Serious about a straw Stetson Stratoliner

[Spats McGee]

But I have questions. I've always bought fairly cheap straw hats in the past, mainly because .... well, I'm fat and sweat through them pretty quick, so a nice straw fedora always seemed like a bit of a waste. Well, apparently, I've changed my tune on that, because I've decided that I really like the Stetson Milan Stratoliner in Cognac. Here's my dilemma: I'm a 7 1/2 Long Oval. Of course, it comes in 7 1/2 and 7 5/8 (which is out of stock). Should I go ahead and buy the 7.5LO and hope it will stretch a little? Or buy the 7 5/8 and hope it shrinks up a little?

Thanks in advance.
Spats McGee

 

[tropicalbob]

I'm very hesitant about trying to stretch straw hats. Also, you're always better off going slightly large than slightly small. A leather sweatband will often shrink, but I've never seen one grow. Get the larger one: if need be use a spacer, and soon the hat will fit you fine. I have two or three hats I never wear, all of them just a tiny bit small. I have enough sources of headaches.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

But I have questions. I've always bought fairly cheap straw hats in the past, mainly because .... well, I'm fat and sweat through them pretty quick, so a nice straw fedora always seemed like a bit of a waste. Well, apparently, I've changed my tune on that, because I've decided that I really like the Stetson Milan Stratoliner in Cognac. Here's my dilemma: I'm a 7 1/2 Long Oval. Of course, it comes in 7 1/2 and 7 5/8 (which is out of stock). Should I go ahead and buy the 7.5LO and hope it will stretch a little? Or buy the 7 5/8 and hope it shrinks up a little?

Thanks in advance.
Spats McGee

Based on a sample of one hat (7-5/8) I think they run "generous" in size but conform in time. I don't think I would try & stretch one. I have a blue 7-5/8 I never wear, if interested send me a PM.

PS: come to think of it mine is hemp, not Milan.

 

[Spats McGee]

When it comes to straw hats, I'm thinking I should listen to guys whose names start with "tropical" and "hurricane."

 

[tropicalbob]

When it comes to straw hats, I'm thinking I should listen to guys whose names start with "tropical" and "hurricane."

Smart man.

 

[Spats McGee]

.... I have a blue 7-5/8 I never wear, if interested send me a PM.

PS: come to think of it mine is hemp, not Milan.

Thank you for the kind offer, but I'm really more interested in a light-colored (but not white) hat for warmer weather.

 

[RBH]

Spats, my experience with Stetson straws are they run large. If you wear a 7 1/2 [I do] order a 7 3/8.
BUT... the extra may make up for your long oval. That I am not sure of. Mike Moore and Art Fawcett have both used their standard 7 1/2 blocks for me.
Hope this helps.

 

[Spats McGee]

Thanks, @RBH

 

[Spats McGee]

Spats, my experience with Stetson straws are they run large. If you wear a 7 1/2 [I do] order a 7 3/8.
BUT... the extra may make up for your long oval. That I am not sure of. Mike Moore and Art Fawcett have both used their standard 7 1/2 blocks for me.
Hope this helps.

I wear a 7 1/2 LO. My Akubras (Stylemaster & Camp Draft) are 60s and pretty much a perfect fit. Perhaps I should just get the 7 1/2?

 

[RBH]

I have a few straw Stetsons in 7 1/2, they all fit like a 7 5/8.

 

[Spats McGee]

Then it sounds like I'm ready to shop!

 

[Dm101]

I soaked my palm leaf straw hat and stretched mine slightly with my modified hat-jack....Just enough to reshape it from circular to my preferred Long-Oval head shape. I bound it with paracord around the base of the crown so that it would take the shape while drying. Worked great! It was still a little wide on the sides so I just added some sticky-backed foam strips around those areas. A strip about 2-3 inches long on each side...fits snug as my main hat now, wind can't take it.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

I wear a 7 1/2 LO. My Akubras (Stylemaster & Camp Draft) are 60s and pretty much a perfect fit. Perhaps I should just get the 7 1/2?

I’m a 7 5/8 long oval, and sometimes it takes some work to make a hat in 7 5/8 standard oval fit, and sometimes hats in 7 1/2 work (rare), but most all hats in 7 3/4 fit me great too. It really does vary. I have three modern hemp Stratoliners in 7 5/8 and they all fit great...maybe just a touch on the loose side. I like a slightly lose fitting hat when it’s hot, but they tend to come off easier when it’s windy.

7 5/8 Akubras take quite a bit of work for them to fit me, but 7 3/4 works just fine after some steam and a night in a band block. I’d normally say my personal experience is that Akubras run just a bit small and modern Stetson straw and open crown felt hats run just a bit big. Maybe 1/4 of a size in both directions respectively.

 

[Spats McGee]

I ordered the 7 1/2 in Cognac yesterday. Will report back!

 

[DanO]

Based on a sample of one hat (7-5/8) I think they run "generous" in size but conform in time. I don't think I would try & stretch one. I have a blue 7-5/8 I never wear, if interested send me a PM.

PS: come to think of it mine is hemp, not Milan.

Ken I know I'm going to be sorry I asked, do you have photos of your hemp hat? I have an Akubra hemp that is just about as stiff and hard as an OSHA hardhat.

 

[Spats McGee]

It's here! The label actually says both "60" and "7 1/2" on it. It fits just about exactly like my Akubras did when I first got them, ever so slightly too large. I'll dig up something to use as sizing strips at the house and I'll be good to go. Thank you, one and all, for your help on this decision. I've been absent from TFL for a long time, but I knew y'all wouldn't lead me astray.

 

[Dotneck]

I ordered one last week from Village Hat Shop. Their web site said Stratoliners run large so order one size smaller. It should be here in a day or so...I hope it fits.

BTW...I wondered why its taking so long to get here. I live in North Carolina. I figured that the Village Hat Shop was in Greenwich Village in NYC. They're in San Diego. I wondered why they were shipping from California!

 

[Dotneck]

BTW...I ordered this Stratoliner from Village Hat Shop in California on the 29th. Its now May 14th and its not here yet with no ETA. They have the worst shipping system I've ever seen. They offer free shipping but if you order from them be sure to pay for expedited shipping. Their free shipping is for sh*t.

 

[tropicalbob]

Ken I know I'm going to be sorry I asked, do you have photos of your hemp hat? I have an Akubra hemp that is just about as stiff and hard as an OSHA hardhat.

I have four hemps, all from Peters Bros. and all of them stiff: it's just the nature of the thing. One good tip that I got from Art Fawcett about "irrigating" my Milans was to simply hang it in the bathroom when I take a shower. I do it every so often and it seems to work beautifully with both the Milans and the hemps to keep them from getting too brittle.

 

[Tukwila]

Spats, my experience with Stetson straws are they run large. If you wear a 7 1/2 [I do] order a 7 3/8.
BUT... the extra may make up for your long oval. That I am not sure of. Mike Moore and Art Fawcett have both used their standard 7 1/2 blocks for me.
Hope this helps.

That's been my experience, too. They run large.