New guy needs advice (you probably get that a lot)

[Obsessed]

Hi guys,

I've been dithering about buying a nice felt hat for some time now but am getting ready to pull the trigger. I just signed up here and I'm hoping you can help point me in the right direction.

For now, at least, there's only going to be one hat, so I want to make it as versatile as possible, i.e., something I can wear to work in Manhattan (business casual usually, suits sometimes) and at home on the weekends. Maybe that's asking too much; I really don't know. To the extent it makes a difference, I'm about 6'3" and 250 lbs., with aspirations of getting back down to around 200.

The first question is what basic style. I'm probably not using the term correctly, but it seems to me that I need to choose between what I'll call a "fedora," which has the brim down in front and up in back, and hats like the Akubra Leisure Time that has the brim down all around.

The second question is what color. I would think grey or brown would be the best choice, but I'm interested in your views.

Third, here are some hats I've thought about. I'd love to hear your thoughts on these or any possible alternatives:

Borsalino Film. I tried this on in taupe and liked it, but it's very pricey and may just make too much of a "statement" at this stage of the game.
Akubra Bogart (in grey)
Akubra Stylemaster
Akubra Leisure Time (seems to be a nice shape, but I'm not crazy about the band)
Akubra Traveler
Stetson Saxon
Stetson Temple
Stetson Sutley
Stetson Downs

Sorry for the long first post and thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[jkingrph]

Business casual, What colors do you wear the most? If grey, blue, black I would go a grey tone with matching or darker ribbon. Earth tone clothing, something in the fawn tan to brown, again if a lighter color the ribbon can match or be darker. Dark chocolate brown with matching ribbon is also a good all around choice. Shape and color in the final act is yours.

 

[Oldsarge]

You might want to add the Fed IV by Akubra to your list of possibilities. It comes in both colors you're thinking about.

 

[jkingrph]

You might want to add the Fed IV by Akubra to your list of possibilities. It comes in both colors you're thinking about.

I should have thought of that one, I have a Fed IV deluxe in Heritage Fawn in transit somewhere.

Another nice one is the Campdraft, a similar shaped hat with a thin, or very narrow ribbon. I have one in a color called Silverbelly, which in the Akubra is more of a light tan color, which goes well with just about everything.

I must have been having a senior moment not to have thought of those two styles earlier!

 

[scottyrocks]

Also, don't let the hat dictate to you. You decide what you like. You can wear any of those styles with business casual. There are lots of pictures here, on ebay, and on sites such as villagehatshop.com. Take a look around.

When I look at pictures, there are styles that definitely appeal to me more than others. And this goes back to my childhood when I used to watch old movies on TV. Decide what you think you like best, style-wise, and then look at things like brim width and crown height and taper, not to mention ribbon width.

It could take a while to finally decide what you really like best. You could eventually be the type to like and own lots of different (types) of hats, or only a few. But you gotta start somewhere.

 

[DJH]

Hey Obsessed, since you work in NYC, you have an advantage that a lot of us don't - some good hat shops to go try on hats and get knowledgeable advice.

Stores I know of include JJ Hat Center, Worth & Worth and Bencraft, all of who could help you out. They are all in this list

I hope you find something that works for you and you post some pics here!

 

[Obsessed]

Business casual, What colors do you wear the most?

More often than not, it will be black or grey pants, and sometimes olive. I don't wear khaki that often. I wear either a black or dark brown coat. I'm wondering if finding one hat color to complement everything will be difficult.

You might want to add the Fed IV by Akubra to your list of possibilities. It comes in both colors you're thinking about.

I should have thought of that one, I have a Fed IV deluxe in Heritage Fawn in transit somewhere.

Another nice one is the Campdraft, a similar shaped hat with a thin, or very narrow ribbon. I have one in a color called Silverbelly, which in the Akubra is more of a light tan color, which goes well with just about everything.

Those are both open crown, aren't they? I have a feeling I'd drive myself crazy trying to shape a hat myself.

 

[monbla256]

Being a devoted Akubra fan, I'd have to say, based on what you gave for your size, one of Akubra's Fedora styled hats would be best. I have 3 of the Stylemaster's and wear them both as "dress" and "casual" hats and they work well. ( I'm wearing my Mid-Brown one in the What are you wearing thread today) . I would also say that you could look at the Squatter model as well as it's sold as an open crown hat and you could crease it as you wish ( I have 4 of them). You cannot beat the quality and fit of an Akubra in a modern production hat made today. They are worth the $s for sure

 

[Obsessed]

Hey Obsessed, since you work in NYC, you have an advantage that a lot of us don't - some good hat shops to go try on hats and get knowledgeable advice.

Stores I know of include JJ Hat Center, Worth & Worth and Bencraft, all of who could help you out. They are all in this list

I hope you find something that works for you and you post some pics here!

Thanks.

I've been to JJ Hat Center; it's where I tried on the Borsalino Film. I want to get out to Bencraft when I have time, as their prices seem more reasonable.

Unfortunately, it seems that no one around here carries Akubra. I'd love to try some of those on.

 

[job]

A Akubra Stylemaster in carbon gray has a black ribbon and would go with the most clothing. Cheaper than a Stetson. The Borsalino Film is a beautiful hat. I may get the gray one in the future.

 

[Shangas]

In my experience, a brown hat can go with a variety of outfits except for the really formal ones. By that I mean, don't wear a brown fedora with a tux. But a brown hat with a suit (provided that it's not black) can look very nice. Brown & blue or brown and yellow (or lighter brown colours) looks great. Also goes well with lighter shades of blue and with white. Just not black.

