The Cap Faction

[seabass]

These arrived today from Chicago.
Two City Sport (Belgian) 8/4 caps, both model 420 (11-11.5" diameter).

Here's the linen:



They called the color "sage", and it's truly the color of Artemesia tridentata leaves. This was exactly what I'd been looking for in a linen cap. The material is stiff enough and holds it's shape very well, tightly woven, really top quality linen for this application. Exceeded my expectations.

Now here's the beige tartan Harris tweed:



Here's how well the stripes match:



And here's the insides:



Note the mesh lining in the linen one. The hat material looks very tightly woven, but you can see light through the lining and the cap when you hold it to the sky.

I ordered 60 cm this time per Adnamira's information, seeing as we have the same in-between head size. The Harris tweed fits 59.5 perfectly, so I'd tentatively say on average the CS wools might run a half size small. Now the linen one is looser, more a true 60. I wondered...was this manufacturing variation or deliberate? The linen is a warm-weather cap after all, and a looser fit could be cooler.

Wore it on a walk with the dogs this afternoon, in our weirdly un-seasonal Atlanta weather, 82F on leaving and 79F on returning. It was just right. That's the fit I'd want for warm temperatures.

Some weights in case you're curious, all model 420:
Donegal tweed, thick (not shown) 4.45 oz
Harris tweed 3.75 oz
Linen 3.4 oz

That gives you some idea about the weight of the linen.
Yow. I am truly impressed with City Sport so far.

- Bill

Woodfluter & A.
got the citysport linen in brown , its real nice thanks guys for the info

 

[tealseal]

Hi Tealseal
I like the wide brim on your dobbs good pics & detail

Thanks, seabass. Getting it was rather an impulse buy, but I'm glad I did! It's nice to have a hat you don't have to take off to drive, especially if all you're doing is driving with only a few, short minutes outside the car. My second cap has already arrived, and I'm looking for what to get for number 3 lol

 

[St. Valentine]

Thanks, seabass. Getting it was rather an impulse buy, but I'm glad I did! It's nice to have a hat you don't have to take off to drive, especially if all you're doing is driving with only a few, short minutes outside the car. My second cap has already arrived, and I'm looking for what to get for number 3 lol

Been there, done that! Number 4 is on the way.....

Frank

 

[tealseal]

Been there, done that! Number 4 is on the way.....

Frank

Recommendations on manufacturers in the <100 dollar range?

 

[Woodfluter]

I probably shouldn't admit it, but I've ordered the second cap shown in post 1729 (mine) plus a navy blue linen. The picture shows the latter as a good deal brighter blue, but I'd be fine with it either way, maybe better as pictured. The UK website's shipping costs weren't very high (esp. spread over two), and the 29 quid price for the linen was too attractive to pass up.

I'm pretty sure, as others have said, that these are the City Sport caps - it looks like the distinctive three-point tackdown of the crown onto the visor, they say it's made in Europe, and the linen fabric is from the same source as the C.S. linen I already have. I'm hoping the 11-inch diameter is correct (model 420).

Well, Adnamira (Jason?) and I will have comparably wild and crazy caps to show in a little bit, for better or worse!

To Tealseal - thanks for the added photos. That Dobbs is nice. I like what they did on the visor, with the separate fabric pieces neatly sewn down. Never saw that before. Impressive.

Seabass - let us know how you like the linen. I've been wearing that a lot recently (OK, almost exclusively) in our climate-changed, unseasonally warm Atlanta Georgia weather. I did wear the Harris Tweed in mid-70s (~24C) weather and that was fine too. Like I said, wool is versatile unless it's thick and really tight.

- Bill

 

[St. Valentine]

Recommendations on manufacturers in the <100 dollar range?

I have now two Hepville and one William Thompson, London cap and would recommend them both. Bela (Hepville) is a member of this forum and I love his caps!

Frank

 

[Adnamira]

Well, Bill, I think that chunky Donegal tweed has such an impact on your senses that it sticks in your mind. So if we didn't buy them now, we might never find them again, and they will be sticking in our minds. It's worth the few quid for peace of mind That's my argument and I'm sticking to it! Royal Mail seems very good actually - reasonably cheap, seems quick, and it is good that this mob has a signed for thing... so I assume you have some cover in that regard. I'm a little nervous about the sizing... but if it comes in the 59, then I guess I will try that stretching business.

 

[St. Valentine]

Hahaha, better get this cap out of your head and on your head!

