The Rakish Angle

[Wild Root]

I'm right handed... my leans to the right... just like everything else I do! Why? Because I'm always right lol lol lol

=WR=

 

[Tony in Tarzana]

I don't know if it's because my hats are a skosh too big, or because of the shape of my melon, but if I just put my hat on, it ends up level. In order to have any tilt at all, I need to put the hat on very carefully and deliberately, which defeats the purpose of "rakish."

I'm wondering if I should pack my sweatbands a little to see if that changes the tilt factor.

 

[Wild Root]

You know, I have a few hats that fit a little lose and it's hard to keep it tilted... the hat in my avatar is that way. Stuff that sweat band with some thin strips of felt and you'll get the proper fit.

=WR=

 

[Wild Root]

Ok, here's a crapy Cell phone photo of me at Fred's 62 wile wearing one of my hats... don't this just look smooth?

=WR=

 

[jamespowers]

Ok, here's a crapy Cell phone photo of me at Fred's 62 wile wearing one of my hats... don't this just look smooth?

=WR=

Nice tie and hat. What did you have at Fred's?

Regards,

J

 

[Wild Root]

Nice tie and hat. What did you have at Fred's?

Regards,

J

The Cat goes.... Meeeow.lollol J/K!I had a strawberry milk shake.

=WR=

 

[MrBern]

Vlad,
I dont know, I tend to notice lots of GIs wearing their caps & helmets at angles.

[/IMG]

Tho I do tend to notice the knit wool jeep cap tends to sit further back in a boyish manner.

 

[Wild Root]

The jeep caps and knit caps with the bills flipped up! I like that look! Also, can't forget the photos of all the gunners in the AAF with their leather billed caps... yep, bills flipped up on them too!

=WR=

 

[TomMason]

Hat tilt is very interesting. I claim that if you are right handed it should tilt to the left - the reason - it enables you to drop head to the right to get your cheek down on your rifle stock. Same thing when you ride a horse, the reins are held in the left hand so you can hold your sword or pistol in the right hand.

 

[MattC]

Always to the right

If you want to accentuate the tilt, snap the brim a little further on the right side. If you want to make it look midcentury european, reduce the snap on the left.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Maybe that is more that one guy than a general trend. This guy for instance looks more like a schoolboy than a gangster.[/img]

I think this military cap tilting began in World War I.

Photos of Baron Von Richthoven show his cap tilted as well. And back in the late 'teens and '20s, actor/director Erich Von Stroheim, "the man you love to hate", played an array of villainous WWI German officers. His characters' caps were so tilted, they defied gravity!

.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

What am I saying? There are photos of U.S. Civil War soldiers wearing their caps and slouch hats tilted!

 

[LeFonque]

I have family photos at home with uncles of mine wearing their British armycaps at a 'jaunty' angle in WWI. In WWII German Kriegsmarine (Navy) and Luftwaffe overseas cap were designed to be worn at an angle. I have a photo of my wife's uncle wearing his panzer uniform in 1944 with his cap at an angle it wasn't because he was cocky infact he told me he was scared witless as he went off to face the Russians at the Ost front at 16 years old. He was captured two days after being sent to the front and remained in Russia until the 50's helping rebuild Stalingrad.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Ah, think of all the young men who wore Zoot styles in the 40's, they always had them cocked to one side!

This is one of the reasons (there are many) why the zoot suit wearers looked ridiculous. G*d, i hate zoot suits. As a social statement they were interesting, but other than that ... absurd.

bk

 

[Wild Root]

I smell a "Square Clare" in the air! Ok Jackson, have it your way. I'll just be a wild Jitterbug for the both of us I don’t like the Zoot Tams my self, I like the average wide brimmed fedoras… they just look styling with a tilt. A lot of the styles back then were asymmetrical. I have a friend who is about 4’11” or 5’ tall. He wore vintage wide brims with wide shoulders… looked tough! You’re entitled to your opinion of course good sir.

=WR=

PS. What kids are wearing today is absurd! I wish they would wear the zoots again... they at least looked some what decent.

 

[jamespowers]

PS. What kids are wearing today is absurd! I wish they would wear the zoots again... they at least looked some what decent.

I'd second and third that but then who am I to judge?

Regards,

J

 

[Shaul-Ike Cohen]

This is one of the reasons (there are many) why the zoot suit wearers looked ridiculous.

And by far not the only one.

 

[Shaul-Ike Cohen]

I wish they would wear the zoots again... they at least looked some what decent.

They didn't . But I concede it'd have the advantage that people with a decent suit and a hat wouldn't catch as much attention.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Here's a real zoot suit at NYC's Savoy Ballroom in 1942. It really doesn't look that bad:

 

[Wild Root]

Thank you Marc! Sure get a kick out of some people... they associate modern Zoots with the old... Totally different look!

Not all the kids wore Zoots... but, they were all over the place in Harlem and LA. Till they were band in 1942 because of the riots. I know my history!

=WR=