Vintage Stetson Size Question

[TiltRotorFlyer]

I'm sure sure the answer to this question lies buried in one thread or another but after searching awhile, the answer escapes me. I am considering buying a vintage Stetson Open Road but have a question on the size as I do not own a Stetson. Do the sizes of vintages tend to run true, or do they actually run smaller based on their age and perhaps associated shrinking that can occur with an aged hat? Would you ever consider going up one size from your known hat size to counteract this phenomenon assuming it exists? Would using the sizing tape in the hat help as it does for an Akubra? Thanks in advance.

 

[Lefty]

Using the terms in your post, the result is in the top five.
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Please post questions that you believe have been answered in the Ask a Question thread.

 

[TiltRotorFlyer]

Sorry Lefty et al. Still a rookie here

 

[Lefty]

No problem. We've got tons of info. here, and it takes a while to get the basics. A google search (specific to the Lounge), and the Ask a Question thread will get you to almost any answer.

 

[danofarlington]

I'm sure sure the answer to this question lies buried in one thread or another but after searching awhile, the answer escapes me. I am considering buying a vintage Stetson Open Road but have a question on the size as I do not own a Stetson. Do the sizes of vintages tend to run true, or do they actually run smaller based on their age and perhaps associated shrinking that can occur with an aged hat? Would you ever consider going up one size from your known hat size to counteract this phenomenon assuming it exists? Would using the sizing tape in the hat help as it does for an Akubra? Thanks in advance.

My own scoreboard: I have three older Stetson hats. The oldest, a Royal Deluxe, ran true to size despite being from the 50s or 60s; the next, a 4x beaver modern stiff Open Road, looking much newer, had shrunk a size; and a clean Stetson 25, mainly a classy Open Road, from I don't know when but probably not older than 70s or 80s, is true to size. So two out of my three vintage Stetsons ran true to size.

 

[Fedora Jay]

I just got a vintage Stetson 3x beaver today, and it's a spot-on 7 3/8. I have a four month old Chatham that fits just like it. My wool Stetson Pony Express is a 7 1/4 and is pretty tight on me. My last Stetson, a black/grey straw-like one that might be from the 70's or 80's, is a half a size small. It's not as tight as the 7 1/4 but not as loose as the 7 3/8. That puts me at 3 out of four running true to size.

 

[Lloyd]

I usually expect a vintage hat to be a little smaller than the official size but they should stretch right back without too much trouble, or I buy a size up and am prepared to deal with a hat that may be a little too big. I just picked up a Stetson Gun Club from the bay that actually a little too big for me. I think the previous owner must have stretched it.

 

[Don Dahlberg]

It is my experience that a quality vintage fur felt hat does not shrink very much. Sometimes I find them larger, because they had been stretched to fit a larger head. Of course, the only way I know that I am a size 7 is that the first vintage Stetson that fit me was a size 7. I have never purchased a vintage size 7 in any brand that turned out to be too small. I have found a few that were a bit loose.

I have read on this board that some brands of newer hats are famous for shrinking.

Don