Newbie's new hat, and can use sizing/fitting advice!

[Wildblue]

Hello, all-- been here for a bit, reading and doing research learning. My account validation just came through, so I can now post! For a while, now, I've been wanting a dress hat, to wear with suits and overcoats, but have been apprehensive as to styles and size. I'm a decently big guy, about 6'3" and 225 lbs, with a really big head, 7 3/4 to 7 7/8, and I'm rather conscious of things that make me and my big noggin look even bigger. I want something that will be proportionate, not too big with a wide brim or tall crown, but not something that will look like a tiny lid perched on my head, either. I already own a couple leather foldable Aussie outback hats, and think that the brims are, unfortunately, just a bit too big and floppy, so I don't wear the Aussie hats very often.

Bottom line, I really want to "class up" my look.

So after research here and elsewhere, I put a Stetson Temple Fedora on my Christmas wish list, and somebody actually bought it for me, from Amazon.com! I'm concerned about the look and fit, though, and would very much appreciate honest feedback and advice. During research, I measured my head just between 7 3/4 and 7 7/8, so going with the advice from here, I went with the larger 7 7/8. (couldn't even find a hat big enough in stores to try on comparatively) Now that I have it, I really like the hat! I'm wondering if it might be a touch big, though, and if I should go for the 7 3/4 instead.

I must be another person like others here with a bit "long" head, because the hat is snug (not at all tight) in the front and back, but has a gap on the sides. So on my head, it's nice and stable front and back, but more susceptible to wind gusts from the side. If I put my hands on the sides of the hat and push it in towards my head, the hat is a bit loose. So I have several fitting/sizing questions I could use help with!

1. Can a hat be "formed" or adapted to a head, like making it longer, or shrinking it to fit a particular head? (something like water and dried in a safe and controlled manner?) I saw here that hats can be "stretched" front and back, but if my hat is already loose on the sides, would that just make it way too big all around?

2. Whether or not #1 is true, would I be better served by exchanging the hat for the same one in 7 3/4? Unfortunately, I'm not ready at this point to jump from this $130 hat to a $400-600 custom one that would be long and custom for my particular head.

3. I read here that hats naturally shrink over time, so is my best option to accept the imperfect fit now with the hat I've got, and wait for it to shrink to my head? Will it shrink to my particular head, or rather shrink all around, so it becomes good on the sides, but too tight front and back?

4. I read here about using foam inserts in the sweatband to make hats fit better. But the only thing I could find like that, that came with my hat was the foam triangle band that goes around the crown to rest in the ring in the hat box. (see last picture below) I can't find any instructions/guidance for putting in inserts. Is this what I use? Or need to buy something else?

Thanks in advance for feedback and help!

 

[avedwards]

The hat looks very good on you in my opinion. The dimensions suit you very well.

As for fit, it sounds like you are a long oval head shape, which I am too (though a different size). The foam you posted in your last picture is only for packing the hat, put there by Stetson to protect the hat. Some hatters will send rectangular strips of foam with the hat which you can put under the sweatband of your hat. If your hat wasn't shipped with these then you can use strips of cloth and put them under the sweatband at the sides to improve the fit. I did this with a Stetson Chatham (same quality felt as the Temple) and after two months I could remove these and the hat fit perfectly.

The hat will shrink but the loose part, sides in your case, will shrink more. As a result the fit should improve the more your wear the hat, especially in the rain as this causes the hat to soften and conform to your head as it dries, providing you are wearing it of course.

 

[ValEag]

Wildblue - that Stetson does look fine on you! And I'm not just saying that because your 6' 3" and weigh 225! I'm not a fashion and fit expert, but I believe that your size may lend itself to wearing hats with larger brims and taller crowns, but some of our experts here will verify that for you I'm sure.

As far as the fit goes, it is not unusual for an unworn hat to be a little large at first. Wear it around the house for a few hours each day and it will soon conform a little better to your noggin. You did the right thing by going with the larger size. It's easier to add the foam strips than to try to stretch one that's a little small.

