NEWBIE: I need help finding a fedora

[Dewhurst]

Tilley's may do their job, and very well, but they are not for everybody.

That goes without saying. Err, but you did... sooo...:eusa_doh: lol

It should be said that Tilley Endurables are not for the dress hat crowd (which is probably most of us on here). They make hats for outdoor enthusiasts and travelers specifically in mind.

Anyone who needs sun protection, durability, and other little things like that (floats in the water!) all in one package would find these hats to be very useful.

Their most popular models look a lot like the hat worn by whats his name in Jurassic Park, Robert Muldoon, or something like that. The game hunter and Velociraptor expert. At least, I think he wore a hat like that...

Anyway: http://www.tilley.com/home.asp?countryCode=US

 

[carldelo]

I don't know where mageemm stands on this, but I have to say; Tilley's may do their job, and very well, but they are not for everybody. I have yet to find one I'd want to be seen wearing. I know, utility should come first. But when dignity can had by way of a slight compromise... [huh]

I've gotta concur with NB-13 here - I'd rather tie a bandanna on my head than sport a Tilley, not to mention my wife would leave me if I ever brought one home.

 

[Dewhurst]

I've gotta concur with NB-13 here - I'd rather tie a bandanna on my head than sport a Tilley, not to mention my wife would leave me if I ever brought one home.

More opinions on how fashionable a Tilley is? I guess people don't get the point. Tilley needs to advertise better, their message isn't coming through.

I'm pretty sure my wife wouldn't leave me if I came home with a Tilley hat. Then again, I don't have one to try it with, and I have zero purpose for one... so yeah.

 

[Everwyck]

More opinions on how fashionable a Tilley is? I guess people don't get the point. Tilley needs to advertise better, their message isn't coming through.

I'm pretty sure my wife wouldn't leave me if I came home with a Tilley hat. Then again, I don't have one to try it with, and I have zero purpose for one... so yeah.

Well, I suppose I couldn't speak to how fashionable they are, but the Tilleys are durable. The T3 was the second hat I ever bought, and it functioned exactly the way I needed it to. (Sun-exposure is my major issue. I don't tan- I burn.)

I've enjoyed my T3, excepting the sizing issue (my issue, not theirs), and I've even gotten some good feedback in public, usually along the lines of "Nice hat!"

If I were to dress up a little more, though? A Panama would be more suitable, I think.

Some may not like Tilleys, but I'll maintain they're still much better than baseball cap!

 

[Daoud]

In defence of the Tilley hat- fashionable or not.

Well, I'm not really sure that the point of wearing a hat is to be "fashionable." I mean, really- most of the hats (and other clothing) that many of us wear day-to-day are not fashionable by the standards of this time and sometimes place. I went to one of the local Wal-Mart Supercenters yesterday and I think it is a certainty that I was the only person in there wearing a bush jacket and an Akubra Bushman.....I felt like I was wearing a tuxedo. Even wearing a Tilley hat would have been overdressing.........

Most of us wear hats because we like them. We feel good in hats. Some of us have simple tastes, and some of us enjoy wearing custom hats and rare vintage hats......and some like to wear Tilley hats, clearly. And they are well-made hats which do a great job of simply being a hat.....of keeping the elements off of one's head.

I don't own a Tilley hat but I have been thinking of getting one, and I have been noticing something that's worth mentioning.....while most of us have at some time or another- or frequently-found a great deal on a fine vintage hat at a thrift store or on eBay, you hardly ever see Tilleys going for a song. You won't find them on clearance at your local outdoor emporium, and you won't get one for $1.99 on eBay........I think this says a great deal about the Tilley hat's popularity. And I'm thinking that this summer, if you drive by my house, you might see me mowing the lawn or picking heirloom tomatoes - not in an Akubra or a Stetson or a Panama or even my Chapeau de Brousse, Modèle 1949- but in a Tilley-and it will be just the thing to wow the folks at Wal-Mart!

 

[Mr. Paladin]

I think this is accurate, based on reading a lot of reviews and owning 5 Stetsons myself - there's much second-hand Stetson-bashing (eek, did I just write that? multiple puns not intended) that is probably not justified. The price difference between Stetson and Akubra is significant and persuasive, however.

