New Member to the Hat Forum

[Hurricane Jack]

I have a white/gray beard, and I'm trying to figure out what color is really going to look best on me, since I have a very fair complexion (Irish background) and don't know what color hat will look good with my "looks".........

The whole thought of wearing a men's hat in this day and age makes me a little self conscious...

I don't wear porkpies, so there's that. But if you have a massive beard a porkpies can to used to accentuate the size of the beard.

As far as colors & the combination with a white beard I think it matters more if you are trying for a vintage look being true to the era of the hat, or just wearing the hat as a fashion statement.

 

[GHT]

My real problem is ...well....I sort of have yet to wear any of my hats outside. I don't know. The whole thought of wearing a men's hat in this day and age makes me a little self conscious....coz I know I'm not going to find anyone out there wearing a fedora or a pork pie hat. LOL

Hello and welcome, if you haven't, as yet, look through some of the threads, you might be interested to read other member's reactions to their wearing of hats. There's over three thousand comments in this thread: https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/how-do-folks-react-to-your-hat-wearing.73283/

 

[TheBeardGuy]

Great. Thank you. I like pics...I like to see pics of men wearing their hats.....is there a Gallery of sorts here showing photos of men wearing their hats ?

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Great. Thank you. I like pics...I like to see pics of men wearing their hats.....is there a Gallery of sorts here showing photos of men wearing their hats ?

There are thousands of photos in this thread:

https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/what-hat-are-you-wearing-today.94860/page-2726#post-2882529

There’s also a lot of banter that some enjoy and some don’t. Feel free to ignore or join in.

 

[belfastboy]

My real problem is ...well....I sort of have yet to wear any of my hats outside. I don't know. The whole thought of wearing a men's hat in this day and age makes me a little self conscious....coz I know I'm not going to find anyone out there wearing a fedora or a pork pie hat. LOL

You are not alone in your experience. There is a definite common arc to the history of one's hat wearing. My experience that yes some will notice, most will not, some will comment...most will not. The thought of being conspicuous exists largely in your head. I suspect you chose the pork pie at least partially because it is low profile/narrow brim. To your eye it is the least conspicuous style of hat you could find. Before you buy more, start wearing them. You will find it gets easier and your comfort level when wearing them will soar. Your next step is likely to venture into a higher crown/wider brim Fedora style....rinse and repeat. It is a process that many, me included, have worked through.. Wear your hat and trust the process.

 

[TheOldFashioned]

Welcome to the forum and the world of hats! You've already received some great feedback, and @GHT and @deadlyhandsome have provided some links to threads you will probably enjoy. Since you have an affinity for porkpie hats you may also like this thread too:

https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/show-off-your-porkpies.28705/
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Though sans beard and a darker complexion I believe @quikrick has some hats of this style and sports the look very well in my humble opinion, but he has been rocking some bigger brims and open crowns lately. Stick around long enough and your tastes may change. It just so happens that my very first hat when I joined here was an Adam pork pie and my most recent addition is a Swiss made Augsburger mambo style hat. (The brim is a respectable 2-3/8" so perhaps a little larger than a more typical pork pie hat.) Between these two I've acquired and worn hats of many different styles, shapes, and sizes.

With regards to being self conscious about wearing out and about in public it's easy to say don't worry about it. Wearing around the house is a good way to get used to being comfortable and forget that you're even wearing a hat. If you want to take small steps then wear it out to the mailbox or when working outside. Eventually it'll just seem second nature to put on your hat and go about your business. A pork pie hat wouldn't be out of place at a music venue, and perhaps more specifically a jazz club.

A common saying around here is to wear the hat, don't let the hat wear you. As long as you have confidence that's what people notice. Eventually it'll get to the point where some people will notice if you're not wearing your hat. One cashier at my local grocer calls me out every time he sees me not wearing a hat, as sometimes I'll wear a cap or beret instead. But honestly, most people will not even care one way or the other. As humans we tend to overestimate our importance to others. For those that do notice and will actually comment it's almost always something positive and leads to pleasant conversation.

One final quick note. There is a vast array of information to be found here. Chances are if you can think of it it's been discussed before, perhaps to ad nauseam. By all means, do not be afraid to ask. There are plenty of friendly and knowledgeable people willing to help as you have already seen. The native search feature can be powerful but it isn't the most intuitive and it has its faults. Often times it's easier to use Google. Just type in your topic and add "fedora lounge" at the end. Usually you'll receive hit(s) to relevant thread(s), and from there you can venture down the rabbit hole.

Thanks for joining. Your wallet, however, doesn't thank you.

Within the last year, I became acquainted with hats, quite by accident actually. But the more I viewed and read, the more I really fell in love with men's hats, and especially the Pork pie hat......I began to buy hats. What a great experience, waiting for them to arrive and try them on. In all sorts of colors.
I have a white/gray beard, and I'm trying to figure out what color is really going to look best on me, since I have a very fair complexion (Irish background) and don't know what color hat will look good with my "looks".........But I'm here, and I love hats and I"m happy that I found this place.

My real problem is ...well....I sort of have yet to wear any of my hats outside. I don't know. The whole thought of wearing a men's hat in this day and age makes me a little self conscious....coz I know I'm not going to find anyone out there wearing a fedora or a pork pie hat. LOL

 

[TheBeardGuy]

Well....I have amassed quite a few hats, mostly pork pies. TBH I am not a "fedora" type guy, I find them to tall. I can admire the beauty of them, but not on me. I see some beautiful hats ....but in my honest opinion, I don't find that all men look good wearing a hat. So with that all being said, I am going to take out all of my pork pies and try them all on and take a good hard look at the reflection in the mirror.....and see how I really look wearing a hat.

 

[belfastboy]

Well....I have amassed quite a few hats, mostly pork pies. TBH I am not a "fedora" type guy, I find them to tall. I can admire the beauty of them, but not on me. I see some beautiful hats ....but in my honest opinion, I don't find that all men look good wearing a hat. So with that all being said, I am going to take out all of my pork pies and try them all on and take a good hard look at the reflection in the mirror.....and see how I really look wearing a hat. View attachment 392245

My further two cents worth: put the hat on and DON'T look in the mirror.....just wear the hat.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Well....I have amassed quite a few hats, mostly pork pies. TBH I am not a "fedora" type guy, I find them to tall. I can admire the beauty of them, but not on me. I see some beautiful hats ....but in my honest opinion, I don't find that all men look good wearing a hat. So with that all being said, I am going to take out all of my pork pies and try them all on and take a good hard look at the reflection in the mirror.....and see how I really look wearing a hat. View attachment 392245

I’ve yet to see anyone who can’t wear a brimmed hat well. Not every style is for everyone, but that’s something completely different.

Your preference for lower crowned hats is common. It’s equally common to grow to like taller crowns with exposure and time. Many here started with lower crowns and narrower brims before going on to larger proportions. Maybe you won’t follow this well-worn path, but don’t be surprised if you stick around you start wanting a classic 1940s fedora of your own.

 

[Just Daniel]

Yes, good point. Once you start wearing one you’ll be fine.

It certainly helps if it is a 50s hat or older. That gives you a great conversation starter!

My real problem is ...well....I sort of have yet to wear any of my hats outside. I don't know. The whole thought of wearing a men's hat in this day and age makes me a little self conscious....coz I know I'm not going to find anyone out there wearing a fedora or a pork pie hat. LOL

 

[Just Daniel]

Pretty awesome.

I don't wear porkpies, so there's that. But if you have a massive beard a porkpies can to used to accentuate the size of the beard.

As far as colors & the combination with a white beard I think it matters more if you are trying for a vintage look being true to the era of the hat, or just wearing the hat as a fashion statement.

