Stetson "Philly" Fedora

[Duck]

WOW!!

Jimmy... That lid is beautiful!!!!!!! I love it!:eusa_clap :eusa_clap

 

[Bruce Wayne]

i am with everyone else here in that that is a good looking hat & a great find on the 'bay...

 

[jimmy the lid]

Thanks to all for the nice words. And, Barry, I have to agree, the hat really is "fantabulous." I always love seeing hats posted on the Lounge that use color combinations that are a bit different from the norm, and the green ribbon on brown is something I had not seen before. It's a really nice combination -- very organic and very striking.

Dean, I think "pristine" certainly applies. In fact, the auction photos alone showed the hat in such pristine condition that I really didn't know what to expect in terms of dating -- I thought it could well be of more recent vintage. I really am amazed that it dates to 1948 and has survived in that condition.

It's great to be able to have such a definitive date to work with -- it helps to provide a list of attributes that may help to date other hats, as well.

Cheers,
JtL

 

[jimmy the lid]

Man oh man, Jimmy, your collection is becoming something special indeed. I happen to have a Chestnut Street lid as well, but mine, a sky blue Stetson 20 Ambassador, is a bit newer -- Dec. 23, 1957.

It's funny how you can go for a long time without seeing a single hat that really grabs you -- then, suddenly, it's raining hats! Thanks for the nice comment, Tony -- the collection is coming along slowly but surely (well, maybe this week, not so slowly...)

Have you ever posted the sky blue Ambassador? If not, would you consider doing so? I believe that my light blue OR dates from that approximate time, and it would be interesting to compare the color.

Cheers,
JtL

 

[tonyb]

It's funny how you can go for a long time without seeing a single hat that really grabs you -- then, suddenly, it's raining hats! Thanks for the nice comment, Tony -- the collection is coming along slowly but surely (well, maybe this week, not so slowly...)

Have you ever posted the sky blue Ambassador? If not, would you consider doing so? I believe that my light blue OR dates from that approximate time, and it would be interesting to compare the color.

Cheers,
JtL

OK, here goes.

The color shows close to true in these photos (it does on my monitor, anyway).

Jamespowers once posted a magazine ad dating from 1957 that shows this model, by the way, and verified that it is indeed called "Ambassador." I don't recall if it was that ad or another which verified that the color is called "sky blue."

I'd post more shots (showing, among other things, the date stamped on the inside of the sweatband), but I don't wish to completely divert your thread. Suffice it to say that the "Chestnut Street Philadelphia" embossing on the sweatband is quite subtle -- it's pressed into the leather, but there is no gold (or anything else) to make it more conspicuous. I believe it has been like that since new, seeing how the other embossing is in gold and is still in nearly good as new condition.

 

[Fletch]

1948 In A Box!

HOOboy. Love it love it LOOOOVE...IT!

 

[tonyb]

Dean, I think "pristine" certainly applies. In fact, the auction photos alone showed the hat in such pristine condition that I really didn't know what to expect in terms of dating -- I thought it could well be of more recent vintage. I really am amazed that it dates to 1948 and has survived in that condition.

It's great to be able to have such a definitive date to work with -- it helps to provide a list of attributes that may help to date other hats, as well.

Cheers,
JtL

It's kinda fun to speculate how that hat remained like new for almost six decades. We have some pretty darned convincing evidence that it was purchased new in December of 1948, so perhaps it was meant to be a Christmas gift, eh? And the recipient never got around to wearing it? For whatever reason. He didn't like the color, maybe. Or it didn't fit. And he meant to take it back to exchange it but never got around to it?

 

[Tony in Tarzana]

I was watching that one, too. That hat is truly a winner!

And I love the fact that there's a date on it! That's one thing that's frustrating for a somewhat obsessive collector like myself, that one generally has a hard time determining the age of a hat just going by the style and the details.

I really wish there was some kind of resource that you could go to and look up exactly when things like "Royal Deluxe" actually began, instead of having to guess from ads and such.

But anyway, that is a fine hat as well as a great piece of history, and in my opinion anyway, you got a bargain.

 

[jimmy the lid]

1948 in a Box!

Fletch, I like that one!

Cheers,
JtL

 

[jimmy the lid]

It's kinda fun to speculate how that hat remained like new for almost six decades. We have some pretty darned convincing evidence that it was purchased new in December of 1948, so perhaps it was meant to be a Christmas gift, eh? And the recipient never got around to wearing it? For whatever reason. He didn't like the color, maybe. Or it didn't fit. And he meant to take it back to exchange it but never got around to it?

