Reporter looking for help

[djbrown]

I'm a reporter at The Denver Post, working on a story about how difficult it can be for men to decide upon a hat style outside of the sad, sad ballcap, and then to actually FIND the hat in a store. I'd love to chat with a few people about their hat decisions. The story, in part, will revolve around the lovely fedora, my hat of choice (and my grandfather's). In addition to an interview, I'm also looking for an answer to one questions: What kind of bird feathers are used to decorate hat brims?

Thanks.

Doug Brown
303-820-1395

 

[jeboat]

Hat story

My take on hats is as follows: 1) most men do not want feathers for their fedoras; 2) the style and color are highly personal choices especially these days when most men do not wear hats at all(even in Europe); 3)aficionados prefer vintage hats (over 50 years old) or custom made hats; today there is a movement toward hats but it is still low key so far.

You will hear lots more opinions on this forum but that is my two cents worth.

jeboat:cool2: :cool2: :cool2:
jeboat@comcast.net

p.s.

btw, I live in Golden and can talk to you more and show you some hats if you want...

 

[JeffW]

Without this forum and the great people here to give advice, many men make early mistakes. You can not find a good hat at the mall. You can hardly find them a a hat store and there are not many of those around. Custom hats are great, but restrictive in price. Not the quality, but because most do not want to spend that much on something they are just trying out. Some wear hats for the look. Others wear them to keep the sun or rain off their head.

It takes a person of extreme confidence to be able to pull off the look. If you are weak, have low self esteem, etc, it will show. Those with the confidence to were a hat usually pull it off with style and grace.

I have no idea what kind of feathers are used as they are the first to go. I look forward to your article.

 

[John in Covina]

For some reason I think those feathers are from Woodpeckers! However most people tend to take them out of an ordinary fedora, whereas the Zoot Suit crowd like to have some outrageous plumage in their hats.

Just like buying a suit where you can go to some place that has suits, versus a place that specializes in suit to a custom suit tailor, men's hat have a parallel of levels of marketing, quality and expense. As to picking the right one, you should see what fits your face along with an idea of a particular "look" you might be going for in a hat. As to color, are you going to be wearing it with your suit or dress clothes? That is going to tell you more, what color goes with what you are wearing is going to lead you the most often.

Go online check out the big stores and then the custom makers. It helps if there is still a good hatter in your area to carry the quality brands. And there is no substitute for trying them on!

good luck.

 

[Senator Jack]

I usually stay out of the hat discussions here because I believe when a man buys a hat the only person that can really decide if it suits him is the guy under it. As JeffW noted, many men make mistakes when buying a new hat and I think I can always spot a 'new hat' guy when I see one. The brim is usually either too wide or stingy for his head (I can only wear stingies, for I tend to think slight/short men look overpowered by a wide brim hat.) and they really don't get the proper angle to it. That is, they wear it like the baseball cap they just ditched.

Over the last year, I've seen a great rise in men wearing hats here in NYC. The young hipsters go for the vintage stingies, and it's not only the old men playing bocce who are wearing the straw Milanos any longer. And whereas one used to find two or three people browising in JJ Hat, (THE hat store in NY) one can now expect to find eight to ten at any time.

Some of the long-time enthusiasts are upset about the public's rediscovery of hats, thinking it will not only take away our unique apearance, but that it will cheapen the image as a flood of discount 'fad' hats hit WalMart. But I believe it's not the hat that makes us stand out in cities of millions, it's the combination of style, panache, and attitude that we've each put together over the years. And sorry, buddy, you just can't buy those things at WalMart.

Kind regards,

Senator Jack

 

[TheRetropolitan]

1. What's a "stingy"?

2. Where's JJ Hats?

3. I have a relatively nice fedora that I got a while back from Cheap Jack's when it was down in Union Square, because it was the only one that I could find that fit my huge noggin. I wear it around the apartment every once in a while for inspiration (I'm an artist), but without fail, every time I've worn it outside I got asked if I'm jewish. Sheesh! Can't a guy just wear a hat anymore?

 

[Senator Jack]

1) A stingy is a short brim hat - 2" or less. Think of Sam and Dave and you'll get the picture.

2) JJ is at 310 5th Ave between 30th and 31st - just south of the Empire State Bldg. If you can get to Brooklyn, there's also Ben Craft Hatters on Broadway, at the foot of the Williamsburg. BCH is on the average $30 cheaper than JJs but you don't get the kind of haberdasher service you do at JJs. It's more of an Orchard Street type of place.

3) No, you can't just wear a hat. And it's worse when you have the suit on too because everyone thinks you're going to a costume party. If you're going to get into the vintage life, be prepared for a lot of questions and staredowns.

Cheers,

Senator Jack

 

[Harry Lime]

Go to the horse's (or sources') mouth.

The guys who know the most about how to fit a hat, what buyers look for in hats, and the hat buying crowd are probably these folks; Art Fawcett at Vintage Silhouettes, Graham Thompson at Optimo, Steve Delk and a handful of other names that you will see pop up here (not trying to offend by excluding anyone, someone can add.) These guys see all types and can tell you the most about what people look for.

Hat fit is a touchy subject. There is a code of sorts amongst hatmakers on what is "technically" correct. It's not just about size, it's also about brim and crown and pinch, etc. These hatmakers can tell you best what is deemed "correct." I put quotes on corect because a lot of guys violate this, they wear hats that they think look great but really don't follow the rules of facial architecture. You won't have to scan many threads or photos on these pages to find these examples. But that is part of hats to - it's on your head, you have to wear it, it's up to you. Sort of like the facial hair choices men choose to go with - it's very personal.

The guys have defined stingy brims for you. They're the prevalent style with the Justin Timberlake/Ashton Kutcher crowd now. That's the hat the young kids are going for at the moment (and doing so wether it's technically "correct" or not.)

Good luck, post your article when it's done. You'll get lots of feedback.

Harry Lime