That Boxy Look

[W. Buchanan]

As I am new not only to this particular forum, but to the world of forums (not 'fora'; when a word enters our language, it follows our rules of declension!) in general, I've found in the past hours that the enormous amount of information contained here is largely unavailable, as there is no efficient way to find what one is looking for. Anyhow, please take this as an apology for raising a topic which has probably been addressed scores of times.

I am looking to purchase a new fedora, and I am set on finding some thing that is stylistically consistent with the 1920's and 30's. The new crushable fedoras with sloping crowns, short brims, and short ribbons, do not appeal to me. However, I can not find any classic hat -- viz. those having an high, boxy crown and tall ribbon -- from the major brands. As such, I ask any of you who may also prefer an accurately traditional hat, regardless of whether it be vintage, for help in finding leads.

My thanks in advance for your help, and I am very happy finally to have joined this forum.

 

[Neophyte]

Don't worry, you'll get tons of help in no time. I believe more of the Lounge opens up to you the more you post. Good luck!

 

[Crazy Legs]

You will find tons of information on all kinds of hats on this forum. I will try to help you by sending you to Art Fawcett at www.vintagesilhouettes.com. He is a real gentleman and his site will provide the pictures and info that I believe you are looking for. He will answer e-mails if you wish to contact him. Be warned though. If you try on an Art Fawcett creation it is hard to stop with one.

 

[W. Buchanan]

I'm sure that it comes as no surprise that cost is very much a factor, and so, while it is comforting to know that the perfect hat can be had, I am afraid that it will not be obtainable for me for years yet, if it's price exceed any more than that of the higher-end factory-produced hats, around $150.

 

[Tomasso]

Search the FLounge and the net for pix of the style you want and contact one the custom hatters. You won't find anyone better than Optimo.


Edit: I see that price is now a consideration. Best to make mention of this in your opening. We can be very helpful here but we can't read minds.

 

[Yeps]

I'm sure that it comes as no surprise that cost is very much a factor, and so, while it is comforting to know that the perfect hat can be had, I am afraid that it will not be obtainable for me for years yet, if it's price exceed any more than that of the higher-end factory-produced hats, around $150.

Except for having a dimensional brim, the Akubra Federation IV fits the bill. It is supposed to be a 30s style Fedora.

Another option from Akubra would be the Campdraft, but you would have to replace the ribbon if you wanted a wide ribbon. Very authentic for 30s style though.

 

[fluteplayer07]

Don't expect the searching to be that helpful for a while. The Lounge was just redecorated, and the links for searching are all jumbled and confused. Our friendly and helpful bartenders are busy sweeping up to get everything back in order.

As for hats, in addition to Mr. Art Fawcett (whom I highly recommend for that great vintage look), I'd also advise you to check in with Worth and Worth of New York City. One model in particular I'd direct you to; the Venezia has a very vintage looking crown. They are pricey indeed for rabbit felt; a VS custom is only $35 more.

If you do so wish to jump for an Art Fawcett, I would highly recommend you to peruse the threads in this sticky to gain an idea of what you'd like in a hat first. In any case, they make for good reading.

But as always, my advice is to check eBay for good vintage hats with the features you're looking for. Dollar for dollar, they tend to be better than modern factory hats. If you know more about hats than the seller, you can usually snag a good deal. And don't forget the FL Classifieds. If you have a small head, lately Garrett has been putting up for sale some of the nicest hats I've seen in a long time. Curse those 6 7/8's... Or at least the fact I'm two sizes larger.

Welcome to the Lounge!
Cheers,

 

[Mr E Train]

Two words: Stetson Nostalgia. Usually available for less than $150. A couple of us got ours recently from the HatCo/Stetson Outlet store for $99.95. It's open crown so you shape it yourself (although the lady at the outlet did offer to have them crease it for me). The felt is very soft and easily shaped.

Oh, and there's also the Akubra Federation IV. If you want a hat that will stand up to the elements, that would probably be your best choice. I just recommended the Nostalgia first because you mentioned a wide ribbon and it has a wider ribbon than the Fed IV. You can't go wrong either way, but Akubras are made to withstand wet weather, whereas many will argue that modern Stetsons are not.

 

[carldelo]

The Stetson Nostalgia may be worth a look, it's available from many vendors:
http://www.thefedorastore.com/Stetson-Nostalgia-Open-p/320c0nost.htm
It's an open crown lid that you bash to your own liking, with a really wide ribbon.
The price is right, anyway....
(I see the E-train beat me to the station...)

