- Messages
- 17,549
- Location
- Maryland
Nice find! I really like the profile! I can't help with the logo dating but my guess is late 1950s early 1960s.
Bowler Sighting in uptown Charlotte, NC
I was driving to work recently and was stopped at an intersection when I looked up and saw a man crossing in front of me wearing a hat, obviously walking to work. I knew my husband would be interested to hear about a fellow hat wearer and would be embarrassed if I couldn't identify the basic style of a hat at 20 feet after all the hat details he has taught me (even our daughter, age 8 can identify men's hat styles!) so I looked to see what sort of crown and brim it had and realized it was a bowler! That is pretty unusual around here but he looked very nice in it and comfortable with what he was wearing so it was a very pleasant surprise.
newturnofphrase: What a great hat! I love the curl on that brim and the height of the crown is great, too.
Just an update but I got myself a wool felt version of the Christys' bowler. It's not the soft wool version but a very hard version (I think I remember reading once that there was a wool felt version of the basic fur bowler, too). It's heavier than the fur felt, I think. Or, at least, I think it's a heavier hat (the wool crown seems thicker). Quite hard though perhaps maybe a bit less firm and hard than the fur felt and it does pick up dust a little more but I still enjoy it. I think this is more of my 'country' bowler for tweed suits or for non-formal occasions. I'll save my fur felt for city suits and for more formal occasions. I have two black bowlers now, perhaps it's time to branch out to other colours?
Alan, That is a really beautiful Derby! The profile is fantastic!
I've never seen a stiff formed hat with such thin felt... about as rigid as a shirt cardboard, though it is hardly a "lightweight." I wonder if derbies were ever made from two ounce felt? Probably not practical to hold the shape, I guess.
1911: