New to hats, would like some advice

[Historyteach24]

Thanks Chinaski I am really diggin this website I have spent days just looking through all the new hats that the members have bought. Damn I just dunno if I will ever be able to pull off some of those larger brims!

 

[Chinaski]

I think you'll be surprised at what starts to look better to you. The wide brims and really tall crowns look a bit different if you're used to looking at baseball caps, but seeing them in pictures here everyday they start to look normal! You'll be ready to step out of your comfort level to try something new. I can see you with a bit taller crown with less taper and a bit more width on the brim. Oh, and the acquiring of hats can become addicting...you've been warned!

 

[Historyteach24]

I am already addicted its somewhat of a disease! I have to stop now though because I have a little one on the way so these two will be it for the time being. I think I would like a little taller crown but I definitely need to head to the local hat shop and try em on first. I can already tell you now that I really want a teardrop crown in the next hat I purchase the ones I have seen on this site are just stellar!

 

[Alex]

Yeah man so my opinion is that pork is definitely for jamming and just chilling. Looks great with casual clothes. That stingy works well with a dress look. So in other words, your wife knew what she was talking about. Welcome to the lounge btw!

 

[Historyteach24]

You know it pains me to admit she was spot on! lol

 

[Chuck Bobuck]

Welcome Historyteach, I'll agree with Alex. Both of those hats work for you, I like the porkpie just fine.

 

[Alex]

And I gotta add that acquiring new hats is addicting. I'm fairly new to the hat world but man there's just that certain air about a great looking hat..
Just to reiterate with what Chinaski said, I think a wider brim and little bit higher crown would look good on you man. At first I was self conscience to wear my 2" brim Stetson in public, but I got a compliment on it the first day and someone asked me wear I purchased it. So yeah, once you get comfortable with it, it's pretty fun to sport a brimmed fedora.

You're lucky to have a local hat shop. Here in Iowa, they are few and far between. The only one I know about is in the capital city of Des Moines. Driving 30 miles for me is worth it to try the hats on, see the selection, and support a small shop that's run in the floor level of an old Victorian style house

 

[Historyteach24]

I live in a small town by most standards but a big town by West Virginia standards LOL. So we have two shops that sell hats one specializes in fedoras and other dress hats while the other one is a men's suit store that sells a few hats. I REALLY debated on buying a 4 inch crowned fedora but went with the 3 1/2 shown in the pictures. Hey there are many more purchases to come so maybe I will go a little bigger!

 

[Wolfwood]

I love the look of the porkpie on you, but it is certainly a casual look for you.

As for the fedora, I have to say that your face shape would require a fedora with a little less, if any, taper and a medium width brim.

Some nice advice here:
http://www.ehow.com/how_2282083_hat-that-suites-face-shape.html

And even better stuff here:
http://artofmanliness.com/2008/05/28/the-perfect-hat-for-your-ugly-mug/

 

[Historyteach24]

You sayin a got a fat face?! lol j/k man thanks for the link!

 

[Historyteach24]

Side note the art of manliness is like my second favorite website it is truly a must have in the man's toolbox

 

[DanielJones]

Hey Teach, now that I have a better look at you and your hats a few things come to mind. You pull off the stingy look just fine. Your wife is correct in that the porkpie is best of jammin' and the stingy best of the 'Sunday best' look, but that lid can be dressed down too and work double duty no problem. Honestly, your build can easily pull off the wider brim and taller crown without any effort. It does take a bit of getting used to, but becomes second nature once you wear them for a while. Really, the wider brim & taller crown of a Stetson Nostalgia or a Christy's Adventurer would be a good fit for you without too much out of pocket. You can shape them how you like them for maximum effect and personal tastes. And it can make one more imposing and authoritative when worn. You just have to feel comfortable in the look and more importantly, own the look.

But, what you have is a fantastic start to what will be a good collection of hats. Because, trust me on this, you can't have just one or two.
And, like it was stated before, poke around here and you will see what I mean about hats and proportions. The 'What Hat Are You Wearing Today' thread is probably the best example of a large variety of hats and styles to pick from and research.

Cheers!

Dan

 

[DanielJones]

Check out Paddy's post here of his Nostalgia.
http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?45204-Nostalgia-Owners/page3

Cheers!

Dan

 

[Wolfwood]

You sayin a got a fat face?! lol j/k man thanks for the link!

Haha, no! But you face is wide rather than narrow and I must say that - to my eye - the taperless porkpie accentuates your features better than the fedora with strong taper - so if I were you, I'd go and see how a fedora with less taper looks on you (I bet it would rock!).

 

[Historyteach24]

Daniel thanks for the advice its nice to have a specific hat to look for instead of just trolling around looking for wider brims. As I said before I am a complete noob so if I get a stetson nostalgia could I make the crown anyway I want it?

 

[Historyteach24]

As I have said price is very much an issue for me but I found a nice hat that seems to fit all the descriptions you guys have given me check it out

 

[scottyrocks]

I will echo the porker as casual and pinch crown as more 'formal.' I am also a fan of less taper and encourage you to give such hats a try.

Taper and small brims are generally 'safer' for new hat wearers. You may find yourself moving to bigger brims and less taper gradually. IOW, you probably wont jump to an Abe Lincoln stovepipe western next week.

 

[Luckytop]

Hello gentlemen, I am also new here. I have been a collector all my life (many diverse collections have come & gone over the years) and can't get it out of my blood! Hats are my new passion and the great thing is that I get to wear my collection! I wish I had started wearing vintage hats years ago since the prices seem to be rising. I am glad to have found the Lounge!

 

[John in Covina]

One thing that you may learn about men's hats is that there are a wide variety of styles and that one hat will probably not be the answer for all occasions.

As you read the many threads you will see a repeating theme of I am new, I am interested in Hat X, and then the learning curve begins to come into play.

We have threads that talk about what type of hats fit the shape of your head or what type of hats goes with this style of dress or what colors goes with what color clothes ad so on. There is a ton of info here and every time we try to make a compendium of information on hats the subject grows outside of that box of information.

If you grow beyond being a one hat kind of guy you'll have the opportunity to learn a lot in this forum. As to money for hats well that has a couple of avenues to consider.

Hats you can buy new and the retailers will love you for that, we have a number of the great ones associated with the FL.

There are our custom makers which is an exciting arena where you get a hat that was made to your specifications specifically for your head.

Then there is the elusive vintage / used area. Vintage and used means that you hunt for the right hat and the time you spend doing that can payoff with a great hat for not much money. In the various threads there are lots of stories of finding a great hat on Ebay or at a thrift store or even a vintage clothing store. With a little reading you can find out some of the ins and outs of that type of purchase to do your best to make your purchase one you'll be happy with for a long time.

Welcome to the Fedora Lounge and know that learning should never stop!

 

[DanielJones]

Daniel thanks for the advice its nice to have a specific hat to look for instead of just trolling around looking for wider brims. As I said before I am a complete noob so if I get a stetson nostalgia could I make the crown anyway I want it?

If I remember correctly the Nostalgia comes open crowned so you can shape it how you like. Also another brand to consider is Akubra. They have a fairly wide selection at very decent prices to fit any budget. Good options are their Campdraft, their Federation Series, Stylemaster or maybe their Hampton or Squatter. Pricing ranges from $108(Campdraft) to $171 (Federation IV). Plus there is a nice variety of colors to choose from too. Have a look at Hats Direct and you'll get a good idea of what to work with. Another site that is fairly good to look for a hat is Miller Hats. Both hats are good for the hat beginner.

Hope this helps your search out Teach.

Cheers!

Dan