Matt Deckard, who is affiliated with the lounge, has designed his own hat with vintage influences that you seek:
Look here under accessories: http://www.mattdeckard.com/
The ribbon is not that tall, and the price is a little higher than your range.

 

[W. Buchanan]

Yes, this does look like an excellent hat. However, is 'bashing' the crown in as sloppy as it sounds? Or do you use a block?

 

[Mr E Train]

You can have it blocked, or you can "bash" it or crease it yourself. Here's a video that Dinerman posted where he "bashes" a fedora in about 7 seconds.

[video]http://s80.photobucket.com/albums/j164/dinerman/?action=view&current=MVI_3191.flv[/video]

Self-creasing is more authentic if you're looking for a 30's-style hat because back in the old days hats just came open crown and the wearer creased it to his liking. That's why you see so many idiosyncratic and asymmetrical hat creases in old movies.

 

[scottyrocks]

W,

I am a fan of the Akubra Fed IV, having two of them. They are amazing hats, stylistically in the '30s. It has a straight sided crown that can be bashed (shaped) in ways other than the Indiana Jones style it was created to emulate. Its a relative bargain for a sturdy, stylish hat thats available in a number of colors - dark brown, black, tawny fawn, heritage fawn, carbon gray, and moonstone gray; and its available in two qualities: Imperial, and the slightly better Heritage felts.

There are threads here on FL in praise of this hat. Do a search on 'I love the Fed IV' and read the thread (33 pages). Youll find out everything you want to know about this model.

 

[The Good]

I think the Akubra Federations are good for this, if you can manage to have the ribbon replaced with a wider, possibly black or dark one. There are other hats sold in a similar style on what you're after though. The Campdraft will also work, if you want to just replace the ribbon. Then there's the mentioned Stetson and Matt Deckard hat. It's your choice, and I hope you enjoy your new hat when you get it!

 

[frussell]

Don't give up on eBay for vintage hats. I'm a very difficult size, 7 3/4 extra long oval to 7 7/8, depending on the maker, and I've gotten three off there that were a perfect fit, and a couple more that worked just fine after an affordable tweaking at Optimo. If a custom hat is out of your range, and you can't find a Nostalgia at the outlet (I've got one, and like it), keep bidding on your size on eBay, you'll snag one sooner or later. There's good deals here in the classifieds section all day long too. What size are you, or did you say already? Frank

Whoops, I just noticed you said NEW in your primary post. Nostalgia, Federation IV. I recommend Hatsdirect if the outlets can't help you with a Nostalgia. Frank

 

[Mr E Train]

By the way, if you want to check the HatCo outlets, just Google them for the phone numbers. I got my Nostalgia from the one in Garland, Texas, and there's one in St. Joseph, Missouri. The St. Joe outlet didn't have any Nostalgias when I called them a month or so ago, but they said they would order some, so they might have them now.

 

[Mulceber]

I too would recommend Art Fawcett - block shape is very much key in achieving the vintage look, and he is one of the VERY few that still has old-school hat blocks. Oh and he's also an amazing craftsman and a true gentleman.

Might I also add that I also love the vintage hats of the 20's and 30's? Nothing else really does it for me like them. -M

 

[Not-Bogart13]

Bashing doesn't involve a block, simply shaping by hand. Many consider hand shaping a hat to be more authentic to the fedora's heyday, but that's not really true. The results can be as sloppy or exacting as you wish. For example, I thought this was blocked, but I later found out that Art shaped/bashed it by hand;

and this as well;

It all depends on what you want and how much work you put into it.

 

[W. Buchanan]

The Stetson Nostalgia may be worth a look, it's available from many vendors:
http://www.thefedorastore.com/Stetson-Nostalgia-Open-p/320c0nost.htm
It's an open crown lid that you bash to your own liking, with a really wide ribbon.

Do you happen to have any pictures of this hat shaped, esp. a picture from the front, or which might give me a better idea of the height of the crown?

 

[W. Buchanan]

Sorry, by 'new' I simply mean 'new to me'. I'm not looking particularly for newly manufactured or vintage hats.

 

[carldelo]

Well, here's the big FL thread on the Nostalgia, there's lots of pics in here:
http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?26806

Or go to images.google.com and type in Stetson Nostalgia, this will give a few pics.