The Fedora that fits your face.

[Banky]

I'll just chime in to promote one of my favorite hats again. If you're into the outback look the Banjo Paterson is an excellent choice. I'm convinced the proportions of that hat look good on damn near anybody.

 

[T Jones]

Definitely a wider brim,( I would even say no less than 2 3/4), and a taller more straight sided crown. An Akubra Adventurer wouldn't be a bad bet either.

http://www.davidmorgan.com/product_info.php?products_id=1128

 

[fish1534]

Thank you all for the warm welcome to the Lounge! The men’s store in the pics is Nathan’s in downtown Lakeland, FL. It’s a traditional, surviving men’s store and I can’t recommend them highly enough. They are the local Boy Scout uniform supply shop and carry suits which are a step above the men’s warehouse far. Their hat selection however is somewhat limited; they have almost nothing but stingy brims.

I agree that I need a wider brim but as I said the store had very little selection. The brim in the first picture is 2 1/8”and the western style hat is 3”. The Stylemaster/Bogart/FedIV/CEO/Fedora all have 2 ½ - 2 ¾” brims so I think they will all look alright brim wise. I’m hearing that little, to no taper would look the best on my face. Do any of the other hats that I mentioned aside from the FedIV have no taper? I’m a little worried about the FedIV being too much hat for my first hat and I’m a little intimidated at the thought of bashing the crown. For you other full face guys, does any particular bash look better on your face or in side view? Right now I’m leaning toward a Stylemaster because the pinched telescope lowers the crown a little making it more inconspicuous. Does anyone think this would look just plain bad on my mug?

 

[Banky]

The Stylemaster would be a good first hat. The proportions on that hat definitely make it more accessible

 

[ManofKent]

I'm 6ft 1" and no lightweight (43" chest 36" waist) with a big head 60.4 cm ish and widish face, and I'm happy to wear smaller brims as well as wider...

approx 1 7/8" brim (Panizza):



approx 2" (Borsalino):



and going wider with a Fed:



Personally although all three look very different I don't think any of the three are particularly unflattering (and it's a difficult face to flatter...). Your opinion may differ!

I'm not that convinced about brim width being that big an issue compared to the overall profile of the hat, particularly taper issues.

 

[Seb Lucas]

The Stylemaster would be a good first hat. The proportions on that hat definitely make it more accessible

Not a great hat for a wider face. It has a narrow tapered crown that looks odd on a fuller face IMO. I have had several and I'm always struck by this. They wee better 25 years ago when they came with an open, wider crown.

 

[1961MJS]

You are a large man with broad shoulders and the smaller brims just don't quite make it with you.

I once asked for the perfect head wear for my face and the salesman bought out a bag for me to put over my head.

Hi

I agree, big guy, big hat.

Did the bag at least have air holes?

Sorry couldn't help it.

 

[Dan Allen]

My friend and fishing buddy looks strikingly like you, both in stature and facial features ( including a beard) . He wears a Fed IV in Tawny Fawn and he wears it well.

 

[TheDane]

Richard is IMHO a splendid example of a "substantial" gent, rocking the lounge in almost any style of hat - soft, stiff, stingy, wide, full, tapered, ivy-cap or newsboy. It's about so much more than brim and face widths.

 

[jlee562]

I tend to think the "rules" of matching hats to faces are very flexible.

 

[Mystic]

I’m a little worried about the FedIV being too much hat for my first hat and I’m a little intimidated at the thought of bashing the crown. For you other full face guys, does any particular bash look better on your face or in side view? Right now I’m leaning toward a Stylemaster because the pinched telescope lowers the crown a little making it more inconspicuous. Does anyone think this would look just plain bad on my mug?

Don't stress to much over the perfect hat the first time.

The reason Richard pulls off different styles, shapes, brim widths is he "wears" the hat.....the hat is not wearing him. He's comfortable wearing his hats.

You will most likely feel "conspicuous" at first but you get used to wearing a hat and it becomes normal for you.

Just a suggestion. You might jump on ebay and pick up an inexpensive hat to play with and get used to before buying a new hat.
I had three fedoras before I realized that what I thought I should be wearing is not what I liked to wear.

