The Rakish Angle

[Wild Root]

2. Wearing your hat tilted is rakishly handsome, but may also hint at gangsterism and thuggery.

Gangsterism and thuggery?[huh] lol lol Brother, you know I love ya but, this is cracking me up! Gangsterism, is that a real word? Or a Chicago based “Organized” religion? lol You saw all the photos of real American service men and average John Doe's wearing they're hats to one side that I posted yes? Of course there were gangsters that did wear they're hats as such but, gangsters wanted to look good too, so, they did what every one else did but, with more expensive clothes. Watch any old Hollywood Classic movie from the 30's to the 40's... James Stewart, Cary Grant, Gary Cooper, Douglas Fairbanks JR, (As pictured) Clark Gable, Spencer Tracey, John Garfield... the list goes on.

I made a simple suggestion and now see where it went? Brother, who's at the Tiller of this thread? Let’s get back to HJ's smart three piece!

=WR=

PS. G-Men did wear boaters… so did the rest of America in the spring and summer months! Long live the Boater!!!

 

[BellyTank]

From what I have read- I can only find hearsay, re: Boss designing for "the Nazis". Although he'd been in the branch since the '20s and ran a clothing factory and post-war, was charged with being a war profiteer/opportunist, like Schindler...

Coco Chanel, Christian Dior and many of their contemporaries can also be connected to Nazis... there was a war on and of course, Germany occupied a lot of Europe. Do as you're asked to do...

B
T

 

[Shaul-Ike Cohen]

Boycotting gets so difficult these days, with all this globalization...

 

[Vladimir Berkov]

Vlad, I love ya man, I really do but, I can't believe it, I just can't! That made me laugh SO HARD!!!

=WR=

Ok, Ok. Maybe I overstated my case just a tad. I still would say that the proportion of Americans who wore their peaked caps at a tilt (especially the jaunty tilt) is less than you find among the Germans. Whenever I see a German with a cap straight across it always seems an anomaly, where as you regularly see Americans wearing their caps that way.

As to which way is cooler, I think we can both agree that there is only ONE cool way and it is the jaunty angle way! You won't catch me wearing my hat straight across!

 

[Matt Deckard]

I decided to seperate the hats from the suits (not trying to be a control factory, just trying to keep things clean).

I myself wear my hat whatever way it lands on my head. Sometimes that's at an angle, and sometimes that is straight ahead.

I think most men were the same way back in the day, and the ones that were more affected by their own looks tended to go for the more rakish tilt. I think the French and Europeans in general have always had a tad more style (it's just ingrained in their culture) than the Americans who just put their clothes on (my opinion), less care of how they looked (just a tad).

Anywho... When I want to dress up and want people to notice I usually for some reason have my hat at an angle.

Confidance in how you wear your chapeau my friends... that's all that matters.

Gangsters put their hats on the same way we did.... the only difference is that when they put on their hats, they killed people!

 

[Wild Root]

Ok, Ok. Maybe I overstated my case just a tad. I still would say that the proportion of Americans who wore their peaked caps at a tilt (especially the jaunty tilt) is less than you find among the Germans. Whenever I see a German with a cap straight across it always seems an anomaly, where as you regularly see Americans wearing their caps that way.

As to which way is cooler, I think we can both agree that there is only ONE cool way and it is the jaunty angle way! You won't catch me wearing my hat straight across!

Overstated your case is right.lol However, I've seen (As you have) plenty of German's with their head wear tilted. I like that photo of ya Vlad! You wear your hats on the side well! It really does ad character and gives a look of wearing the hat and not of the hat wearing you!

I do agree with you that it is a way cooler look! Just I don't feel that the German's in WWII had the corner on the tilted hat style. I feel it was very wide spread.

=WR=

 

[John in Covina]

So you wear your hat like a G-Man eh? Well, you may be surprised but, some of the photos I've seen from the 30's and 40's of G-Men they've got they're lids to one side a little for that touch of personality. I find I scare people if I wear my hats straight on... puts fear into people for some reasonlol =WR=

"Don't Shoot G-Man!"

 

[jake_fink]

I like that hat. Qu'est-ce que c'est?

