Needing Hat Advice

[MrBadExample]

I've never been much of a hat wearer as an adult, though I did wear them some as a kid. I started wearing a ball cap last summer (I know, I know), and as it rapidly became incredibly shabby I started thinking about getting a proper hat. (Who would have thought that a 'Gehuine' MLB cap that I paid nearly six entire US dollars for would fade and stain so readily? I am shocked, shocked I say.)

The problem is that I am apparently -- and I did not fully realize this until I began hat shopping -- some sort of mutant. Not only do I have a long oval head shape, but also a whole lot of head above my ears and eyebrows. I need a hat with a good bit of crown to keep the thing from rubbing the top of my head.

The problem with _that_ is that I have a very slender build, am of about average height, and I'm afraid that anything that fits properly is going to look ridiculous, like I'm wearing a large trash can on my head.

Does anyone have any suggestions for a hat that wouldn't look absurd on a tall skinny head on a skinny guy of modest height?

 

[randooch]

Try a more tapered crown, with a couple of prominent side bashes, a not-too-wide brim, and a thin ribbon, would be my advice. If you can get to a hat shop with a decent selection and a big mirror, you'll be able to narrow it down pretty quickly.

 

[suitedcboy]

You are far from being alone in having an extra long oval head with disproportionate cranial cavity above the ears.
I have to make crown adjuatments and every hat I have has to end up with front brim dip to some degree as a result of increasing the ovality of the hat shape.

 

[Imahomer]

Yep, you want to go somewhere that has a gool selection of hats and people who know their stuff to help you out.

 

[Dewhurst]

This may sound abhorrent, but you can always go with a Bowler!

/end sarcasm

 

[MrBadExample]

Thanks. I think a tapered crown would help, but they seem to be a little hard to find, at least with a wide enough brim. (Much of the point is to shield my sensitive eyes from the blazing Texas sun, especially now that my son is three and dragging me outside for hours at a time on the flimsiest of excuses.) Of course, too much brim, I think, would make me look like I'm wearing an umbrella on my head....

I've been to the Hatco outlet in Garland and couldn't find anything that fit me right, but I didn't get to try on everything, busy as I was trying to rein in the above-mentioned three-year old. ("No, boy, don't stand on the $300 hat. Here, play with, ah...this one." HE had fun anyway, and he's got an early start on wearing hats and caps; he will hardly leave the house without his Thomas the Tank Engine engineer's cap.) I was also concentrating more on fit than shape. That's when I confirmed that I was an accursed long oval.

I do have a leather Minnetonka hat that I picked up on a whim in Santa Fe some years ago, and the proportions are nearly right, but it's too small for me. (Did the mountain air shrink my head? Has my head inflated in the last several years? The world may never know.) The top of the hat is the right distance from the top of my head...but the hat is sitting too high on my head because it's too small. I've worn it a few times lately, though, to see if I have the nerve to wear a non-baseball cap in public, and I was successful, even though I did get a headache because it was so tight fore-and-aft, while still being loose on the sides. Grumble, grumble.

(Pardon the extreme ugliness.)

 

[Not-Bogart13]

A taper looks ok on you, I think, but that one looks too high. Could be the angle of the shot, though. It looks like you have wide enough shoulders to off-set the narrower face a bit, so that will help.

I would say, aim for a brim width from that one (I'm guessing 2 3/4 inches maybe) down to about 2 3/8 inches. You might benefit from an open crowned hat, which gives you the freedom to shape as low or high as needed. Also, you can shape it lower around the outside, with a high dome in the middle, or lower the front but not the middle and back. It will give the illusion of a lower crown.

I think you'd look fine with a Federation IV, though it has no taper. Hatsdirect.com has been known to stretch hats for long oval folks in the past.

 

[MrBadExample]

You've got a pretty good eye. The brim measures to 2 5/8".

The crown is 4 1/4" at the very front, 4 3/4" at the highest point. I think it may look taller because of the angle, and of course because the thing is sitting about an inch too high on my head (and tilted to compensate for that).

This picture might show it to better effect.

I'd wondered about the Fed IV, in part because I'd like a bit more brim in front for the shade, but without more on the sides to look oversized. But the whole hat looks so big. I mean, I think my first apartment was smaller....

 

[Not-Bogart13]

the whole hat looks so big. I mean, I think my first apartment was smaller....

lol lol lol lol lol
A lot of people react to the Fed that way. It takes getting used to because the crown has so little taper. It's not for everyone, but you can shape the crown much lower than what they show on the website. Check out the non-Indy Fed thread here, and look around for pictures of members who have them to get a good idea (if you haven't already). Also, keep in mind that the Fed III was bigger all around than the Fed IV. Be sure you know which you're looking at.

Also, Akubra has a few other lids, like the CEO, that might be to your liking. It has a wider brim, but less crown.

 

[MrBadExample]

Thanks, man. I'll check 'em out.

 

[boze]

Suggestions for bit more taper?

I own four hats at present. The three felts are a Stetson Saxon, a Biltmore Senator, and a stingier Tomaz and Williamson (which is another Biltmore, as I understand). Sitting on a table they all stand about the same with 4 1/2" crowns. However, my one straw fedora is a Gardeliano Monterrey and I prefer the added taper on the front and back. The crown is the same or nearly so. I'm curious what fur felt hats might taper similarly but there aren't any decent shops within 100 miles of me.

Should I just try a teardrop for my next hat to eat up more crown or are there models you can recommend that feature a bit more taper?

Budgetwise I'd like to stick to pre-creased options for now, but thanks for any suggestions!