The Cap Faction

[BR Gordon]

Andy, I really like the cap and I agree with Ed. With a little work on the crown, the cap will look even better.

 

[ManofKent]

Andy - the volume works with your face width.

 

[Orangegrad]

Steaming a linen cap

Well, gents, it is not easy to get the wrinkles out of a linen/cotton cap. I suspect that wrinkles may be a natural state of appearance for this Stetson. But I did the best I could. It's a good thing it's raining here today - we should get enough water to replenish the amounts of steam that I used to get rid of the wrinkles that I could.

And now it's somewhat less wrinkled, though some wrinkles refuse to leave:

 

[T Jones]

Well, gents, it is not easy to get the wrinkles out of a linen/cotton cap. I suspect that wrinkles may be a natural state of appearance for this Stetson. But I did the best I could. It's a good thing it's raining here today - we should get enough water to replenish the amounts of steam that I used to get rid of the wrinkles that I could.

And now it's somewhat less wrinkled, though some wrinkles refuse to leave:

Nice!!! Which Stetson cap is that? How wide is the material on that one? btw, I see it's raining in Cleveland. We've had rain all day here in Central Ohio but it's just now beginning clear up some.

 

[Orangegrad]

Nice!!! Which Stetson cap is that? How wide is the material on that one? btw, I see it's raining in Cleveland. We've had rain all day here in Central Ohio but it's just now beginning clear up some.

TJ,

I'm not sure which model it is, but you'll find it all over ebay, which is where I got mine. If you can't find it, let me know and I'll send you the link to the ebay auction.

As for material - it's 15" on the nose from front to back, and 13.5 inches side to side.

It's not a full cap, which works well with my head shape.

It's been raining all day here. I don't mind one bit - better than 100 degrees.

 

[Orangegrad]

Beware of B! Wear

And this is why I have purchased only one 8 panel prior to this Stetson. It's a B! Wear, and it's the standard cut. It makes me look ridiculous. It only serves to exaggerate the long, narrow head that I am so fortunate to have.

 

[Johnny J]

IMO, a large full cap can look good on a man like yourself. It just depends on the cut of the cap. Now take a look at this old cap:

Its a large full cut and looks just fine on the guy.

 

[T Jones]

And this is why I have purchased only one 8 panel prior to this Stetson. It's a B! Wear, and it's the standard cut. It makes me look ridiculous. It only serves to exaggerate the long, narrow head that I am so fortunate to have.

Are you serious?! What's wrong with it! I like that cap! Very casual. Who makes it? Can you bend the bill and pull the material over to one side like I've got mine?...There was a lot of variations of those caps. Like Johnny J. said, it depends on the cut. But I see nothing wrong with your cap...

 

[Johnny J]

Also Andy, the front seam on your B!Wear cap should be centered, in the middle of the visor.

 

[Zombie_61]

And this is why I have purchased only one 8 panel prior to this Stetson. It's a B! Wear, and it's the standard cut. It makes me look ridiculous...

I think both caps look good on you but, between the two, I prefer the B! Wear cap as well. They're both nice caps, but the narrow width of the Stetson cap reminds me of the modern style of flat caps and it just doesn't look quite right. I do, however, agree with Johnny J--the front seam should be centered over the brim.

Speaking of which, the one thing I dislike about B! Wear's caps is their oddly-too-narrow brims which, in my opinion, create an imbalance between the brim and the crown by making the crown appear more voluminous than it really is. I'm sure they have their reasons for making their caps this way, but I'm not a fan; your mileage may vary.

 

[The Wiser Hatter]

The fabric itself can cause a lot of drape issues. Just look at how the drape is between Andy's and T Jones caps. Also depending on if the cap was placed on a block to finish will effect how the hat fabric drapes. A lot of modern cap makers especially smaller ones don't go the extra mile to do the block at the end an a steam to get the fabric to lay correctly.

 

[Orangegrad]

The brim on a B! Wear can't be altered much, as it's plastic. I'll play around with the hat a bit more to see if I can get it to look any better on me. I just don't like it.

I have a Hat People on order. Maybe it will be a fit that I prefer.

Just checked - and the way the crown is sewn to the bill, there is no way to center the crease down the middle. The entire hat would need to be re-done to do that. It's just the way it's styled. I think if you look at other B! Wears, you'll see the same thing.

The crown was tacked down to the front of the bill. I snipped the tacking thread, which allows me more ways to play around with the fit. Even still, it's not my favorite hat.

 

[Feraud]

Based on the photos shown I think the Stetson looks much better than the B!Wear.
There is something very unbalanced about the B!Wear cap. I owned one and liked it until I saw a photo of myself in it. The cut does not flatter me at all.