As far as the foam strips - my Akubra hats have been packed with a foam strip about 1/4" wide, but I do not use that. I get a roll of foam weather stripping at the hardware store, about 1" wide and 3/16" thick (more or less), then cut off a strip of it at the length I need and insert it behind the band, leaving the backing on. Later if and when the hat shrinks a little, it is easy enough to remove. The wider foam contacts more of the hat and gives a better fit than the narrow, or seems that way to me.

You did a fine job picking your first hat!

 

[Spats McGee]

Welcome to the Lounge, Wildblue!

I think you did very well picking your 1st hat. Yes, hats can be formed, stretched, shrunk, all within a reasonable degree of course. From the looks & description of yours, you should be able to get it to fit. I've not had a lot of experience in stretching or shrinking hats, so I'll leave the particulars to those who know more about it than I.

 

[dhermann1]

Looks perferct to me! BTW, you should look up Carebear, he's a fellow Alaskan, up there somewhere in the frozen north. Welcome to the Lounge!
You guys should meet up. Maybe you could start a "Domes of Nome" thread!

 

[gtdean48]

That Stetson Temple looks good on you. I'd raise the crown a touch & tighten the pinch, did that on my Pinnacle. Your face can handle a taller crown. As far as the fit, hats don't come Long Oval anymore but our heads still do. I've had to put spacers in all my new hats until wearing causes them to drawn in some. I use felt squares from craft stores to cut into strips to put behind the sweatband until then. You could use that foam stuff too I guess. Some folks use a folded paper towel...[huh]

 

[RobFedoraField]

great first lid

I've come to realize on the lounge that hats are a matter of preference and if you feel good in it, it usually works. but as that goes, I've always felt that your crown should always be squarer than your chin and that hats work for you, I tend to wear mind down lower to my ears, but that is really just preference.

great look w/ the black coat.

welcome to the lounge and wear in good health.

 

[Wildblue]

Thanks so much, all, and I'll certainly take any more input you guys have. I used some of my wife's craft foam pads, cut four strips, and put two inside each side of the hat sweat bands. It fits snug now, although since it makes the sweat band pooch in, the band wrinkles up a bit because it's not circular/oval anymore. So the slight wrinkles are a bit uneven against my head, and not completely smooth. I hope the hat shrinks down rather quickly, because I definitely prefer the nice smooth feel instead of the slight wrinkle pressures.

I chuckled a little bit about wearing the hat around the house. Opening Christmas presents, my 5 year-old daughter decided to give me a royal blue Snuggie. So there I was, sitting in my living room chair, wearing my pajamas, a blue Snuggie, and a nice black Fedora.

 

[CRH]

...So there I was, sitting in my living room chair, wearing my pajamas, a blue Snuggie, and a nice black Fedora.

You are a sick man. Welcome to the asylum. :eusa_clap

 

[Wildblue]

Thanks.... heheeee... you don't get any pictures of that, by the way.

 

[Wildblue]

Here you can see the side effect of putting the foam strips inside the sweatband. This is a brand new hat, and the sweatband is naturally flush. Putting the strips inside makes the sweatband "bulge" inwards a bit, producing those wrinkles. So the hat's now pretty much snug on the sides as well as the front and back, but it's not "snug flatly" on the sides, just the parts of the bulges that contact my head. So... here's hoping that the hat does shrink!

 

[Wildblue]

Here's a bunch of pictures of the hat with some of the duds I've been putting together lately. Like I said, I'm trying to "class up" my overall look. First one is with a Cashmere overcoat and grey scarf I've been wearing here in the Alaskan winter. Rest are with the duds underneath I wore to church today. I'll probably post these over in the "What Hat Ya Wearin' Today" thread, too.

Please excuse the cheesy poses, they were my wife's idea.

... really.

 

[jaymag_87]

The hat looks good on you.

