So. We having this revival or what?

[vespasian]

Not sure what you folks think but Im definately seeing fedoras on sale everywhere. UK. Marks and Spencers, Debenhams, Burtons, Top Man and a whole host of womens stores with fedoras! Not seen many out on the street yet though. What do you reckon?

 

[Kt Templar]

Not sure what you folks think but Im definately seeing fedoras on sale everywhere. UK. Marks and Spencers, Debenhams, Burtons, Top Man and a whole host of womens stores with fedoras! Not seen many out on the street yet though. What do you reckon?

Possibly, but it's the Timberlake types doin' it. And wearing them very small and at an angle! More like the Hoffmeister bear. Might be a mini thing like when Madonna was wearing one.

 

[nightandthecity]

well I know what you mean. I've seen them in the shops but not a lot in the streets. Odd that.

I think it may be because some "celebrities" have taken up trilbys and tweed? I've noticed a lot of ebay listings seem to shove Pete Doherty and such into their titles at the moment.

 

[Aaron Hats]

The popularity of hats is certainly increasing and for many reasons. One is certainly due to celebrities wearing hats. When this happens it either dies as fast as it started or it carries over into mainstream and that's what is happening. You can't pick up a magazine of any type and not see an ad with somebody wearing a hat or cap (not a ballcap). Another reason is the sun. I've read that the USA is about 10 years behind Australia in terms of people being diagnosed with some form of skin cancer. In the coming years the effects of years in the sun will continue to show itself. That will start people wearing a hat in the sun which will then translate into year round hat wearing by many of those people. They will also realize that the sun does damage in the winter as well as the summer. We've also been hearing from some men that they are back in a suit after years in "business casual" and they don't want to wear a ballcap with a suit.

Whatever the reason for somebody wearing a hat, regardless of how they wear it, it's good for anybody in the headwear industry and for those who have always and will always wear a hat. It ensures a certain amount of hat availability at reasonable prices.

Cheers,

 

[Raindog]

Having the likes of Pete Doherty associated with fedoras or trilbys will put people off I think
I've seen quite a few here in Bournemouth, mainly women, with the odd man or two. The men are usually older too, and wearing the more 'country style' Akubra-ish ones (but cheaper quality than Akubras).
I really don't think this will take off big in the UK. I believe we'll see a number of people now and then sporting them, but no way will it replace the ballcap IMHO.
I am fairly confident that the quality lids will still be a rarity too, and wool will rule the day :cry:


Jeff.

 

[Kaleponi Craig]

I've seen a lot more fedoras on the street lately, but as has been said, more of the garden variety wool, or, heaven forbid, leather. There aren't a lot of folks who are going to shell out $150 + for a hat...KC

 

[vespasian]

Who needs to shell out that kind of cash. I got my grey fur felt fedora for ?Ǭ£37 and it works a treat for me. I will spend a but more and get a couple of others over the next year or so but even looking at the federation including posting thats only about ?Ǭ£58. Plus I'm being choosy. There are loads of others available in the uk for much less. My own feelings are that if a couple of stores put a manequin in the window in a suit and fedora, a pair of jeans and jacket and a fedora, and basically showed the guy in the street what look can be obtained for an item that will go with almost anything and for a quarter the price of a decent suit the fedora would sell pretty quickly.

 

[Wild Root]

Johnny Dep wears Borsy's.

I have seen some nice hats out there but, mostly worn by punk or rockabilly guys. Over here, when I see a fedora on a young man, it's mostly a vintage one from the late 50's or the early 60's. It seems to me that guys today don't go for anything over 2" in brim size. A guy I know who I have taken vintage shopping tried on one of my hats and he was shocked to see how tall the crown was and how wide the brim is! It just seemed to look funny to him. Now, his girl friend and I were seeing something completely different! We thought it looked really good on him!

Today, most of the wide brimmed felt hats that are worn are of the cowboy style so, when a wide brimmed tall crown fedora is seen, they fear that it looks to close to a cowboy hat I suspect. For me, (As you all know) I only wear the wide brimmed tall crowned vintage. The only short brim I own is a 1930 Stetson but, that crown is tall and has a nice straight crown with no taper.

Some guys see my hats and they want to know where they could get one. Soon as I tell them that they'll have to fight for one on ebay, they almost lose interest. Lazy syndrome has become their ball and chain. So, they remain a part of the Ball Cap persuasion.

Keep them fedoras out in public men! It will catch on eventually!