 

[job]

Orangegrad, I am pretty new to caps and I have found that I had to work with all of them to get wrinkles out or to lay right or to have the shape I wanted. Unlike a felt hat these caps have no real structure like wires to keep there shape so I had a lot to learn. One thing that Che told me helped the most. I would lightly steam the cap and then use T-shirts to fill up the inside of the cap. then I would work the cap and shirts till I was happy with the shape. After the caps have the shape I want them to hold I can hang them on a hook and they won't cave in from sitting on there brim.
If anyone else has some advise on shaping and retaining a caps shape I would like to learn more for I see even more caps in my future.

 

[Ragnar]

Hello fellow cap lovers, a young newbie joining the ranks

Just a few weeks back I bought a cheap duckbill cap, mostly made of polyester just for fun. Didn't take long before I began wanting a "real" cap, so I bought a Stetson cap soon after (another duckbill). 100% wool, very thin, just perfect for summer.

I hate to admit it, but I've been struck by a new addiction... every day I check Ebay and other sites for all kinds of caps. Now I've got an eye on this Stetson Hatteras model, but I'm a bit worried about the size. Is there any difference from different cap models? The duckbill is XL (61cm) and fits, although sliiighty tight, and now I'm kinda worried 61 might be a bit small for one of those larger sixpences, as the fabric and structure of the duckbill is more forgiving due to its light construction.

Also will the cap shrink as it ages?

 

[Chepstow]

Orangegrad, I am pretty new to caps and I have found that I had to work with all of them to get wrinkles out or to lay right or to have the shape I wanted. Unlike a felt hat these caps have no real structure like wires to keep there shape so I had a lot to learn. One thing that Che told me helped the most. I would lightly steam the cap and then use T-shirts to fill up the inside of the cap. then I would work the cap and shirts till I was happy with the shape. After the caps have the shape I want them to hold I can hang them on a hook and they won't cave in from sitting on there brim.
If anyone else has some advise on shaping and retaining a caps shape I would like to learn more for I see even more caps in my future.

John, That is a good and easy way to shape a cap. After steam let the cap dry in this position
and the cap has the shape you want! Che is a great mentor and knowledgeable man and knows what a cap needs!

 

[Chepstow]

Hello fellow cap lovers, a young newbie joining the ranks

Just a few weeks back I bought a cheap duckbill cap, mostly made of polyester just for fun. Didn't take long before I began wanting a "real" cap, so I bought a Stetson cap soon after (another duckbill). 100% wool, very thin, just perfect for summer.

I hate to admit it, but I've been struck by a new addiction... every day I check Ebay and other sites for all kinds of caps. Now I've got an eye on this Stetson Hatteras model, but I'm a bit worried about the size. Is there any difference from different cap models? The duckbill is XL (61cm) and fits, although sliiighty tight, and now I'm kinda worried 61 might be a bit small for one of those larger sixpences, as the fabric and structure of the duckbill is more forgiving due to its light construction.

Also will the cap shrink as it ages?

Ragnar, welcome here, I have several Stetson Caps, the most of them fits great. They have different size tags,
S- for 54-55 M- for 56-57 and so on. Some Caps have a size tag like this, 57, 58 and so on. This Caps fits mostly great and if that Cap is to large you can sew the inner fabric band a little bit close. Or it's to small, you could stretch it a bit! That is not a problem.

The Caps will shrink If you use hot water! Beware! Not only the size will shrink, also the whole fabric! The shape or the look could be never the same as before!

 

[Zombie_61]

...I have a Hat People on order. Maybe it will be a fit that I prefer...

I have three Hat People caps, all "full cut", and I really like them. The Pendleton wools they use are rather *soft and not overly warm, which makes them very comfortable to wear. The brims are soft as well, so you can shape them almost however you like, and they don't attach the crown to the brim.


*I felt I should clarify this statement a little. As received, the material on each of the Hat People caps I've purchased was a little stiff. I quickly learned to "work" it by simply rubbing the crown material between my hands a little, which had the result of "breaking up" the stiffness, leaving the caps nice and soft. I don't think they're ideal if you're looking for that classic "pancake" look (like in the image posted by Johnny J in post #3825), but they do have the nice relaxed drape of a well-used cap.

 

[Orangegrad]

I have a medium cut Hat People cap on order. I expect it takes a month or so to arrive, and should be just great for the late summer and into the fall. This one is linen. If I like it, I'll order another in wool - perhaps a different cut. I guess I'll see in a few weeks.

 

[Orangegrad]

I know... it's a winter cap. But I'd appreciate your thoughts on this one. I think it fits better than the B! Wear.