Like you, I'm in the process of upgrading my apearrance. After a year or so of jeans and golf shirts, it's time to dress things up.

I thought I had a big dome at 7 5/8. Wow.

 

[Razoor]

I think it looks very good on you. I especially like the Suit. The hat and suit make a good combo. I am in the same boat as you in regards to trying to "class up"

 

[Not-Bogart13]

I have found the Temple very hit-or-miss in terms of how it looks on people, but it works well for you. Especially with the suit.

I wouldn't panic about the way it fits. Hats need time to break in, kind of like shoes. As time goes by it will find the shape of your head a bit better. Some day, you might be able to remove the strips in the sweatband. Maybe not. Some hats, and indeed some heads, will always leave gaps in places. Hats are made evenly rounded, while the human head is far from it.

I would NOT get a smaller size, based on what you describe. Especially with the long oval head thing going on. You did right. If you decide to get another hat later on, you might want to try for vintage hats that say "Long Oval" or "LO" next to their size.

As for changing the shape of the hat, it can be done. However, I would not recommend the expense or the procedure on a modern Stetson. For future reference, though, Hatsdirect.com has been known to stretch hats they sell for long oval upon request.

 

[Richard Warren]

After some years of buying hats that fit just right, only to have them shrink and become too tight, I started buying large and allowing to shrink, which is usually accelerated by wearing the hat in the rain. You did right to buy large.

 

[Wildblue]

Much appreciated, everyone! I'm keeping the hat instead of exhanging it for another size, and am going to keep wearing the hat around to see if it starts shrinking. (nothing, yet) It's blown off a couple times in parking lots, although granted we've been having some strong Alaskan winter winds--not blizzards, or anything. Not cool, though, when your brand new hat pops off and plunks down in a dirty parking lot. I was so upset the first time it happened, that the second time, my 6 year-old daughter started freaking out before I even reacted.

I'd like to make my next hat also something like a Fedora or such, but dark grey that I think would go even better with the suit and other clothes.

Then after that, something like a brown Akubra with leather band, for wearing in casual clothes as well.

When I'm around a major hat store next, I'm going to see if a 7 3/4 Long Oval might be a better size for me, before I spring for another hat.

 

[cptjeff]

Much appreciated, everyone! I'm going to keep wearing the hat around to see if it starts shrinking. (nothing, yet) It's blown off a couple times in parking lots, although granted we've been having some strong Alaskan winter winds--not blizzards, or anything.

I'd like to make my next hat also something like a Fedora or such, but dark grey that I think would go even better with the suit and other clothes.

Then after that, something like a brown Akubra with leather band, for wearing in casual clothes as well.

Get a nice medium gray with a 2" or so black band. I have yet to see an outfit where one of those does not work.

As for the wind issue, if/when the hat shrinks closer to your head, it'll happen less often. Though with wider brim hats, a windcord may be a good idea.

 

[TheRealDrew]

Ok.... I'd agree with GTDEAN.... You could definitely go with a a taller crown... I also feel the brim could do with being wider, it might reduce that "stocky" feeling?

 

[Corky]

Here's my advice...

Here's my advice:

1.) Lose that feather! I think 99 per cent of the loungers would agree with me on this one. Look at the photos on almost any thread to see what I mean.

2.) And then get a couple of other hats for your collection in different styles and colors. I suggest you go to Hats Direct and order a Camp Draft in your size in whatever color you like. Most folks around here agree that it's about the closest one can get to a vintage hat in look and feel. Plus you can have the pleasure of bashing it yourself.

3.) Then start looking at E-Bay for a vintage fedora with some beaver content. I found an old thin felt XXX Beaver Stetson western hat which I re-blocked into a wonderful hat. It is much nicer and has a silkier feel than new hats which cost several times as much.

4.) Start giving yourself the luxury of thinking about what you might want in a custom hat. An all beaver hat is well worth the price and I think one would suit your style and appearance.

Best of luck