View attachment 392210

View attachment 392215

View attachment 392214

View attachment 392211

My real problem is ...well....I sort of have yet to wear any of my hats outside. I don't know. The whole thought of wearing a men's hat in this day and age makes me a little self conscious....coz I know I'm not going to find anyone out there wearing a fedora or a pork pie hat. LOL

 

[BobHufford]

It’s equally common to grow to like taller crowns with exposure and time.

Although that should probably have some limits.

Once you do expand to wider brims (and it’s hard not to) be careful not to post selfies from too high an angle as a white beard and a brim can lead to confusion and some might complement your hat, but call you Jack or Bob.

Anyway, welcome to the Lounge @TheBeardGuy ! We look forward to seeing your hats out in the wild.

 

[Rmccamey]

Few people will notice. Most, if not all of those who do, will approve. Wear your hat proudly.

My real problem is ...well....I sort of have yet to wear any of my hats outside. I don't know. The whole thought of wearing a men's hat in this day and age makes me a little self conscious....coz I know I'm not going to find anyone out there wearing a fedora or a pork pie hat. LOL

 

[Snowman]

My real problem is ...well....I sort of have yet to wear any of my hats outside. I don't know. The whole thought of wearing a men's hat in this day and age makes me a little self conscious....coz I know I'm not going to find anyone out there wearing a fedora or a pork pie hat. LOL

I have come to the point that I feel self-conscious if I leave the house WITHOUT a hat. Just choose one you like and wear it, and you will soon forget you have it on.

 

[belfastboy]

I have come to the point that I feel self-conscious if I leave the house WITHOUT a hat. Just choose one you like and wear it, and you will soon forget you have it on.

And in time you will be known as 'that hat guy'. In Costco the workers know me.....but not really they actually just notice me but the recognition gets me many hellos because if they don't recognize my face they recognize the hat. My regular cashier looked at my hat today and said...."That's a new one, eh". Not a question but a statement. When I nodded yes, he replied...."I knew it, cuz I keep track".

 

[Rmccamey]

My "groupies" at church are past the "what is it" stage (trilby, fedora, homburg, western, bowler, Lords hat) and are more interested in "where is it from" (US, France, Austria, Canada, Italy). It's easy to become the Hat Guy.

And in time you will be known as 'that hat guy'. In Costco the workers know me.....but not really they actually just notice me but the recognition gets me many hellos because if they don't recognize my face they recognize the hat. My regular cashier looked at my hat today and said...."That's a new one, eh". Not a question but a statement. When I nodded yes, he replied...."I knew it, cuz I keep track".

 

[jviss]

I just joined. I'm 64, and I like hats. Had to wear one in High School as it was a military school with a uniform regulation. I had a few 'weak' hats, but just bought a few good ones on eBay: a couple of Homburgs, one Knox and one Dobbs, and a Knox fedora. I have a clothing steamer which I will try to employ in rehabilitating the Dobbs Homburg, and I'm confident it will work. Any suggestions as to a makeshift hat form are welcome.

Cheers,

jv

 

[belfastboy]

I just joined. I'm 64, and I like hats. Had to wear one in High School as it was a military school with a uniform regulation. I had a few 'weak' hats, but just bought a few good ones on eBay: a couple of Homburgs, one Knox and one Dobbs, and a Knox fedora. I have a clothing steamer which I will try to employ in rehabilitating the Dobbs Homburg, and I'm confident it will work. Any suggestions as to a makeshift hat form are welcome.

Cheers,

jv

Hat Shapers out of Michigan makes inexpensive plastic hat blocks. They do work and are priced very fairly.

 

[jviss]

Thank you! i'll take a look.

 

[belfastboy]

Thank you! i'll take a look.

Also, depending on your size you can peruse Ebay for "wooden hat blocks" they always list some, mostly in smaller sizes but you can find a block profile that suits your tastes whereas HatShapers is limited to just a few offerings.