What hat do you wear most (and why)?

[SteveAS]

While I was out on a long walk with my dog this morning, I realized that I was wearing the hat I wear most often: an old Burton Taylor hat in the style of an early Stratoliner.

That made me start thinking about why I wear this particular hat so often. After all, I have about 30 hats--all of them vintage and many of them much more sought after by collectors. Because I have about 30 hats, one might think I'd wear this hat about one day a month, but I'll bet I wear it at least 10 days a month. Why? Well, I think there are a few reasons . . .

First, it's a warm (in color), grey hat with almost gold-grey ribbon and binding, so it goes with just about everything. Also, it's casual enough to wear with jeans, but nice enough to wear with anything short of formal attire. Incidentally, sorry quality of the picture is so crummy from the from-facing camera on my phone, but this one shows the hat's color more accurately than the other pictures

Second, it's lightweight felt and it's unlined. Because I live in the San Francisco bay area, it's seldom too warm or too cool to wear this hat.

Finally, it's sweatband is un-reeded, so its oval easily conforms to my head and it's very comfortable.

What hat do you wear most . . . and why?!

 

[HatsEnough]

I guess I don't wear one hat most often... unless I am on a road trip. If I am at a formal event or just about town here at home I wear any of my 100 fedoras. However, if I am on an extended road tripI always take my 1950s era Stetson 25. It is a bit dirty and knocked about, but very comfortable.

 

[monbla256]

My most worn hat would have to be my Bushman first, my Mid-Fawn Squatter second and my Acorn Fawn Srylemaster third. All in the earth tone color range to go with most of my clothes

Bushmanster, Nulabor Tan from DM

Mid-Fawn Squatter from DM

Acorn Fawn Stylemaster from DM

All great wear anywhere, anytime hats

 

[scottyrocks]

Until I got my Henry, the hat I wore most was my brown Fed IV. I just love the look of it. I like the length of the brim in front, and the fact that the sides don't stick out as much because the brim is dimensional. I love the tall square sides. It keeps my head warm in the cold weather and has been fine in the summertime as well.

My Henry is basically the same hat, dimensionally, although it's an 80/20 rabbit/beaver blend. It's a more finely finished hat as well, and a slightly different, richer color of brown. When this hat breaks in a bit more, I'll go back to a rotation of these two, and my tawny fawn Fed IV, as well.

 

[job]

I try to rotate my hats. All get about the same amount of head time.

 

[Fletch]

Lately it's the caribou-grey Stetson Nostalgia, which, for quite awhile, I didn't like due to the brim width. But it had possibilities with its rakish air. So I swallowed hard, got out the compass and scissors, and pruned the brim back about 1/4" all around. After some serious sanding to round off the edge, I'm happy.

 

[dr.velociraptor]

Currently I wear a wool pub cap, just got a B!Wear Cap which will be daily winter cap. Going to take the leap into a Fedora next week when I'm in NYC to shop a few, see if I can pull it off.

 

[Shangas]

I tend to wear my brown felt trilby most often, I think. I believe it's because it goes well with almost everything else.

 

[scottyrocks]

Currently I wear a wool pub cap, just got a B!Wear Cap which will be daily winter cap. Going to take the leap into a Fedora next week when I'm in NYC to shop a few, see if I can pull it off.

Going into a real store is the best way to achieve success in the 'attempting to pull it off' crusade. I sometimes wish I could be a fly on the wall during a person's first fedora buying experience.

 

[The Good]

Lately it's the caribou-grey Stetson Nostalgia, which, for quite awhile, I didn't like due to the brim width. But it had possibilities with its rakish air. So I swallowed hard, got out the compass and scissors, and pruned the brim back about 1/4" all around. After some serious sanding to round off the edge, I'm happy.

I would imagine that looks almost exactly like my own most frequently worn hat, except mine's a vintage Stetson St. Regis homburg, and I trimmed it into a fedora with a slightly shorter brim than your's (I think mine is 2 1/8 around). Otherwise, the color and ribbon are about the same as your's. I don't wear hats very often outside of hiking in general, but this is my town hat if I wear one. I switch between my three hiking hats often enough that not one is preferred in particular.

 

[EggHead]

I have 2 hats that now are too large for me and I put them away, the rest I wear without discrimination.

 

[randooch]

Interesting observation, Steve, about comfort re: an unreeded sweat. You might be onto something there! Nice lid, too: I can see why it's your go-to hat.

I tend to favor recent acquisitions for a spell, then gravitate back to the Comfortable Few.

 

[Dronak]

I wear the one shown in my avatar the most. It's the only good fedora I have. Being new to this, I don't have many options right now.

 

[dogrocketp]

It would have to be my Silverbelly Champ Westerner from the late 40's, even though I collect the Dobbs "Gay Prince". I have 4 colors of the Dobbs, but the Champ is on my head about 40% of the time! The Champ is more of a light grey than my Stetson or Bailey silverbelly.

 

[Doctor Strange]

My carbon/steel/mid-grey Akubra Stylemaster gets the most wear, mostly because it matches the black A-2, gunmetal gray MA-1, and blue/black peacoat that are my primary cool-weather jackets. (I'm not an earthtones guy!)

 

[m0nk]

My Akubra Fed IV (brown).... before I got this one it was an Akubra Bushman... there's something about the way they fit my head so perfectly! I have a wishlist going with the Carbon Grey and Moonstone Fed IVs near the top.

 

[Inusuit]

This one. Stetson 25 Open Road

 

[AtomicEraTom]

I wear my Scala New Yorker as a daily driver. If it got ruined, I wouldn't be happy about it, but I'd rather it this hat than one that would be a bit harder to replace.

 

[Bob Beecher]

With Los Angeles being so dang hot all the time--and the fact that I'm not even a year into the "hat thing" yet--I've probably worn my Dobbs Harvey Milan straw the most:

But...the cooler weather is bound to show up sometime...and I've got a few new fur felts (and now, a vintage Resistol) to wear. We'll see!

 

[Sam Diamond]

When the weather is nice I wear this

and as it's getting into fall/winter, I am wearing this