I think this is a dead-on comment. The quality of the Stetsons I have purchased in the last few years has been very good. For the price point however, the Akubra value right now is far better (unless you live near the Outlet...) and the hats can be made to be a bit more casual looking depending how you crease them. Good luck!

 

[mageemm]

I am certainly glad that I found this site. There is a lot of useful knowledge out there. To Answer some of the questions, I wear a 7 1/8, and have considered finding a vintage hat, but I like the idea of the scuffs and wear to be associated with a story from something that I was doing. Also, I have considered the Tilley. They are certainly great hats for this, probably the best given they were made specifically for what I am wanting. But I just can't get behind them, so I figured a less functional hat that I would wear more would be better than the more functional hat that stays in the closet. I have hopped on the Akurba webpage. They look like they are really sound hats. The Fed IV and the Campdraft are now high on the list. It appears I am adding hats instead of narrowing All the better, it will lead me to the ideal hat. I have also learned a lot from these two threads.

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=39573

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=35989

I really appreciate all of the help. Please keep the info coming.

Do any of you worry about purchasing a hat online without trying it on? Please remember that I am new to this, and don't have a long history of knowing how hats from manufacturers fit comparatively to others.

 

[Spats McGee]

Welcome to the Lounge, mageemm!

You've gotten lots of information in this thread, but I think you've hit the nail on the head here:

. . . . I figured a less functional hat that I would wear more would be better than the more functional hat that stays in the closet. . . . .

Durability won't matter one bit if you buy a hat that you never wear. Let us know what you choose, and here's hoping that you enjoy it.

Do any of you worry about purchasing a hat online without trying it on? Please remember that I am new to this, and don't have a long history of knowing how hats from manufacturers fit comparatively to others.

I'm also relatively new to buying hats, having only started a couple of years ago. I live in a locale where there are no good hat shops. I have yet to find anything in a thrift/second-hand store (possibly because I rarely have time to look), so both of my fur felt hats had to be ordered online. The first one I bought was a bit small (& has been surprisingly resistant to stretching), and the second one felt a bit loose by comparison. My advice would be that, if you think you might be between sizes, opt for the larger one. You can pad the inside to make the fit a little more snug, and that's much less hassle than stretching.

 

[carldelo]

I am certainly glad that I found this site. There is a lot of useful knowledge out there. To Answer some of the questions, I wear a 7 1/8, and have considered finding a vintage hat, but I like the idea of the scuffs and wear to be associated with a story from something that I was doing. Also, I have considered the Tilley. They are certainly great hats for this, probably the best given they were made specifically for what I am wanting. But I just can't get behind them, so I figured a less functional hat that I would wear more would be better than the more functional hat that stays in the closet. I have hopped on the Akurba webpage. They look like they are really sound hats. The Fed IV and the Campdraft are now high on the list. It appears I am adding hats instead of narrowing All the better, it will lead me to the ideal hat. I have also learned a lot from these two threads.

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=39573

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=35989

I really appreciate all of the help. Please keep the info coming.

Do any of you worry about purchasing a hat online without trying it on? Please remember that I am new to this, and don't have a long history of knowing how hats from manufacturers fit comparatively to others.

Yep, I bought two Akubra at the same time, I figured the lowered shipping costs meant I was saving money by buying two, right? You might consider a Capricorn, a polypro straw that gets good reviews - I ordered one to go along with a Stylemaster. It is my understanding that Akubra run a tiny bit big, but sweatbands tend to shrink with hard use, so that is probably by design. Going a bit loose is a good idea - it's better to pad a sweat for half a year until the sweat shrinks a bit - while shrinking it will conform to your noggin really nicely - than to have a hat that becomes too small.

Re the Tilley, I should have mentioned that my father-in-law sported a Tilley continuously for the last few years of his life and it bugged my wife quite a bit. I do think they look like old-man hats, but for her she just doesn't want to look at one anymore.

