Stingy 1930s

[Mario]

Call me ignorant, but I am slightly confused...

Found this in the film 'Dames'. Dick Powell sports a rather stingy lid here (beautiful hat, by the way), and the film was made in 1934!
I've heard it said that those stingies were a thing of the late 50s and 60s, rather than the 30s...

Is there someone willing and able to shed some light on this? Me, I'm willing and able to learn. Yes, sir!

Mille grazie!


Here's the 1934 stingy, ridin' atop the melon of Dick Powell:

For comparison (and because we can never see enough vintage hats), here are two authentic stinges from 1960, as featured in the film 'Bells Are Ringing'.

 

[HarpPlayerGene]

Yeah, it seems that the brims started small, then grewww into the forties, then shrunk through the fifties and sixties. Plenty of examples of brims like the movie still in that period. Note, though, that the thirties hat has that really high crown that flares outward as it rises to the sky. That is a real tip-off.

 

[Mario]

Note, though, that the thirties hat has that really high crown

Yes, I noted the high crown. That's why I brought in the still from 1960.

that really high crown that flares outward as it rises to the sky. That is a real tip-off.

You're speaking of that beautiful reverse taper, I guess?

 

[jazzncocktails]

Interesting...I also thought stingy brims were of the late 50s and 60s.

Saw a really weak Steve McQueen film last night, "The Cincinnati Kid." It seems to be set in the Great Depression--early on, from the look of the cars and some of the bread lines--but McQueen, Ann-Margaret, and Tuesday Weld all look thoroughly out of place in their 1965 fashions and hair styles. And Karl Malden wears what looks like a stingy in this scene with McQueen that I thought also ruined verisimilitude.

Then again, if there were stingy brims available in the '30s, maybe this fashion choice wasn't so off track. But it didn't seem right to me.

Despite all of that, Edward G. Robinson wears a fine homburg.

 

[thunderw21]

The average/most popular brim width during parts of the '20s and the early '30s was 2 1/4" to 2 1/2". Not quite stingy, but close.

In the mid '50s the '30s style of hat came back for a short time. Here's a mid '50s Stetson Royal Stetson with a 2 1/4" brim and 5" straight-sided crown. Bow in back.

Looks very early '30s.



James Cagney was well known for wearing feisty looking short-brimmed hats.

 

[Mario]

Here's a mid '50s Stetson Royal Stetson with a 2 1/4" brim and 5" straight-sided crown. Bow in back.

Looks very early '30s.

Reminds me a wee bit of my grey Mayser, that's supposedly from the 1960s, even though the crown is only about 4", as I have creased it pretty deep, whereas yours seems to have a center dent.

Wow. This one is HIGH - and comes with a distinct taper.

 

[univibe88]

Notice the hat on the left has a noticeably shorter crown. The hat on the right also has some taper to it. Compare it to the tall, straight sided crown of the 30's example.

No doubt that brims grew in the 30s and that there is some similarity to the early 30s and 50s hats. However there are subtle differences.

James Cagney was well known for wearing feisty looking short-brimmed hats.

I bet that is a 6" open crown. Look how tall it is! Especially in the back. It may be stingy, but definitely not 50s!

I had Art make me this hat with a 30s flair. It's a 5.75" open crown and a 2 3/8" brim. Note the reverse taper.

 

[Mario]

I had Art make me this hat with a 30s flair. It's a 5.75" open crown and a 2 3/8" brim. Note the reverse taper.

Wow. This one is gorgeous! The center dent really makes it stand out. I absolutely love that reverse taper! :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

 

[Dinerman]

Wow. This one is HIGH - and comes with a distinct taper.

The taper's not from the blocking, though. That's what happens to a high crowned hat with a straight sided block (no taper), when you put in a deep center crease. Apparent reverse taper when viewed from the side, apparent taper when viewed from the front. You can seea lot of it in the spanish american war campaign hat thread

 

[univibe88]

True Dinerman. But 50's hats were neither high nor straight sided. So you won't see the reverse taper.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

I wish I could get away with a had like this! I really like them a lot, but with my size and head shape, wide brim/low crown is the way to go for me.

 

[mayserwegener]

True Dinerman. But 50's hats were neither high nor straight sided. So you won't see the reverse taper.

I have a 1951 Habig Homburg with these exact characteristics.

 

[jpbales]

i dunno... looking from your avatar pic, I would say you could go for a bigger crown and it would look more balanced on you IMHO

I wish I could get away with a had like this! I really like them a lot, but with my size and head shape, wide brim/low crown is the way to go for me.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

I've debated with this, but I think that the higher crowns often make my head look bigger than it already is.

i dunno... looking from your avatar pic, I would say you could go for a bigger crown and it would look more balanced on you IMHO

 

[Mario]

Note the missing side dents.

 

[mayserwegener]

Note the missing side dents.

This 1930s Hückel (very similar but a less wide ribbon) will not hold a side dent even with steam (will pop back out). I am sure this was the intent. The hat JC is wearing could be the same. You see this characteristic is some Homburgs too.

 

[Subvet642]

Notice the hat on the left has a noticeably shorter crown. The hat on the right also has some taper to it. Compare it to the tall, straight sided crown of the 30's example.

No doubt that brims grew in the 30s and that there is some similarity to the early 30s and 50s hats. However there are subtle differences.

The hat on the left is a pork pie with the brim snapped down. I've liked to wear them that way since I saw Jimmy Cagney wear one that way in Yankee Doodle Dandy where he's shown growing up in a fade scene. As for myself, I generally don't like stingies, but I don't consider it stingy until they get below 2 inches.

 

[Feraud]

Note the missing side dents.

Note the missing side dents but do not take this (or any single feature) to denote a 30s fedora.

Here is a 60s era Dobbs that looks nearly identical in style.

 

[Mario]

Note the missing side dents but do not take this (or any single feature) to denote a 30s fedora.

I don't. Actually I was just thinking of another thread I was looking up a few days ago, and the subject on this thread was the lack (so to speak) of side dents on some Fedoras. Some people seem to utterly dislike going without a pinch, while I actually love the look.

 

[Mario]

Now this is one beautiful hat. Love it. :eusa_clap

This 1930s Hückel (very similar but a less wide ribbon) will not hold a side dent even with steam (will pop back out). I am sure this was the intent. The hat JC is wearing could be the same. You see this characteristic is some Homburgs too.