"Open Road" mania

[fedoralover]

A few years ago I made a post about the virtue's of the Stetson Open Road, at that time the lounge was much smaller and not that many people had that big of an interest. Over the last year or so the lounge has really grown and so has the interest in acquiring an Open Road. Rightly so, as they are an awesome hat.

But I've seen prices for them on ebay go really high in some auctions. Not too long ago one went for over $280. I understand that it's your money, but as a cautionary note to newbies, Stetson produced more Open Roads than any other style they have ever produced. They continue to make them. At some point in time I suppose the market will dry up, but so far they continue to come up for auction all the time. I wouldn't go too crazy in a bidding war with someone. There is always another one coming up the next week. I've even found them at Goodwill for $12.50 in excellant condition.

regards fedoralover

 

[Orgetorix]

Can you dredge up your original post? I'm curious to read it. Honestly, I confess I don't much care for the looks of ORs, and I'm curious as to what everyone here sees in them.

 

[fedoralover]

I confess I don't much care for the looks of ORs, and I'm curious as to what everyone here sees in them.

Well, as with all things it's a matter of personal likes and dislikes. The Open Road can double as a dress fedora or everyday fedora. It's a style that dates way back before Stetson even marketed it as the "Open Road".

I doubt if I can find my original post. But others will chime in on what they like about it I'm sure.

fedoralover

 

[tonyb]

I'm rather partial to the OR look too, fedoralover, and have been for, oh, 30-some years now. Ever since my late teens. Indeed, my collection of OR and OR-like lids is now up to something approaching 20 pieces. (I can't speak for others, Orgetorix, but it's that happy marriage of a Western hat and somewhat more citified look of a fedora that appeals to me. I often wear Levi's blue jeans -- as I have my entire life, post-diaper period -- and the OR goes good with 'em. Throw in a well-worn leather jacket and you have the archetypal Western American look. My political perspective may be a bit to the left of those of a few folks here who make no secret of theirs, but I'm as genuinely American as any of 'em, and I don't mind looking the part.)
You're right about those prices, fedoralover. Yes, it's the buyer's money to do with as he chooses. And yes, it can be reasonably argued that certain vintage ORs in nice condition are worth twice the price of those clearly inferior new ones. But my Lord, it isn't that old ORs are at all rare. I see them routinely in vintage clothing and antique stores. The asking prices in those establishments are on the rise, too. I gotta believe that the proprietors are taking their cues from eBay.
I say wait on the good deals. Don't bid up on each other, guys. Look at that deal Marc got recently -- an apparently NOS Open Road for $39. You'll get those good deals only if you vow to get only good deals. And don't overlook the myriad OR-like hats out there. Many of them are actually better than all but the best (the Stetson 100s, for instance) vintage Open Roads.

 

[RBH]

I agree with Tonyb, the Open Road [ and all thin ribbon fedoras]to me has that distinct rural look. But also lends itself to a dignified city look if the need arises.
Dressed up or down the O R, to me, fits the bill.

 

[Simon82]

One more for the Road

Have to say I'm a new convert to the OR (but without the "cattleman" crown bash). I've yet to post photos of my new all-time favorite hat, an Open-Road beaver fedora custom-made by Art Fawcett.

It's a style that does indeed go well with jeans, sportcoat or suit (as evidenced by Jeff Bridges' similar Penney's Marathon in "Seabiscuit").

Don't get me wrong, I love wider-ribbon Bogart-style lids, too, there's something about a nice beige Open-Road fedora that complements just about anything in the old wardrobe.

 

[Matthew Dalton]

I must admit I've also wondered what fuss is about. I'll have to see about getting myself one.

 

[DOUGLAS]

Yeah, for me the diversity of this particular model. my favorite hats are those that can look dressy and informal both. The proportions of crown to brim of the OR seem to this. Many companies make this relative style. This is one of the few types of hats that I like that has a bound edge. As far as price I don't think that I have paid more than Fifty or so for any of mine, be they Stetson ,Mallory or Borsalino.

 

[MattC]

Wearing against type

I started as a regular fedora guy (as a kid, 50 years ago), and had a real dislike for O.R. style (maybe it was a hangover from bad memories of LBJ--I'm with you Tony B). Anyway, I was smitten by a sky blue Stratoliner, then a chalk grey Strat, then a pale cream with-a-touch-of-green borso, and the rest, as my banker would say, is history. Art did a dark green Strat style for me earlier this year that I posted. I like to dress against type a bit; a really beautiful Cavanagh or a high end borso with jeans and an old leather jacket, a Stratoliner with a double breasted blue suit headed to court. What the hell, have fun with the looks.

