What affect does bashing have on hat size?

[Duper]

My new FED IV standard tawny fawn arrived yesterday. It is marked a 58 as was ordered and as I had discussed with the kind folks at HD via e-mail for sizing prior to ordering.

I own a Stockman and a Banjo Paterson and Casual. All are size 58. The casual fits perfectly with no adjustments. The Stockman and the BP were both somewhat large and needed some tape under the sweat band to snug them up a bit. When measuring for a hat size I am pretty much a bang on 57 so I ordered my Akubras 1 size up just incase.

The Fed IV I received is the largest of all the Akubras I own by far. Even using the tape they provided around the entire circumference I still find it a bit loose. I understood the FED IV measuring guide to say they were a true 57.5 so I was actually expecting it to be smaller than my other Akubras.

Anyways,,I love the hat and the colour. I have not bashed it yet as I am debating on what to do with it. Anyone have any eperience on whether bashing the hat help to make it feel snugger or looser?

 

[Chuck Bobuck]

I don't think bashing has much effect on fit. Every Akubra I have purchased started out too large. I've found that they always conform after wearing awhile. That is my personal experience however. If the hat is over your ears, then your experience could be different.

 

[gtdean48]

All open crowns seem to fit larger on my head than after they are creased. The denting of the top of the crown to get a diamond, teardrop or even a center dent, seems to decrease the circumference some. HTH

 

[Not-Bogart13]

I think what happens with bashing isn't really a change of size, but a change of the opening's shape. It distorts a little. I notice this with some hats just snapping the brim and down, too.

The Federation has always run a little big. So far, I have heard that most people find the Fed IV even larger than the Fed III, even though Hats Direct insists they are smaller. Based on what you describe, Duoer, I would say it's just too big, and exchange it. If it was OK with the tape in, I'd say keep it, because it will shrink a little. It's amazing what some sweat and patient can do. lol

 

[Rick Blaine]

Try the "lampshade" trick!

 

[Torpedo]

The hat's crease will only minimally affect sizing, as NB13 has aptly explained. Of course, depending on the telescope effect you apply, it may have the effect of preventing a loose hat to fall too much over your ears.

 

[babs]

I think what happens with bashing isn't really a change of size, but a change of the opening's shape. It distorts a little. I notice this with some hats just snapping the brim and down, too.

.. from my limited experience, YEP! Snapped up the hats I have are more round from front tension of the brim.. Snapped down the tension is relieved and the hat can "oval" more easily.

If the brim is more perpendicular to the crown all the way around, the sweatband will maintain the oval shape from it's original block, and I guess likewise the side profile's resulting taper or lack thereof. When expanded into a long-oval, naturally there will be more width front to back so taper will also change.

So I bet (as a newbie assumption coming), that for long-oval noggins getting a reverse taper front to rear is a great deal more difficult to find.

 

[scottyrocks]

Unbashed and untaped, my Fed IV was a bit too large, mostly on the sides, but I ordered my true size instead of a size above.

As the hat is a standard oval and my head is a LO, when I put some tape in the sides, it fit perfectly. If I had ordered one size up, it would have been swimming on me.

Ive been wearing it for a few months, and I wore it all summer, and if it has shrunk at all, I would have to say that it did so only to conform to the exact shape of my head.

If you have to have tape all around and it's still too big, I would say to exchange it for the next size down, which sounds like your true size.

However, as always, YMMV.

 

[FurFeltFedora]

6 Fed IVs later and I can tell you that in my experience creasing always resulted in a better fitting hat (for me). It's not that it shrinks it or anything but the change in the crown pulls the material and there seems to be a better fit post crease. In the case of my Campdraft it could go down over my ears before putting a teardrop crease in it, now I wear it just fine with no foam or anything.

 

[Duper]

Thanks fellas. I did get a response back from the folks at HD. It explains the taper affect on sizing and my experience with my other Akubras. They are encouraging me to try and work through it.

Here was their response and suggestion for ``resizing`` the FED.

Hi,

good to hear your hat arrived ok.

Regarding the size, the 3 hats you mention are what we term tighter fitting hats as the taper on the sides is fairly pronounced, this especially so with the casual - a hat I had to go up a size to fit me. The Fed has very little taper. The hat was checked for size when it left here.

The Fed you have should be ok - bigger is better than a perfect fit out of the box which I think the next size down would be. To return the hat for exchange would be expensive for both of us and I really think you may end up with a hat a little too tight in the long run. Having said that we are happy to exchange.

To bring the size down a little please try the following, this will not negate your ability to return

take the foam out

lift the sweat band so it is standing up from the brim (upside down) dab some water around the back half of the sweat band on the inside.

using a hair dryer just warm the sweat band a little on the inside - do not try to dry it and do not hold it too close. Let the hat dry (overnight is good) and try the hat on again, you may still need the foam but the fit should be better. This process can be repeated if the hat has not come in enough.

It is important not to cook the sweat band - just a light warm is more than enough to do the trick.