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

[Richard Warren]

My first fedora was a Borsalino Film from JJ Hat Center which I bought one cold December several years ago. Its probably the taupe color. Some of the best money I ever spent. I still wear it more than any other hat. As far as I am concerned it goes with almost anything but goes particularly well with more causal clothes. If in doubt get the larger size; some shrinkage is a definite possibility if you wear it in the rain like I do.

 

[job]

austrailiangear.com Stylemaster mid-gray $121.90 in stock shipped. You will not find that nice of a stetson at that price.

 

[Obsessed]

Thanks for all of the responses, guys. I appreciate them.

My first fedora was a Borsalino Film from JJ Hat Center which I bought one cold December several years ago. Its probably the taupe color. Some of the best money I ever spent. I still wear it more than any other hat. As far as I am concerned it goes with almost anything but goes particularly well with more causal clothes. If in doubt get the larger size; some shrinkage is a definite possibility if you wear it in the rain like I do.

It's a really nice-looking hat in general and I liked the way I looked in it. It's tempting, but I'm just not sure I'm ready to spend that kind of money on a hat at the moment.

 

[VetPsychWars]

Thanks for all of the responses, guys. I appreciate them.



It's a really nice-looking hat in general and I liked the way I looked in it. It's tempting, but I'm just not sure I'm ready to spend that kind of money on a hat at the moment.

On the other hand, if you get a cheap hat, you'll never be satisfied with it. I've had $150 hats that were junk, too.

Tom

 

[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!

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

That is excellent advice. I was able to make it out to Bencraft, and I’m glad I did as it really helped clarify things. For example, I found I didn’t like the lighter grey (Stetson’s Caribou, which I gather is somewhat similar to Akubra’s Moonstone) as much as I thought I would. I was also able to take some pictures of myself in various hats so I can get my wife’s opinion before making a purchase.

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".

Interestingly, I almost left the Saxon off the list I made in my original post, and I ended up liking it a lot more than I thought I would. It might not be a bad one to go with; the wider brims may take some getting used to. I do understand from what I’ve been reading here that Akubra’s felt is considered to be better quality, but I’m still leery of ordering one without being able to try it on.

 

[cybergentleman]

"I'm about 6'3" and 250 lbs.,"


I am 6'2" and 220 at the moment- I can tell you that the 2.5 inch brim on my christys looks a bit narrow.

Have you considered the Akubra campdraft? I think the Campdraft in silver belly or grey is your most versatile of options and unlisted by you.

the others you did list have smaller brims or are a bit casual for manhattan wear.

If you are going to go Akubra, think Campdraft for versatile.

 

[Obsessed]

For example, I found I didn’t like the lighter grey (Stetson’s Caribou, which I gather is somewhat similar to Akubra’s Moonstone) as much as I thought I would. I was also able to take some pictures of myself in various hats so I can get my wife’s opinion before making a purchase.

But now, looking at the pictures, I kind of like the Caribou. Man, this is tough. Now I see why some of you have so many hats.

 

[Obsessed]

"I'm about 6'3" and 250 lbs.,"


I am 6'2" and 220 at the moment- I can tell you that the 2.5 inch brim on my christys looks a bit narrow.

Have you considered the Akubra campdraft? I think the Campdraft in silver belly or grey is your most versatile of options and unlisted by you.

the others you did list have smaller brims or are a bit casual for manhattan wear.

If you are going to go Akubra, think Campdraft for versatile.

I'm just leery about getting an open crown hat, although several of the open crown Akubras look cool.

 

[scottyrocks]

Creasing it is child's play. When buying new hats, I prefer open crowns because I don't have to settle for someone else's version of what a creased fedora looks like. I can do it the way I like it.

 

[EggHead]

But now, looking at the pictures, I kind of like the Caribou. Man, this is tough. Now I see why some of you have so many hats.

Each one you get, you will say - It's the last one!

 

[scottyrocks]

Creasing it is child's play. When buying new hats, I prefer open crowns because I don't have to settle for someone else's version of what a creased fedora looks like. I can do it the way I like it.

In fact, now that I've thought about it some more, although I don't have as many hats as many others here at FL, just about all of them, including factory creased, have been reshaped by me into creases that are significantly different from original.

 

[Doctor Strange]

austrailiangear.com Stylemaster mid-gray $121.90 in stock shipped. You will not find that nice of a stetson at that price.

FYI, it's even less for a mid-grey Stylemaster from Everything Australian - $110.59 shipped. Just saying...

 

[Obsessed]

FYI, it's even less for a mid-grey Stylemaster from Everything Australian - $110.59 shipped. Just saying...

Mid-grey is the same as carbon/steel grey, isn't it?

Funny, I was just thinking this morning that I need to end the madness and just order a moonstone Stylemaster, which from what I've read here is as close to a "can't lose" hat as you can get. (I don't want to get anything bigger at this point.) It seems that only hatsdirect.com has moonstone readily available, though. They're a little pricier, but I hear great things about their service.

 

[Doctor Strange]

HatsDirect is very fast, but more expensive both in terms of cost and shipping... but they do keep the moonstone in stock. (I've had good buying experiences with both HatsDirect and EverythingAustralian.)

And yes, the "Mid-Grey" is the same as "Steel Grey" and "Carbon Grey". It's a VERY dark shade that looks black in anything less than bright lighting. Here's mine in full sun - you can see that it's not quite black like the jacket... but it's pretty dark:

 

[Obsessed]

Thanks. That's a nice-looking hat, but I'm still leaning toward the Moonstone. (It looks like a more interesting color than Stetson's Caribou, for whatever reason.)

Besides, imagine our embarrassment if we ran into each other wearing steel grey Stylemasters.

 

[Doctor Strange]

I might of have gotten the moonstone, but I have a Stetson Temple in "caribou" that handles that slot in my wardrobe.

The Stetson is nice... but the Stylemaster is better made and more comfortable.

And I think it would be cool to run into somebody else wearing one!

 

[Obsessed]

I think it would be cool, too. I was just kidding around.

Moonstone looks like it's just a bit darker than Caribou, which I think will work well.

 

[Chuck Bobuck]

I think the Stylemaster idea is good. I like the Camp Draft, but with so much pedestrian traffic in NY, seems like you could take someones eye out with that big old brim. I don't have a Stylemaster, but all the photos of Loungers I see here wearing one look great.

 

[monbla256]

The Mid Grey is NOT the same as the Carbon or Steel grey. It is lighter really btwn the light Moonstone Grey and the much darker Carbon Grey. Here's a pic of it in the daylight shade in a Squatter.

hers's a pic of my Mid-Brown Stylemaster on my noggin. We are about the same size.

You will like the Stylemaster. I have 4 of them now

 

[Obsessed]

Turns out that hatsdirect.com is out of the moonstone Stylemaster in my size. Apparently they expect to have more at the end of December. I may just wait, but in the meantime the Akubra Fedora in burnt oak has kind of caught my eye, even though I've been focusing on grey. I don't recall seeing any other Akubras in that color; it's really nice-looking on the website and in the pictures I've seen here.