 

[m0nk]

I have 3 Akubras and have to say that they're definitely a quality hat. At first, you may think their entry level felt may look a little "rough", but with some wear, they absolutely soften up and wear just as nice as any other hat. Their deluxe felt is nicer as well. And they're definitely built tougher than any other as well. Several of their fedora models looks just as classy as other dress hats.

 

[Obsessed]

After poking around a bit here I'm thinking seriously about the Stylemaster in moonstone. It looks like a cool color, and I've seen a few posts stating that it is very versatile and goes with just about everything. It's too bad I can't try one on somewhere, though.

 

[VetPsychWars]

For your first hat, I would suggest not necessarily ordering an Akubra from Australia. As mentioned, if you're in New York, you have a lot of hat shops you can visit. I'm pretty impressed with the selection that Bencraft has (that's where I mail-order Borsalinos from), so that would be a good choice for a visit. Wear what you normally wear and try some different colors on... the salesmen at the hat store will likely have some good advice for you as well.

Tom

 

[m0nk]

For your first hat, I would suggest not necessarily ordering an Akubra from Australia. As mentioned, if you're in New York, you have a lot of hat shops you can visit. I'm pretty impressed with the selection that Bencraft has (that's where I mail-order Borsalinos from), so that would be a good choice for a visit. Wear what you normally wear and try some different colors on... the salesmen at the hat store will likely have some good advice for you as well.

Tom

I got my first one from Bencraft as well, but it was wool felt Bailey Brandt and I didn't know the difference between wool and fur at the time; plus it was not standard hat sizing (I believe some refer to it as off-the-rack, s/m/l/xl), and I'm a size 56 (7), so for me small is too small while medium is fairly big. My oldest son wears that hat now, and though it's a nice hat for the price, if I knew then what I know now I would have gone for something else.

Many of the hats, such as Stetson and Borsalino, have full hat sizing though only some of them state whether it's wool or fur. So when in doubt, definitely ask their customer service.

HTH

 

[Obsessed]

Yes, ultimately it makes no sense to order blind when I can visit a hat shop here. I'll need to find time to get out to Bencraft. JJ is more convenient, but it's prices are much higher. (The Borsalino Film, for example, is $240 at Bencraft and $350 at JJ!)

 

[Henry Gondorff]

I second that, job.
Since obsessed wears black or gray pants to work, I also would recommend a carbon/dark grey or black hat. Maybe even dark brown would work. And, directly spoken to you, obsessed: I wouldn't try to shape a hat by myself if I'm just about to start wearing hats. You might want to start with a fedora; this is, in my opinion, the most accurate and inconspicuous type for an all day use. Later on, when you are used to wearing a hat and for more festive occasions you can try out other types, like a homburg or even a bowler...

 

[monbla256]

For your first hat, I would suggest not necessarily ordering an Akubra from Australia. As mentioned, if you're in New York, you have a lot of hat shops you can visit. I'm pretty impressed with the selection that Bencraft has (that's where I mail-order Borsalinos from), so that would be a good choice for a visit. Wear what you normally wear and try some different colors on... the salesmen at the hat store will likely have some good advice for you as well.

Tom

Contrary to what many do here on the Forum, you do not have to order your Akubra's from OZ retailers. Since your looking for a grey or brown color of hat, many of the US retailers of Akubra's stock models in these colors. Borsolino's are wonderfull hats but it sounds as if they are priced outside of what you want to pay. It is always better if you can try on a hat prior to purchase for sure, but if you correctly measure your head, the US Akubra retailers can get a hat that will fit you 99% of the time. BTW, stick with FUR FELT as you will have a MUCH BETTER hat for all your needs.

 

[Benzadmiral]

The Stetson Temple was my favorite hat when I started to wear hats in the mid-'90s. I still have two, a nougat and a silver mist that's almost white, both colors not available any more. They're comfortable and, while I haven't put them through heavy rain, they've gone through light showers and even some snow without any trouble.

If you're 6'3" and ~200, I think people here will advise you to go with a broader brim than the Stetson Saxon's 2". The Temple is 2 5/8" front and back and 2 3/8" on the sides, not a "Mad Men" hat by any means. And it comes in larger sizes than some other models, if you need that.

As for shaping a crown yourself (not necessary with the Temple, Akubra Bogart, and Stylemaster), you can do it; I learned how right here. I've shaped both of my open-crown Federations, and have done some very mild shaping to crowns on other hats so they fit my skull better.

 

[m0nk]

The Stetson Temple was my favorite hat when I started to wear hats in the mid-'90s. I still have two, a nougat and a silver mist that's almost white, both colors not available any more. They're comfortable and, while I haven't put them through heavy rain, they've gone through light showers and even some snow without any trouble.

If you're 6'3" and ~200, I think people here will advise you to go with a broader brim than the Stetson Saxon's 2". The Temple is 2 5/8" front and back and 2 3/8" on the sides, not a "Mad Men" hat by any means. And it comes in larger sizes than some other models, if you need that.

As for shaping a crown yourself (not necessary with the Temple, Akubra Bogart, and Stylemaster), you can do it; I learned how right here. I've shaped both of my open-crown Federations, and have done some very mild shaping to crowns on other hats so they fit my skull better.

Yeah, I'm with Benzadmiral on the hat shaping... after I learned a bit, I went with an Akubra Bushman, open crown, and styled it with a c-crown by hand without any issues. It turned out great, and it still holds that same shape a couple years later. Of course, I did botch the brim a tad with trying to trim it shorter, so now it's been converted into a "Rorschach" inspired hat. Fun to wear, but a good lesson to be very, very careful when trimming a brim.