Watch "Ken Burns: Prohibition" to see some incredible hats

[univibe88]

If you have an Amazon Prime account you can watch Ken Burns: Prohibition for free. It is full of amazing video and photography from the 20s and 30s. It is a three part documentary, but the third part probably has the most hat images. Here are a few I captured.

 

[TomS]

Thanks for the tip. As an aside, when I see photos from this era I always notice how thin the people were. Just my .02

 

[mayserwegener]

Also how high some of them wore their hats. Over 2 inches from the top of the ear.

 

[RBH]

Thanks for the tip. As an aside, when I see photos from this era I always notice how thin the people were. Just my .02

Free soup will do that to you.

 

[hatophile]

I wouldn't mind a couple of those cars as well.

 

[Walt]

It is always fun to look at old photos and vintage film of the clothing/hats being worn.

I like watching old movies on TCM and some of the movies I've seen enough times that I'm starting to spend more time just observing the hats and how they wear them more than paying attention to the movie or the dialogue. In fact I've started a game that is fun. Watching for glimpses of sweatbands and liners when a hat is removed. Sometimes I can make out Stetson, Knox, Dobbs, etc logos. I suppose the next thing to do is watch any that are on DVD to freeze frame those rare images of what make hat is being worn. The one drawback to B&W is not seeing the real colors of those hats.

This might be discussed in another thread but I too have noticed the wearing of hats high seems to be early 30's and earlier while mid 30's and later they seem to more often be closer to the ear.

If we lived without high calorie foods in abundance and without vaccines so we got all those childhood illnesses that can stunt growth more of us could wear those 30" waist vintage pants (or should I say 28"---either way they sure were skinnier) and those size 6 3/4 hats!

 

[Walt]

BTW, the new Dust Bowl series also has some hat images. Probably more of them being blown off of heads. There is one scene of a guy, probably in OK, chasing his hat down the street!

 

[stmike]

Isn't it interesting that the downtrodden people in the soup kitchen line are still dressed better than the majority of people walking in pretty much any downtown today.

 

[Walt]

Isn't it interesting that the downtrodden people in the soup kitchen line are still dressed better than the majority of people walking in pretty much any downtown today.

Yeah, back then even poor people were well dressed even if their clothes weren't clean or with holes, etc. Today too many people look like slobs regardless of financial status. I'm always amazed when some entertainment and sports celebrities come on late night talk shows looking like slobs with holes in their jeans and all that. I have jeans with holes, but they are either old worn out ones or ones I get for a few dollars at the thrift store to do oil changes on the car. Not to wear in public!

Back then even common laborers wore ties, jackets and fedoras. Dressing up meant the tux and top hat. Now just wearing a tie of any kind is dressing up (regardless of weather slacks or jeans or a jacket is worn).

Our society has became way too casual. To the point that some people even dress casual to court, weddings and funerals. I've worked at major high-tech companies where nobody wears a suit and a tie unless they are going for a job interview--I'm talking about engineers--some marketing people would wear business attire but then only if meeting with customers. Otherwise most everyone is wearing jeans and t-shirts or wearing shorts and Hawaiian shirts or t-shirts even in Winter (here in Idaho). One way to rebel at such places is to wear a tie on Fridays (I like bow-ties myself). If you wear the nice suit to work at those places they will give you a bad time about interviewing for a new job....

That's why in many cities the small clothing stores that sell suits and ties, etc are fewer in number. There just isn't the demand like there was 40+ years ago.

I'm sure the whole topic has been covered elsewhere on here (I'm still trying to get thru the years of discussions).

 

[scottyrocks]

Isn't it interesting that the downtrodden people in the soup kitchen line are still dressed better than the majority of people walking in pretty much any downtown today.

Normally, I wouldn't say this, but here it just seems appropriate: Word.

 

[tonyb]

But on the other hand, what reasonable person, regardless of era, would go fishing in this getup?

...

...

 

[Mystic]

Thanks for the tip. As an aside, when I see photos from this era I always notice how thin the people were. Just my .02

There are some very basic reasons for that.

 

[fashion frank]

I rented the movie "lawless" yesterday and it was set in the 1920's and the clothing and hats had me glued to the set .

I realized at one point that I was looking at the clothes and hats more than the "plot".
That being said this was a really good movie and it puts you right " back there".

All the Best, Fashion Frank

 

[bowlerman]

Wonderful! I think I set my DVR to record this-- hope my wife and kids didn't delete it before I get to watch!

 

[fashion frank]

Isn't it interesting that the downtrodden people in the soup kitchen line are still dressed better than the majority of people walking in pretty much any downtown today.

It's funny that you should say that ,as I make it a point to never leave the house without being "properly dressed " IE:: Suit and tie and hat .

I can't tell you how many times people will stop me and comment on my attire ,and 95 % of the time it's positive and from strangers .

I was on the Ask Andy clothing forum and I posted a rather long post about the decline of " class" in this country and how people nowadays have no sence of being dressed .

Once I was at a funtion and someone said to me " dont you think that your a little overdressed for the event " ?
I replied "no in fact most of the men in the room I.M. H. O. are underdressed".
He got the point and agreed .

Also it's not just men but when you see women out and about wearing sweatpants and hair in a ponytail you know we as a country are headed in the wrong direction .

All the Best ,Fashion Frank

 

[philosophy101]

I like watching old movies on TCM and some of the movies I've seen enough times that I'm starting to spend more time just observing the hats and how they wear them more than paying attention to the movie or the dialogue.

I recall reading (can't remember where, maybe in an old FL thread?) that in the movies hats were worn high in front so that the actors' faces wouldn't be obscured by shadows; that people in the "real world" often wore them lower than what we see in the old movies. If that's true then our ideas about how hats were worn -- if informed by Hollywood -- may to some extent be distorted by movie lighting considerations. Any opinions on that theory?

 

[Mulceber]

Quite likely correct, although we do have vintage photographs (often of people who don't realize they're being photographed), and that can serve as something of a corrective. I haven't noticed much of a difference in the way movies portray people wear hats and how the photographs depict it. Maybe even then, people were taking their cues on how to wear a hat from movie stars?

 

[Walt]

There is photographic evidence of male hats being worn higher (photos of the general public in large gatherings) and vintage advertising also depicts hats being worn higher.

I'm pretty sure that there are plenty of pictures and advertising images prior to the moving pictures era with hats being worn high so it seems that movies probably didn't start it. Certainly movies did have influence on fashion, makeup, hairstyles, etc, but it doesn't appear certain that movies started the high wearing of hats.

If anything it does show that there is more than one way to wear a hat and no one way is the only correct way.

 

[stmike]

...and then there are those of us who prefer to wear our hats low in the front in consideration of the people who pass us on the sidewalks and are spared having to look upon our visages.

 

[univibe88]

But on the other hand, what reasonable person, regardless of era, would go fishing in this getup?

Well that is President Wilson. I'm sure it was a "staged" shot.