Hats are like shoes. Some you love, some don't fit well and some just sit in the back of the closet.

Don't stress to much over your selection. Enjoy the ride.

 

[bond]

Think color, clothing and function,you'll be wearing a hat for different moods. Just make sure it fits your head properly as there's nothing worse than a poor fitting hat.

 

[1mach1]

Think color, clothing and function,you'll be wearing a hat for different moods. Just make sure it fits your head properly as there's nothing worse than a poor fitting hat.

+1 on the sizing.

Standard colors like shades of grey or brown will go with most anything.

 

[Geldoc]

I agree about the need for color that goes with your skin tones and the colors of clothes you wear. For example, are you more a brown/tan or grey/black dresser? This could dictate going grey or tan, fawn, etc. in the felt. I definitely agree with so many others here that a wider brim and taller crown, without taper, will be a good start for you. The Fed IV pops out. Also, the new Stetsonian is a bit more dressy (and, IMO, a really good hat for a company hat), and has dimensions rather similar to the Fed IV.

 

[fish1534]

Dan Allen, If your friend looks like me, he must be a strikingly handsome fellow hewn from the same material as Apollo himself. Richard, you look great in all of those hats but the tawny Fed is defiantly my fav look on you. I actually thought my big noggin looked pretty good in a few of the tweed stingy brims; a different look but I liked it none the less. For this hat, I'm pretty set on the moonstone color so that it goes well with the grey suit jacket that I'm wearing in the pics. My brother and I both will be getting hats but not necessarily the same hat, he has a long face. Looking through the pics of me in hats, I'm really beginning to worry about the taper on the Stylemaster. The tapered hats don't look very good on me. Any options other then the Fed? I think the Fed will look good on me but I planned to get a Fed in a tawny color and wanted two different hats.

 

[Dan Allen]

Don't know about the "Apollo" bit, but he is a fine fisherman which may be due in part to the hat

 

[Landman]

I don't think the Stylemaster would be a good hat for you. I have one and it is a nice hat but has a lot of taper and a low crown.

If you want something besides the Fed IV in a grey then look at the Campdraft and the Squatter. These all come in different shades of grey from HatsDirect. They also come open crown. I know you said you were a little intimidated by creasing your own hat but it is really not that difficult. Being able to crease it yourself you can find a crease that best suits you. It is amazing how just a few subtle changes in a crease can make a huge difference in the appearance of a hat. Once you learn to crease your own hats you will probably never buy a factory creased hat again.

 

[KingAndrew]

I have to agree with Geldoc that the Stetsonian is a great choice. The tawny color is a different shade of tan than the Fed IV tawny fawn, the brim is a good 2 3/4" and the crown is tall (6.5"!) and straight. Bashing it is easy: I used a broomstick to put in a center dent, then grabbed the front to make a pinch. That hat looked awfully tall, but when I put it on my head, I couldn't believe how good it looked. It's brown ribbon and bound brim will also set it apart from your brother's Fed.

That said, there is nothing wrong with Akubras, either. I have a Fed IV and love it, too. Both are great hats for the money and will work well on a big guy (I'm 6'3" and around 250 pounds).

By the way, I'm from Orlando and had never heard about Nathan's I'll have to check it out the next time I'm in Florida (I now hang my hats in Shanghai).

Welcome to the Lounge!

Andrew

 

[Mystic]

That said, there is nothing wrong with Akubras, either. I have a Fed IV and love it, too. Both are great hats for the money and will work well on a big guy (I'm 6'3" and around 250 pounds).

By the way, I'm from Orlando and had never heard about Nathan's I'll have to check it out the next time I'm in Florida (I now hang my hats in Shanghai).

Hey Andrew, at 6'3" 250 lbs. You can pretty much hang your hats anywhere you want anytime you want. lol

 

[fish1534]

Dan, I think the important question is which hat catches more fish! I'll take a look at Stetsonian but think I'm going to pull the trigger on the Stylemaster. I think the Stylemaster will look great on my brother and if it doesn't look that good on me, I can sell it in the classifieds here without loosing too much and get another hat. Like I said, I've been eyeing that Tawney Fed. Thank you for the advice everyone.

Oh and Andrew, what do you do in Shanghai, I've been through China many times.