Playboys on Parade!

[alanfgag]

I appreciate the effort, Alan. You have better eyes than I do.

Was it common for Playboys of this era to not have the decorative brim edge stitching?

Yep. The decorative brim stitch was a later addition.

 

[hatsRme]

A recent Facebook find (thanks to those who were quick to point me to it!). Deep russet brown felt that is thin and imminently moldable. The open crown is between 7 ½ and 7 ⅝ inches. The raw edge brim is 2 ½ inches. It doesn’t have decorative brim edge stitching like many do. It’s unlined, but it doesn’t have a crown stamp. The un-reeded sweatband is soft and supple.

Finding one this old in 7 ¾ or 62cm is a rare find. The fit is perfect! I normally prefer more brim, but I’ll make an exception for this gem. The thin felt allows crease to be shallow to make the most of the crown height.

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Congrats, Brent!!
It's finds like this that keep us looking.

 

[StoryPNW]

I'm not sure if this will be a welcome addition here or not, but I got a Stetson Playboy cap. It is a Camelhair and Wool blend and has a leather sweat band, I think it's leather anyways.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

One of the nicer hats I’ve found recently. 1940s Playboy in size 7 ¼. The felt is a great blue-gray.
5 ½” open crown and 2 ⅝” brim with the single row of decorative stitching.

 

[Rmccamey]

A beautiful shade of blue. I could wear a hat like that!

One of the nicer hats I’ve found recently. 1940s Playboy in size 7 ¼. The felt is a great blue-gray.
5 ½” open crown and 2 ⅝” brim with the single row of decorative stitching.


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[Short Balding Guy]

One of the nicer hats I’ve found recently. 1940s Playboy in size 7 ¼. The felt is a great blue-gray.
5 ½” open crown and 2 ⅝” brim with the single row of decorative stitching.


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The Cresent Clothing, Madison, WI.

1931, Wan Wan San Chinese acrobats and Harris and Van, from the Orpheum Theatre, wearing straw hats, in front of Crescent Clothing Store, 27 N. Pinckney Street. Also shows the Reierson' Studio.

 

[65 Classic]

Playboy 4 3/4" crown, 2 5/8" brim, 1 1/8" ribbon, unstitched raw brim, possibly "custom" cut.

 

[65 Classic]

This one might be an early to mid 50's? The liner says 50's and the sweat band says 40's. The crown is at 4 1/2" as is, ribbon 3/4", brim 2 3/4". There are no tags behind the sweat band only the blue numbers shown.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

My latest Playboy:

 

[deadlyhandsome]

I dig this ice-blue-gray felt. No labels hiding behind the sweatband, but it measures as a US size 7 or 56cm. The raw edge brim with a single decorative row of stitching measures 2 ½ inches wide.

 

[Mighty44]

I dig this ice-blue-gray felt. No labels hiding behind the sweatband, but it measures as a US size 7 or 56cm. The raw edge brim with a single decorative row of stitching measures 2 ½ inches wide.


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It’s amazing how much taper they actually have. Probably why they take a crease so well. Nice one!

 

[Blare]

Stetson Playboy - Medium Brown
Ultra Thin Lightweight Felt
Approx 6 inch open crown - 4 3/4 as shaped
2 1/2 inch brim with single row stitching
7/8 Grosgrain Ribbon
Unlined with diamond shaped vents

A member of one of the Facebook hat groups posted about this Stetson Playboy for sale on Etsy. Try as i might… I could not resist. It looked a bit of a floppy mess.. but I could definitely see the diamond in the rough. And speaking of diamonds…. I combed through thirty three pages (and nearly 20 years of posts) of this Playboys on Parade thread to find one with the diamond vents… finally found one posted by Brent @deadlyhandsome just last year. I did see a couple with the snowflake vents in the roof.. like Eric’s @Short Balding Guy gorgeous Air Light Playboy. This one seems to be of similar vintage to Brent’s.. I would guess Mid 1950s. One interesting note about the vent holes… the placement is somewhat asymmetrical. With the bow side placed almost center while the other side is slightly further back to the rear. I don’t know if that is for a purpose or just how it ended up.

While all the evidence of sweat markings and tags point to a 1950s hat. The felt on this is incredibly thin and lightweight. The kind of felt you might find on a 30s or 40s hat. The hat is unlined…. Though I don’t know for sure if it came that way… a liner would kind of defeat the purpose of the vents. I don’t see any evidence of any type of tip logo… But I don’t think Brent’s hat had one either. Of my three Stetson Playboy hats one black and one blue/grey… this one has the most “playboy” vibe…. Considering its dimensions and super light weight felt. I only gave it a real good brushing…. Some time in the sun…. And an accidental drenching from an instant downpour while it was out there… but it shaped up quite well. It could probably use a bit of steam… however I actually preferred its super soft somewhat zaftig appearance as is… so I think I’ll hold off on that for now but I do want to smooth out that one crinkle on the side.