 

[Pilgrim]

I have no argument with Tilleys - they don't pretend to be anything but what they are, and they are extremely tough and durable. If you want a fedora, the Tilley won't interest you anyway. I have a friend who's a paramedic and he and I sat next to each other at quite a few of our daughters' softball games - him in a Tilley and me in a variety of hats - and he darn well knew what he was doing to minimize his sun exposure. His Tilley also held its shape pretty well, so I assume he didn't store it Columbo-style, wadded up in his golve box.

Disclaimer: I don't know much about the newer Stetsons (say, after 1970) so I can't comment on them.

My general-purpose suggestion: IF you can find one at a reasonable price, my vote is to pick up an older Stetson Open Road. The ones in less than excellent condition sell at reasonable prices on Ebay, and they can be shaped any way you want with a bit of steam from the teakettle on your range. Open Rroads work for just about anything, and the older hats have good felt and hold up well. You can make it a fishing hat, a dress hat, or anything in between. There's no crime in getting an Open Road and wearing it until it's worn out.

 

[Dewhurst]

Do any of you worry about purchasing a hat online without trying it on? Please remember that I am new to this, and don't have a long history of knowing how hats from manufacturers fit comparatively to others.

Buying hats online becomes more comfortable the more you do it! Experience will help you to know how certain manufacturers size their hats in comparison to others, and that is one of the biggest assets a hat person can have: knowing, relatively, what a 7 1/4 means to Stetson, what it means to Biltmore, etc.

A good way to alleviate many fears is to make sure you purchase a hat from an online retailer that has a convenient return policy. Hats.com, MensHats.com, HartfordYork, etc., all send return labels with the hat, and if you are not satisfied with the hat you buy from them, for any reason, just send the hat back using the return label (don't take the tags off!). There are other online retailers who do the same. I think the Village Hat Shop has a good return policy as well. I know Hats Plus does. Basically, quite a few of the decent hat retailers online have hat people friendly return policies.

So, buy lots of hats, learn what sizes fit you from what manufacturers, and find retailers with convenient return policies. Experience will have to be built step by step.

 

[Daoud]

As far as buying hats online goes, I think the thing to do is to get an accurate measurement of your head- using a cloth measuring tape, measure around the largest part of your head- just above the eyebrows usually. Armed with this knowledge, you can sally forth into the land of eBay, where many sellers will give the measurements of the inside of the hat. And if they don't, feel free to ask. Some sellers will give the measurement of the inside of the hat's length and width. Apparently there is some formula(I am severely stupid when it comes to math) which will allow you to determine the diameter of the hat by the length and width. To bypass that, just measure a hat that fits you well- 8" by 6" works well for me- and remember those measurements.
I cannot recommend that you buy a vintage hat based on the size it is labeled as- for all you know a previous owner boiled the hat or left it to dry in the sun after a wetting, or something else to cause it to shrink beyond all hope of stretching. Similarly, sometimes a seller will state that he or she THINKS the hat is a certain size. Don't buy a hat based on someone else's thinking- get a measurement. And if a seller doesn't respond or takes several days to get back to you, you probably don't want to do business with that person, really.

Online retailers will usually supply you with a size chart, such as this: http://www.millerhats.com/hatsize.html
And when in doubt, contact the retailer's Customer Service Department and ask for fitting advice. They will almost always prove to be helpful.

 

[jlagman]

I have no argument with Tilleys - they don't pretend to be anything but what they are, and they are extremely tough and durable. If you want a fedora, the Tilley won't interest you anyway...

Well...

As some may know (or wish to forget), Tilley Endurables does offer a fedora:

http://tilley.com/detail.asp?catId=13&gender=m&extractBy=CategoryId&id=1&productNo=TF1

I may be a little biased with my opinions; my first hat was a Tilley fedora purchased in December '08 but the Tilley fedora might fit the threadstarter's needs. Most loungers will dislike the style of the hat; which features a shorter, tapered crown, no grosgrain ribbon, and a hat pin. While it's a far cry from "Golden Age" styling, it's still a quality made hat; very durable, functional, versitile, and still recognizable as a fedora.