Frank

 

[tealseal]

I have now two Hepville and one William Thompson, London cap and would recommend them both. Bela (Hepville) is a member of this forum and I love his caps!

Frank

Thanks! I'll check those out.

 

[tealseal]

Here is Cap #2, which came last week. It's a Goorin. Seems to be fairly well constructed, and it's a very comfortable wear in hotter weather.

 

[St. Valentine]

Dang, couldn´t resist and bid for a herringbone cap on Ebay. So #5 is on the way. This has to stop. But how can you stop when caps are so much more affordable than hats? [huh]

Frank

p.s.: Funky liner Tealseal!

 

[Dinerman]

I found another cache of deadstock 1930s caps yesterday- about 10 all told. Some really great fabrics, but the majority are 6-1/2 and 6-5/8, and the few 7s they are all have rotted out sweatbands.

 

[tealseal]

Dang, couldn´t resist and bid for a herringbone cap on Ebay. So #5 is on the way. This has to stop. But how can you stop when caps are so much more affordable than hats? [huh]

Frank

p.s.: Funky liner Tealseal!

It's awesome how much more affordable they are! Though strangely, it's not so awesome for the checkbook. Seems that even though they're cheaper, I'll still end up spending about as much as a new hat. I'll just end up getting four!

 

[gdogus]

A couple of Hat People caps...

First, my Green, Brown and Black herringbone, full cut:

...

And latest, a special request khaki denim, deep cut (thanks to SpeedRcrX for the inspiration!):

...

I especially love the soft, brushed denim on the latter - it's a real pleasure to wear!

 

[The Wiser Hatter]

I found another cache of deadstock 1930s caps yesterday- about 10 all told. Some really great fabrics, but the majority are 6-1/2 and 6-5/8, and the few 7s they are all have rotted out sweatbands.

Dang those small heads. Too bad about about the sweatbands.

 

[Razzman]

Welcome to the Lounge! Nice looking caps. Hat People caps are very comfortable.

 

[Hepville]

Back on track!

Harris tweeds vary from very soft almost silk like in the lighter herringbones to heavy almost cardboard like as in the jacket I am wearing in the pictures( I'll post some more in the appropriate thread asap of the jacket), I have another similar jacket that has almost no 'hair' on it and its all over so must have been woven like that and it's an even denser tighter weave, however it's too small and has some issues it's the one I was thinking of getting a hat or two made from.

Wow... this thread is growing fast! So I´m back on track guys and have made my first week in custom tailoring education. I´ve never made so much hand sewn buttonholes in my live like now.

Esteban is right about the Harris tweeds. You can have them in so many variations. There seems to be a trend in making for the lighter weights with a softer finnish... I guess this is by customer demands. Me personally I prefer the heavier weights with a "rougher" finnish.
There is a tweed weaver on Lewis, Callum MacLean, who is mostly weaving those traditional weight tweeds in a single width (my black and grey herringbone is one of those). He´s also weaving some tweeds that aren´t sold under the Harris Tweed brand... I guess it´s because he´s using another wool.

 

[Hepville]

It will be interesting to compare the Retro Sport cap when it arrives. Judging from the photos, the linings and overall make might be better on the Retro Sport Caps, but I notice that in the photo of the Retro Sport that I ordered that the lines in the pattern aren't centred. Exact symmetry might be an anal teutonic thing that perhaps is a little too orderly for a cap that has its roots in a workers garment, but once you own one cap where everything lines up, your eye starts being drawn to it - bit annoying really.

That´s the curse when you begin to see everything in raster... so you may have some teutonic genes hidden in you???
From a commercial view it´s little to much more expensive to make stuff with centered lines (this depends on the pattern). From the makers view (based on old hand working without cutting machines and laser pointers and such) it´s little to much difficult to get the lines right... also depending on the pattern.

 

[Hepville]

So my first summer linen cap is here:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/96003072/schiebermutze-aus-traditionell-gewebtem?ref=ss_listing
I would say it´s more a workers kind of cap (natural linen/ blue and white striped lining).
I´ve found some nice buckles for aditional buckled back like I´ve done it in St. Valentine´s cap... still needs to be pictured.
I´m thinking of adding two more colours for those linen caps... maybe steel blue and off white/ cream.
Or maybe some of you have other suggestions/ thoughts for colours???

 

[Mario]

Sweet! I'll definitely order one soon but first my vote - (we talked about that before) - is up for off-white/cream!

And congrats on your first week. I'm curious to hear how you're doing as a tailor's apprentice. :eusa_clap