=WR=

 

[Raindog]

Vespasian said

My own feelings are that if a couple of stores put a manequin in the window in a suit and fedora, a pair of jeans and jacket and a fedora, and basically showed the guy in the street what look can be obtained for an item that will go with almost anything and for a quarter the price of a decent suit the fedora would sell pretty quickly.

I agree Vespasian, but getting a store of any size (or a chain store) to get fur felt of any sort is a real battle. I've looked in Marks and Spencers (well, 6 months ago) and the hats were wool. Has it changed? Are the hats in the stores you mentioned wool or fur? If it's fur I'll take back my whole theory....And go to one of these shops and buy one


Jeff.

 

[vespasian]

Sadly they were mostly wool, though a couple were fur. The shops need to get a grip really because they arent presenting anything of any quality. I agree with the "people think they are close to cowboy hats" kind of problem. Occasionally I take a second glance at myself and think, is this brim about wide? But then I carry on regardless. All it needs is a little kick and the whole hat thing will start rolling.

 

[Raindog]

I'm going to check out those shops (or at least the ones that are round here) and see what I can find. If M+S do a fur felt I'd be tempted. If they're wool I might suggest to them that they find a fur felt hat supplier....

 

[Hemingway Jones]

I am seeing more and more around Boston and our suburbs, usually on men in the 35+ year old demographic, myself included. Most of the hats are of the Aussie outback variety, which is just fine with me.

I've noticed, as of late, wearing a hat does not illicit snickers; wearing a hat with an Indy jacket does sometimes, but with an overcoat or a sportjacket; nope. I think people realize that when you wear a hat with a jacket, you are better dressed than they are.

In any case, regardless of what others are doing, I'll always wear my hat.

 

[nightandthecity]

yes, whenever I do see it it tends to be guys in their 40s or 50s. This is also the same demographic that tends to comment (positively) on my vintage gear generally. Perhaps there is a nostalgia element - the baby boomers are perhaps the last generation to have seen and worn real clothes in the 50s and 60s, before polyester, disposability and non-functionality completely took over.

 

[Not-Bogart13]

Things are building up...

I've noticed a slow but steady incline in the popularity of fedoras, homburgs, and panamas over the last five or so years. First it was the quirky stars and singers, but now I'm seeing regular people wear them a bit. I think wool dominance is only partly due to "cheap prices", though. The average junky wool felt fedora is going for more than $50 (hardly what I'd call a low price)around here, and the lack of quality is obvious. But ignorance to what makes a quality hat pushes people to actually buy the junk.

Considering how much a 15 year old (or his/her parents) will pay for good sneakers, designer T-SHIRTs, and iPods... if they knew they could get a better hat for $100 I think they would do it. Granted, I think we're a ways from seeing high schoolers wearing fedoras, but I think that if the average consumer understood what makes a good hat, they'd happily buy a fur felt at $100+. Most just don't know any better.

 

[K.D. Lightner]

I don't see as many fedoras here in Iowa as I did in San Diego. When I do, I mostly see the Aussie hats. I have see stingy brims on women. A few men of color are wearing fedoras. More than a few were wearing them in Southern California, men and women.

What could happen is that, as fedoras catch on, the well-to-do will buy the good quality fur felt; next, the upper middle class folks, who like people to think they are wealthy, will start wearing quality hats. Then, the middle class will follow suit, not wanting to be left out and having possibly discovered that the fur felts last a lot longer than wool fedoras.

About five years later, the trend will hit the working class, who will probably continue to buy cheaper hats. At Walmart.

karol

 

[vespasian]

I would love to visit London over the next few months and to keep my eye open for trilbys of any kind. I shall report back upon my findings.

Good point RainDog, next time I visit M&S and Debenhams I'll ask them why they only stock cheap hats

 

[MK]

.

We are having a get together in London in a couple weeks. You should check out the thread in the events forum and kill two birds with one stone.

 

[Kt Templar]

Well I was on a little trip into London today, spotted 2 brown and one black fedoras, teardrop crowns and wide enough brims not to be called trilbys.

Each was worn with a long wool coat.

 

[geo]

About five years later, the trend will hit the working class, who will probably continue to buy cheaper hats. At Walmart.

That's funny. Trying to imagine Fedoras being sold at Walmart. I believe they sell suits already, so why not?

 

[geo]

We'll have a true revival when we'll see an important public figure wearing a Fedora. Not artists, but someone like a President or a Prime Minister.