The hat comes pre-creased and blocked, not as fun as an open crown hat, but the felt is also very pliable and feels more soft and luxurious than many of the modern hats I've seen at a similar price point. It retains its shape well; I have flattened it, carried it in my luggage for several hours at a time, and restored its original shape with little or no problems. I've worn the hat in rain and snow and the hat has remained no worse for wear...did I mention that it comes insured against loss or damage?

 

[Daoud]

That's not a bad looking hat at all! I never knew Tilley made such a hat. I've certainly seen much worse-looking hats displayed on this forum.

 

[Goose.]

Well...

As some may know (or wish to forget), Tilley Endurables does offer a fedora:
...

Darn it jlagman!!! (pardon my coarse language)...

There are just some things I shouldn't see. And that fedora on your head is one of them.

I wanted a crushable fedora. Got an Akubra Casual. Got wet in some rain (once), air dried, then tapered (shrunk) like nuts.
Trying to get it back to par...but maybe I need that Tilley as well.

IF, it's not a problem, I would like to see a pic of the left side, lining, and the crown.
And a cheeseburger with fries if ya got nothing else to do

Seriously, thanks for the post. That is the only Tilley I can reacall screaming "BUY ME GOOSE!".

And to keeps this somewhat thread related, maybe a great hat for someone that wants his/her first fedora. Could be the only one they get and can be worn w/o relative concern given the warranty and weather resistance. BUT, for the price if someone wanted to see how a fedora works for them, I'd get the Akubra Federation IV (standard or deluxe). Though you probably wouldn't pack it in a suitcase (why I want a crusher). If you end up liking any fedora and don't wanna worrry about a fat gal sit on it while chowing at *Hometown Buffet, I'm betting that you'll end up getting a Fed on your head eventually. So, save time and dollars and do it right the first time.

* = (and yes, while the wife hates that place, we went to Hometown w/ grandkids the other day. I removed my Fed and placed it on the seat at the empty table next to me. I take my lid off in any restaurant....don't know why as I see others wearing hats...just my wierd thing I guess).

Your mileage may vary. Don't run with scissors.

 

[Not-Bogart13]

That's a Tilley!?! Somebody get me foot-eating smiley! lol

Although, I think the hat is being out-shined by that awesome coat!

 

[Goose.]

That's a Tilley!?! Somebody get me foot-eating smiley! lol

Although, I think the hat is being out-shined by that awesome coat!

What N-B13 said.

BTW, NB...I like that hat in your current avatar. Looks good on you. :cool2:

 

[jlagman]

Ask and you shall receive...

Here's a shot from the front to show how tapered the crown really is

Beside my Adventurer

A shot of the teardrop

Left side w/ a shot of the hat pin

Liner (those are foldaway ear flaps)

Oh yeah, I almost forgot...

 

[Goose.]

Thanks for the quick reply!
Bummer, for me, about the taper. I can't pull that off with my noggin'

But I appreciate the pics as now, though bummed, I know.

And, thanks for the burger w/ fries

 

[jlagman]

Thanks for the quick reply!
Bummer, for me, about the taper. I can't pull that off with my noggin'

But I appreciate the pics as now, though bummed, I know.

And, thanks for the burger w/ fries

I guess like the rest of their hats, Tilley's fedora isn't for everyone.

I remember looking at an older thread here in the lounge basically ripping the Tilley fedora apart (figuratively, this hat's very durable ) with regards to its styling. I suddenly began to feel buyer's remorse, "If these more experienced and more knowledgeable people don't like it, maybe they're right." After being a member here for a few months, I've come to appreciate the styling of more traditional fedoras, but there will always be a special place in my heart and on my head for my Tilley fedora; it's my "go to" hat that's a bit more flexible than my Adventurer.

I find I can pull of both a casual and a more dressed up look with the Tilley whereas I never wear the Adventurer without a collared shirt, a tie, dress pants, and dress shoes. I can wear my Tilley without having to worry about the weather and I can go crown-pinching crazy with it, I baby the Adventurer despite the fact that it's the cheaper of the two.

In the interest of staying on topic, please feel free PM me if anyone has any further questions regarding the Tilley fedora.