rebirth of the fedora

[Prince of Cats]

Thanks for all the history on the fedora. Although it would have been more convenient for me to just hate one person as opposed to the entire nation in whole. Well so much for a scapegoat.

Although, as a side note, I notice now that it is considered trendy to wear hats especially in the music industry and amongst actors. Perhaps, this raise will continue and we'll all benefit with the advent of more quality hat shops.

PoC

 

[Mr. John Smith]

As a member of Toastmasters International, I'm preparing to do a speech on the decline of hat wearing in the US. Although I don't get to post very often, this site has always been a wealth of information in all aspects. My speech topic is, as you may have guessed, based on the fact that I wear hats on a regular basis. So much so, that a co-worker asked me why I wasn't wearing a hat one day.lol

If the style comes back in full force, It will be because of the average Joe on the street. Whenever I run into another fedora wearer, we usually strike up a conversation. It's just stylish, social, and just damn practical.

 

[Lefty]

Brad,
Is this also info. from Hat Life? If it's from something a little more accessible, something I can find in my library or view online, I'd love to read it.
Please share. Thanks.

Factor in that the accepted date for peak hat production in the U.S. was 1903, and you have century-long decline.

My guess is a graph of this would show a fairly gradual but steady decline for the first four decades, and then an increasingly steep drop between 1950 and 1970.

So, we pretty much have nowhere to go but up!lol

Brad

 

[Brad Bowers]

Lefty,

This information comes from an interview with Robert Doran (of Doran Bros., who made hat-making machinery) in Debbie Henderson's book Hat Talk. Doran throws out the figures that the hat industry produced between 3.5 and 4 million dozen hats in 1903.

Neil Steinberg's Hatless Jack also uses this date, having sourced it from Henderson's book.


Whether this is accurate or not, I do not know, as I've never looked at industry publications to verify this. Which is why I stated that this is the generally accepted date, and perhaps not the empirical one. Doran certainly has the experience to know what he's talking about, but memories are also fallible. Since these two books are, at the moment, the best recent histories of the industry, we'll have to go with this information for now.

Someday I may have a definitive answer for you.

Brad

 

[Lefty]

Excellent. Thanks.
I've got to pick up those Debbie Henderson books.

 

[Orvil Newton]

A lot of the reason for the trend toward hatlessness (?) I believe, is simply that people spend less time out of doors and exposed to the elements. They spend more time in cars, shopping malls etc. than strolling Main Street or walking outside. Where once a man would wear a fedora or newsboy while working outdoors, he now wears a hard hat or baseball cap.

Lots of people wear headgear around here but mostly technical fabric rain or sun hats and of course the ubiquitous cheap, adjustable ball cap or, occasionally, a cowboy hat. Lots of stores have the "Official Indiana Jones" hat but I have yet to see anyone on the street wearing one in this town.

 

[retro50]

My dad, born in 1923, other than his armed forces uniform during WWII, and something for the sun while fishing, has NEVER worn a hat, let alone a fedora.