getting a pork pie. The problem is I usually associate the hat with performers, like a barbershop quartet or something. Not that being a performer is bad, it's just not the image I want to convey. If you know any pork pies that don't give this impression, send me a link.

I think you might be confusing them with a ...... "Boater" [huh]

By the way, here's a navy blue pork pie I have.....a Disney Lancer

Here's a Blue Stetson Challenger as well.....

And a Blue Borsalino.....

It even has a nice blue liner.....

 

[jpbales]

i read this at the miller hat site:

"Long Nose; Danger here is that the long line from top of crown to tip of nose may dominate whole effect, so use crown of medium height, not too tapered and not pinched too tight at front. A hat with a narrow pinch would make long point to emphasize long nose. A fairly wide brim, which is snapped fully is recommended, a wide brim extending to the front beyond the nose tip helps tone the hat down. If possible a long nose with an irregular brim a brim that is wider in the front & back and smaller in the sides. A sit tilt is advisable. Avoid a high taper crown and a very narrow brim. Also avoid the homburg style and too much back tilt."

and it was everything I was thinking about a hat that would fit your face. A Fed IV with loose pinches and a diamond, teardrop, or c-crown bash would probably due. Notice how it emphasizes a wide brim and avoid narrow brim- I would say that is important. Wearing a really stingy hat, especially with your facial features, would just make all of your features stand out in a negative way.

oh yeah, and I don't know if I'd go with blue, but that's just me. It doesn't seem like it would go with much, and therefore not be an advisable everyday hat. Gray would be best if you're wearing it with all kinds of outfits.

My two cents.

 

[chanteuseCarey]

thanks Jazznc for the Dinerman crease video link...

Our son's vintage Borsalino still rolled in its original needed I snagged on evilBay needed to have a crease put in and I was clueless. I just watched the video- it was a big help. Thanks to both of you.

Check out the sticky posts at the top of the hat thread, particularly this one on Hat Creases:

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=10272

On page two of that thread, Dinerman has posted a video on how to do a Diamond bash--that got me started, and is easy to accomplish.

Also, Jimmy the Lid has just posted a great tutorial on how to do a Teardrop bash:

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=40203