 

[tonyb]

Interesting all of that, Matt. I, too, had a blue Strat, and a tan one -- both unlined, and both in real nice condition -- which I bought for next to nothing at the Goodwill way, way back when. That's what got it going for me.
As to that crown treatment we've come to call the "cattleman's bash": I think it looks just fine on some folks, but not on me. So I've de-cowboyed an OR or three and fedoraized 'em. It's a pity that new ORs come from the factory only with the cattleman's bash. And they're about as stiff as, well, come up (yuk, yuk) with your own metaphor. I gotta think that erasing the factory bash and putting a good fedora pinch in one of those jobs would require professional equipment, and that even then the results would be less than 100 percent satisfactory.
On BookTV over the weekend I heard an interview with a guy who wrote an LBJ biography. He claimed that Johnson once dressed in a more citified manner. He even mentioned snap brim fedoras vs. Western hats. That's the first I'd ever heard that, but I have no reason to dispute it. I doubt the guy was talking out of his hat, so to speak.
By the way, Matt, what variation on an OR theme is that hat in your avatar?

 

[Tony in Tarzana]

One of my Open Roads has a pretty good cattleman's crease, and I like it. It's more of a "summertime" look for me, I think.

 

[Kaleponi Craig]

Open Road turned into Seabiscuit

I had Art Fawcett make mine into a Seabiscuit hat (like the one Jeff Bridges wore and that was actually a hat that Art loaned the film) and it looks great, IMHO. I'm not a big fan of the original Open Road LBJ look, but then, I'm not a Texan and I think that's kind of a Texas thing. Mine is pretty old, from the 50s, when Stetson was making great hats. The picture below is the Penney Marathon, but my OR looks pretty much like this.

 

[fedoralover]

And here it is

Last year I visited Art and had him get it out for me to see. Naturally I had to have my pic taken wearing it. I posted this pic in the movie section but here it is again.

fedoralover

 

[ideaguy]

I'm partial to the OR look myself, even though I've many others-from Western to
Whippet; I still find myself reaching for an OR, or one of it's many clones-have a Resistol with a Kitten Finish that just seems to complete a jeans with a black cashmere turtleneck and vintage leather jacket-it's a great style to base a look on-and change components of the outfit without having the hat be the odd piece out, so to speak. Just got a chocolate brown Borsalino, thin ribbon, dead ringer for an OR with a teardrop bash and snapped brim; same body style as the
Stetson, but a much classier finish. My 2 cents...

 

[MattC]

In the Avatar

I'm wearing that sky-blue Stratoliner. I've given all my OR type hats a fedora bash. Graham Thompson had creased one recently in a beautiful diamond bash. I'll post it a little later. Re LBJ: I've seen pictures of him in more traditional fedoras during his early days in the Senate. But always in D.C.; in Texas, I think the OR was as "uncowboy" as he dared to get.

 

[GentlemanFarmer]

I wear my ORs (and look-a-like Resistol) with the Alpine/Cattleman crease, mainly with boots and Wranglers, but with the front brim down. I can, however, wear my hard-to-find black OR with my black overcoat over a suit on a cold, blustery evening to a dinner or the theater. They can fill both occasions.

 

[Tango Yankee]

I've been watching ORs on eBay...

and today one went for $71.00 and another for $81.00!

Cheers,
Tom

 

[jamespowers]

Funny this topic should come up. I just received a Mallory, The Dallas, yesterday. This was Mallory's version of the Stratoliner in the 1940s into the 1950s. In lieu of a picture of the hat on my head as I write this, here is the ad from 1950 (that's me with the young lady. ) :

I paid about $40 for mine so I guess I should feel good about the price.

Regards,

J

 

[DOUGLAS]

I love Mallorys.

 

[jamespowers]

I love Mallorys.

Me too.
That reminds me of part of the buying story. After I won the hat, the seller contacted me and wanted to let me know that it was a Mallory by Stetson. I couldn't help myself but load him down with a bunch of actual information on the hat---before I even had it in my hands.
It wasn't by Stetson until later in the 1950s. Hats marked as such were probably produced in the 1960s since you see this marking on mostly stingy brims.
Being that my The Dallas has the OPA tag in it, it was likely a little older than that. Again, I also come across the ubiquitous felt under the sweatband. Geez, its like they sold 7 5/8 size hats at such a huge discount back in the day that people just made do with a bigger hat. It fits better without the felt for me. I just wish I looked as a matter of course before trying on my "new" hats.

Regards,

J