So when did the boater sink from popular wear?

[Chuck Bobuck]

Very dapper Warbaby! Looks great with your ensemble.

 

[job]

I've been looking at Boaters and I've seen them made from toquilla, wheat, and coburg straw. The Village hat shop has several types. I also ran across a cool little video showing the top of a coburg straw Boater being made.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtePv75Iuf8

 

[Widebrim]

Am watching the movie From This Day Forward, released in 1946. When the film goes back in time to 1938, you see a few men wearing boaters. When it jumps back to the present, you don't see any. I think the inclusion of skimmers in the 1938 sequences was the producer's way of trying to show how fashion had changed in those eight years...

 

[Lensmaster]

In regard to the comments on the price of boaters today, I haven't seen any good quality Panamas going for less than what you'd pay for a boater either. In fact any style of hat bought new today costs a bit. We have to remember that in the heyday of hats they were a commodity. Relative to a persons income they were less expensive because the hat makers made lots of hats and the fixed costs were spread out. Where today I would never smash a boater in September I'm sure in the 1920's it was much easier to afford to get a new one every spring, like getting new dress shirts for the season.

 

[Bertie.Wooster]

I would say popularity of the straw boater was gone by the 1950s. 1920s was a real era for the boater, you couldn't see anyone WITHOUT a boater. WOW. You go down Fifth Avenue and see around 30 boaters on display and there were TOO many of them. Now, there are really hard to find, those real boaters. I hate those new Scala or Italian boaters for some reason. Olney is the best these days.

My school had it until 2007. According to my research, funnily school boaters are the most well-made and nice-looking boaters compared to the normal independent branded ones. I look at St Edward's & King's College boaters, and their sweatbands are in fabulous condition made by Bon-Ton-Ivy, the straw-work is very delicate. The weaving is a quality work and a navy-white-navy ribbon band is truly a stunner, like icing on the cake!