Tony, I think you may be on to something here. I'll play along. The December purchase sure fits the theory that it may have been a Christmas gift. Since hats from the same estate have been on the Bay lately, it's pretty clear that 7 3/8 was his size. Long Oval? Maybe, maybe not. But what if he just didn't like the color combo? And what if he didn't want to offend the giver (his spouse, for example)? He'd tell her it was beautiful, then it would go into the closet -- wouldn't return it so as not to offend her...??? I have to tell you, though, it's pretty hard to come up with a reason why someone would not want to wear this hat!

Thanks for posting the Ambassador -- absolutely beautiful! I'd love to see some photos of your collection sometime. I'll save our "light blue" discussion for another thread...

Cheers,
JtL

 

[jimmy the lid]

But anyway, that is a fine hat as well as a great piece of history, and in my opinion anyway, you got a bargain.

Thanks, Tony. I love the historical aspect of this lid (or any other for that matter!). It would be great to find out from HATCO what resources there may be out there to help all of us zero in on dating our Stetsons...

Cheers,
JtL

 

[J.T.Marcus]

There's another possibility, too. That generation tended to take care of "good stuff" and only use it for special occasions. A favorite saying was "That's too good for everyday use!" When my grandparents died, they had purchases they had never taken out of the original packaging, for that very reason. The special day never came.

For whatever reasons, there are lots of mint condition old hats out there. Our gratitude is due to those who saved them for us. Maybe we can pass some of them on to other enthusiasts.

 

[Tony in Tarzana]

My Homburg was like that, too Pristine hat, and it came in a beat-up original box. The hat basically sat in a closet for 50-60 years.

In my case, it was a light grey Homburg that the fellow's wife probably bought for him in an effort to spruce up his appearance and make him look more upscale, but he was having none of it. "But Marge, it makes me look like Louis Calhern!"

 

[Tango Yankee]

Manomanomanoman... how did I miss that one? Another sweet find, Jimmy! :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

Congrats!
Tom

 

[J.T.Marcus]

Tony, Great thought. There are many reasons for the supply of hardly ever worn hats. I look forward to hearing them all.

 

[jimmy the lid]

There's another possibility, too. That generation tended to take care of "good stuff" and only use it for special occasions. A favorite saying was "That's too good for everyday use!"

Makes sense, J.T. -- I'm sure a lot of the vintage hats out there that remain in great condition were worn only on special occasions, and weren't considered "everyday" hats.

Cheers,
JtL

 

[feltfan]

I think a lot of the 30s and 40s hats we enjoy
sat in the closet because they weren't in style
anymore in the 50s and 60s. Similarly, those 50s
and 60s hats were stowed away because hats
went out of fashion entirely. On eBay we sometimes
see hats from a single owner spanning decades, from
wide brim felts to tweed monstrosities.

For some of us, it's hard to imagine a time when
there were fashion trends in hats. They're all
equally out of fashion today.

 

[jimmy the lid]

I think a lot of the 30s and 40s hats we enjoy
sat in the closet because they weren't in style
anymore in the 50s and 60s.

Good point.

Cheers,
JtL

 

[tonyb]

I think a lot of the 30s and 40s hats we enjoy
sat in the closet because they weren't in style
anymore in the 50s and 60s. Similarly, those 50s
and 60s hats were stowed away because hats
went out of fashion entirely. On eBay we sometimes
see hats from a single owner spanning decades, from
wide brim felts to tweed monstrosities.

For some of us, it's hard to imagine a time when
there were fashion trends in hats. They're all
equally out of fashion today.

What's that old adage? Something like, "Fashion is fleeting, but poor taste is eternal." I'm reminded of that whenever I see one of those tweed jobs.
Your overarching point is a good one, feltfan. (If I do say so myself. I've made a similar observation more than once.) Most of the vintage hats that remain in such good shape got little if any wear for, oh, 40 or 50 years. Or more.
It's kinda fortunate for us old-hat fanciers that proper fedoras fell almost completely off the fashion radar. As we can attest, if felt hats get stowed away in boxes, under conditions that don't lead to mildew or insect damage, they keep quite well.

 

[Rick Blaine]

... to tweed monstrosities.

"The HORROR, the horror..."