ScottF
Call Me a Cab
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jimmy the lid said:As a marketing/quality designation, the "Imperial" inhabited the same price point as the "3X" in Stetson's fedora line. So, for example, you can find "Imperials" that were priced at $15 in the late 40's. It appears that, by the early 50's, the "Imperial" had been replaced by the "3X" at that particular price point.
So, as best I can tell, the "3X" designation in Stetson fedoras began sometime in the very early 50's -- and essentially replaced the "Imperial" designation. [That being said, I believe that "Imperial" was re-introduced in more modern Stetsons, as you suggest, Mr. P.]
As always, these opinions are subject to change as we learn more over time...
Cheers,
JtL
I have that 3X fedora that is pre-1930 (my guess is 1910-20). I was surprised to find a 3X fedora that old, and guessed that it was older than most of the marketing designations that we're familiar with for fedoras (such as 'Imperial'), other than the 'Special' that apparently was introduced in or around 1905. Maybe 'Imperial' replaced '3X' for fedoras, then was in turn 'replaced' at a point when the 'X' no longer meant much. What's the oldest evidence we have of an 'Imperial' fedora?
I would still like to see some feedback on that 3X fedora as far as thoughts on age or the use of the 3X label on a fedora that old.