Potentially condemned to a hatless life.

[timbusan]

Hi all,

I'll be moving to a hot country soon and I'm transfixed by the idea of wearing a hat while I'm there. Not only because its eminently practical but also because they seem to be a lovely thing to own.

However, I have a problem. I never realised until I actually tried to wear a hat but I have a ridiculously small head. I measured it and apparently I'm about 55cm but frankly I think that's pushing it. I tried on my girlfriends (admittedly cheap and nasty hat from H&M) which is 56cm and I looked like a fool. In fact she's convinced that hats are simply not for me. Surely not! Surely there's a hat out there for a man of my cranial predisposition.

So, am I doomed to sunstroke? Does anyone have any recommendations? Or perhaps there is a custom hatter out there?

I think a small hat in all proportions would be best. I think straw ones are better for a man of my age but I think I could definitely go for a Panama since they just look that distinguished, but it'd need a relatively small brim. I'm not really into Trilbies since I think they are a little overdone by my demographic.

If it helps my stats are:

28 years old, 5 foot 8, athletic build with a pretty young looking face.

So yes, I'm not entirely sure what is involved in hat making but if there's anyone out there that can make Panama hats (or has an idea for a better style) in my size then I'd love to hear from you.

All the best,

Tim

 

[splintercellsz]

So, your head is roughly a 6 7/8 - 7? There are plenty of hats in the size range.

 

[timbusan]

Thanks for your reply. I think I'm actually closer to 6 3/4. From my experience 'off the shelf' hats just don't work for me.

 

[splintercellsz]

Maybe you are a long-oval?

 

[timbusan]

That's a great suggestion. I'm not sure if I am or not but it could be the case. If I could go to a shop and try on a few hats it would all be a lot easier but there's very little of that kind of thing in South Korea.

 

[g.durand]

Plenty of custom hatters listed in the second post on the following thread who could make up something to your exact size and specs:

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?52584-Links-To-Important-Hat-Forum-Threads&

Or check out this member's sale of fantastic hats, some of which may be your size. At some reasonable prices, too.

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?72663-HAT-SALE-7-through-7-3-8-Straw-and-Felt-Add-Funds-Reduce-Clutter&

 

[mustangman3000]

Anyone can pull off a fedora, your probably just not used to seeing yourself in one.

If you want a custom panama the first person I would try is Art Fawcett. There may be cheaper options out there but none will get you as good a fit and in as short amount of time as him.

As far as I'm concerned his value can't be beat!

 

[Shangas]

If you're heading to a hot country, you'll definitely want a nice Panama to keep the sun from roasting your head into a crisp.

I'm a small fellow myself. My hat size is 7. Or about 56-58 in metric; it varies according to hat-style. There are certainly hats which come in smaller sizes than that, though. So do not despair - you can, and will find one.

 

[timbusan]

Hey Shangas,

Thanks for the words of encouragement. I'm pretty much set on a panama now. I just found this website actually and it seems to be both cheap and comprehensive in that it seemingly caters for all shapes, sizes and colours. I may make a purchase and if so I will report back at a later date.

http://www.panamahatsdirect.com/

 

[frussell]

Before my son was born, I set about looking for small-sized hats for him to wear while he was growing. With a little luck, and some help from fellow Loungers, I found several excellent hats in the 6 5/8 - 6 3/4 range, including a nifty milan straw and two near mint Stratoliners. Look on eBay. I have the opposite problem, I'm a 7 7/8, so I'm used to picking through the other sizes to find mine. You should be able to find some in your size. Good hunting. Frank.

 

[Shangas]

This is my Panama which I bought at my local flea-market...



It has a circumfrence of 58cm (which feels a bit small, but it fits comfortably enough), and a brim of about 2-1/2 inches.

 

[job]

Try looking at Bencraft for some other ideals. http://www.bencrafthats.com/list.php?cattype=2&subcatid=11&subcname=Tesi

Tesi has a panama with a 2 5/8 brim with a low and tapered crown and a 3" brim with a fuller crown. The Tesi sisal in a 2 1/2 brim has a low and tapered crown that should not make you feel funny.

 

[hatophile]

Don't despair, there are definitely some smaller hats on Ebay and Etsy to be had, some quite nice, and there seems to be more competition for the larger hats, so good deals too.

 

[TomS]

Anyone can pull off a fedora, your probably just not used to seeing yourself in one.

If you want a custom panama the first person I would try is Art Fawcett. There may be cheaper options out there but none will get you as good a fit and in as short amount of time as him.

As far as I'm concerned his value can't be beat!

I think you might be on point concerning your comment regarding one's self in a fedora. It does take some getting used to.

 

[WideBrimm]

You might try Panama Bob's web site. He's a long time member of the lounge!

http://panamas.biz/

 

[AtomicEraTom]

Sounds like there's a great market of vintage hats out there for you, with that hat size.