Porkpies - or, the time and place for hats

[Pompidou]

My brown fedora was easy to wear. It can be formal. It can be adventurous. It can be pretty much anything I want it to be. I can only imagine that's why they chose it for Indiana Jones. It's all purpose and classic. I have a black pork pie. I love it. I think it's my favorite of the two. I have a question about hats in general. I know top hats are the most formal of hats, and from what I've gathered, suitable for "white tie" occasions. This is irrelevant to me, as I have no suit worthy of such, and am not in any circle to be invited to a white tie event. Homburgs are the next rung down in formality. Fedoras are the every man's hat. How do porkpies fit into this? They seem more formal than fedoras. I wear mine with slacks, a button down shirt and a blazer with some dress shoes, and it looks fine. Porkpies never get much attention, and I think they're my favorite of all the hats, so I'm just curious about how to wear one right. Thanks all.

PS: I really like the banner/logo of this site. It might be the best logo I've seen on a message board yet. The cityscape came out really well and really has a Prohibition era film noir look to it. Good stuff.

 

[Mr E Train]

There's no right or wrong way to wear them, just wear them. There are some pork pies that are pretty dressy and look out of place with jeans, but the same holds true for fedoras. Generally, though, pork pies look fine either dressed up or dressed down.

 

[cptjeff]

A porkpie is just a fedora bashed differently. Take it on it's own merits as you would a fedora.

 

[Stan]

Hi,

Pretty much, if the porkpie fits your face shape, then it's simply a matter of picking the rest of the outfit to match the hat.

In other words, if it looks good to you in the mirror, then it probably *is* good!

later!

Stan

 

[Big_e]

Most weekends are for my porkpie. I'll wear it with my black sportcoat or brown one and I'll wear slacks or sometimes jeans. It goes good with anything. It can give jeans a jazzy look or really spruce up a suit or sportcoat.
Ernest

 

[Belegnole]

To me brown has never been formal and I can't do it. But, with a brown dress suit it would work fine. What I find sad and or funny depending on how you look at it is that there is not any true existing hat etiquette anymore. As hats are more than just out of style the rules considering them are only found in old completely out of date books. This is probably why there is so much discussion on these forums about hat etiquette.

We can choose to follow rules from the past or alter them as we see fit to work alongside modern life. Those who are more into vintage may choose to go with what the rules were from the past while others may not. Personally I like many of the old ways etiquette told us to behave while I am not all that vintage. What this brings me to is that the top hat was the last of a line of "the most formal hat". When and if hats become a part of everyday life in the way that they used to be we might have a new formal hat.

and of course all of this depends on what country you reside in.....

wear your hats and enjoy them....

 

[Geronimo]

I think your issue is the color of the hat. A brown model would probably work better for casual wear - I've noticed that my gray porkpie doesn't work so well with less formal clothes.

 

[Mr E Train]

I think your issue is the color of the hat. A brown model would probably work better for casual wear - I've noticed that my gray porkpie doesn't work so well with less formal clothes.

I wore my grey pork pie today with a black casual sport coat, button-down shirt and jeans, and it looked fine (well, at least I think so ). As an aside, personally, I have little use for a brown hat because I prefer black shoes and belts, and have very few articles of brown clothing. I guess I just gravitate away from brown for some reason, although I like it on other people. [huh] I mostly wear black, blue, red, grey and some green, and grey hats work well for me.

 

[Big_e]

Black Porkpies in general can make any suit look better and go good with anything else. To me, a black Porkpie is the dressier of the colors. As it was stated above, brown is not so formal but would go great with a brown suit.
As it stands, I have a grey Porkpie which I think looks good with anything. I used to have a black Porkpie but I gave it to my brother 'cause it fit him perfect. I realy need to get another black one to really dress things up.
Ernest

 

[chgolion]

I love my Bailey Porkpie. If i wear it with jeans ( brim UP ) if i wear a tie with it ( brim DOWN )

 

[fmw]

I agree. A porkpie is just a narrow brimmed fedora with a telescope crease. You can wear it the same way as other fedoras. I have only one porkpie. My wife hates it. She calls it a cake on a plate. I have to wear it with the brim snapped down in front just to appease her. Personally, I like it a lot.

 

[Happy Jack]

love'em

 

[Bingles]

I only wear pork pies.. either round or diamond. I wear them with suits, jeans and shorts. Like many have said, it depends on the hat. I have some better quality ones that I wear with shirt and tie/suits - while others are for every day. Right now, I am sporting a very casual Kangol Mowbray pork pie which is made out of some sort of knitted summer mesh. It's not fancy, but in the summer heat, it's amazingly cool!

 

[TCMfan25]

Anyone know who produces a wider brimmed (2 1/4-2 1/2) Brown or Green Porkpie for more casual country outings/hunting trips/hiking?

 

[AtomicEraTom]

I am partial to porkpies myself, I just don't care so much for how extremely narrow the brims are. Stingy brims don't work for me.

 

[bowlerman]

I'm with you regarding the stingy brims. Just sold a really nice Dobbs velour porkpie for that reason. Anyway, i've seen a few on millerhats.com that have brims over 2 inches, and Art Fawcett made one that a lounger posted here a month or so ago that looked really nice. Surely any of the custom hatters would do it for you.

 

[Orangegrad]

Anyone know who produces a wider brimmed (2 1/4-2 1/2) Brown or Green Porkpie for more casual country outings/hunting trips/hiking?

http://www.everythingaustralian.com.au/shopexd.asp?id=20

Last week I emailed the folks at Everything Australian regarding their Squatter. The EA Squatter comes with the telescope crown as seen. It can be ordered with any bash, if you don't mind a three month wait. And if you don't mind the three month wait, perhaps a deep fawn EA Squatter with telescope crown? The brim is 2 3/4" - is that too big?

Hope this helps some.

-Andy

 

[Doctor Strange]

Anyone know who produces a wider brimmed (2 1/4-2 1/2) Brown or Green Porkpie for more casual country outings/hunting trips/hiking?

Then there's the Akubra Pastoralist. Not exactly a porkpie, but a similar Aussie country style:

http://www.everythingaustralian.com.au/shopexd.asp?id=6

And being an Akubra, it's tough enough for handling whatever you throw at it!

 

[Edward]

A porkpie is just a fedora bashed differently. Take it on it's own merits as you would a fedora.

Yeah, I would agree. As several posters have said above, colour rather than shape is the issue. I'm not myself the biggest fan of stingy brims, but I do have a black Akubra Rap that I enjoy wearing. Well softened after I wore it to a Pogues gig a couple of years ago and got it squashed literally flat (fifteen minutes with the kettle when I got in and it was grand). I bought it specifically for wearing with Ted gear (I shave my head and feel naked without a hat), and it works well with that, even of a DA would be more conventional.

I love my Bailey Porkpie. If i wear it with jeans ( brim UP ) if i wear a tie with it ( brim DOWN )

Is it wool or fur? I've seen quite a lot of Baileys around here in London for sale, but only wool. I prefer fur myself, though that said these do look nice plus they're relatively inexpensive which might encourage more folks to take up the hat habit... The pork pie style seems to work better in wool than most other fedora shaes I've seen, for whatever reason. I think it's to do with the snap in the brim being better?

 

[TCMfan25]

Then there's the Akubra Pastoralist. Not exactly a porkpie, but a similar Aussie country style:

http://www.everythingaustralian.com.au/shopexd.asp?id=6

And being an Akubra, it's tough enough for handling whatever you throw at it!

I could trim the brim a little bit, and replace the leather for a braided band... Thanks for the reference.