 

[Hemingway Jones]

Gangsterism and thuggery?[huh] lol lol Brother, you know I love ya but, this is cracking me up! Gangsterism, is that a real word...
=WR=

Mr. Root, that list of "what I learned" was meant to be funny; it was written with my tongue firmly planted in my cheek.
"Gangsterism" is indeed a word, and a darn fine one as well.

You'll see, the photos of me in NYC will have a hat with a near verticle brim.

 

[Vladimir Berkov]

I like that hat. Qu'est-ce que c'est?

It is a regular Akubra Federation on which I cut down the brim to 2 1/4" and bashed in a 4-pointed teardrop shape.

 

[Story]

You're not weird. Hitler knew instinctively and even made mention of it at least once that the uniform made the soldier. The German people in the 1930's were very succeptable to such a psychological trick. A cool looking uniform would garner respect, and conversely, an ill-fitting, dorky looking uniform would have the opposite effect.
( I think my hat's on straight,....I hope.)

What do you expect, with Hugo Boss designing their uniforms?
http://americandefenseleague.com/hilknow1.htm

 

[The Wolf]

Well, Root, you did it again: another thread that took off like wildfire by the time I found it!
I personally don't feel right unless my fedora is tilted down on thr right side of my head. Which leads me to a related question.
Men and women of the lounge, which way do you tilt your lid?

Sincerely,
The Wolf

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Gangsterism, eh? Sounds like one of those words Orwell was railing against all those years ago ... along with gangsterize, and gangsterization.

As for tilt ... Really i never notice. Except when i wear a suit that has slightly wide shoulders (the eternal bain of the short, slim man). Then it has to be a wide brim hat with NO tilt. Otherwise it just draws attention to the overly-square and overly-large shoulders.

BTW: BT ... HJ in HJ lol

bk

 

[shoeshineboy]

Art Fawcett said....

...to me the other day, that most people will tilt thier hat to one side..depending if you are left or right handed....according to Art, right handed-right tilt...left handed-left tilt...

Is this true for you guys ???

I have to be difficult because i do things half and half...would that make me wear my flat...nope...according to Art, I wear it a little too far back on my head...I got the wrong tilt !!!!



mark the shoeshine boy

 

[Brad Bowers]

...to me the other day, that most people will tilt thier hat to one side..depending if you are left or right handed....according to Art, right handed-right tilt...left handed-left tilt...

Is this true for you guys ???

I have to be difficult because i do things half and half...would that make me wear my flat...nope...according to Art, I wear it a little too far back on my head...I got the wrong tilt !!!!

Nah, you just have the Spencer Tracy tilt going on.

I'm left-handed, but I tilt my hat to the right. But then, I'm an oddball all the way around.lol

Brad

 

[Viola]

Just for contrast, here's a bonafide gangster wearing his hat level:

But Lansky was the antithesis of rakish.

 

[Wild Root]

Ah, now there's a photo for the press! :eusa_clap Just goes to show, that there isn't always gilt behind the tilt!

=WR=

 

[Wild Root]

As for tilt ... Really i never notice. Except when i wear a suit that has slightly wide shoulders (the eternal bain of the short, slim man). Then it has to be a wide brim hat with NO tilt. Otherwise it just draws attention to the overly-square and overly-large shoulders.

bk

Ah, think of all the young men who wore Zoot styles in the 40's, they always had them cocked to one side! I love the way the brim comes down over one side of the face, it give it a real sense of mystery. Wide brims are great with wide shoulders! That's when they were popular... in the 40's! Next time you put on a broad shouldered suit and a wide brim fedora, just grab the hat and place it slightly to one side... then, look in the mirror... you'll see what I mean, you'll be looking super keen... know what I mean? No one will mess with ya, trust me!

=WR=

 

[Matt Deckard]

As I said

Gangsters put their hats on the same way we did.... the only difference is that when they put on their hats, they killed people!

 

[jamespowers]

I'm left-handed, but I tilt my hat to the right. But then, I'm an oddball all the way around.lol

Brad

That must be me too. I am right handed so the tilt goes to the left. It is just easier because you put on the hat and then adjust it to the opposite side.