Who, what, where, Allesandria?

[shortbow]

Well, except with the Dobbs or Adam they're completely different companies than Stetson, whereas in the Alessandria case, they're still a Borsalino whether or nay they're marked Alessandria.

 

[feltfan]

That card that you referenced is about the closest thing to a Rosetta Stone that this forum has ever seen. If only we could find one for Stetson.

Sorry to be persnickety, particularly in this paucity of particulars,
but I don't see that list as a Rosetta Stone. The Rosetta Stone was
valuable because it was precisely the same text in three languages.
That allowed archeologists to figure out what they didn't know from
what they did. We don't know if Trionfo is a model or a quality
designation. We know the Xs are quality designations. We know
Ladies' Hats and Berets, Florentine Straw Hats and Panama hats
are product lines. Velour can't really be compared to other felt
hats for quality.

I think all of the Borsalinos made until the 60s were of outstanding
quality. Some were certainly better than others. Some were
certainly sold as of higher ranking. But I suspect a lot were sold
on shinola, artistic presentation, and whim. They were aesthetic
objects. Their value was in design as much as material and
construction.

Personally I have tried to let go of ranking these things. I don't think
they consistently did so then, either. I think they came from a time
when rational, measureable criteria were in even shorter supply than
we have in the fashion trade now.

But this is far afield of the Alessandria question, so I will stop here.

 

[cookie]

Sorry to be persnickety, particularly in this paucity of particulars,


Alliteration to de max!!!!:eusa_clap :eusa_clap Strike one for feltfan and the wonderful langauge we all (shoulda/coulda/woulda like to) speak...

 

[cookie]

Sorry to be persnickety, particularly in this paucity of particulars....so I will stop here.

Alliteration to de max!!!!:eusa_clap :eusa_clap Strike one for feltfan and the wonderful langauge we all (shoulda/coulda/woulda like to) speak...

 

[cookie]

Sorry to be persnickety, particularly in this paucity of particulars....so I will stop here.

Don't stop there...alliteration to de max!!!!:eusa_clap :eusa_clap Strike one for feltfan and the wonderful language we all (should/could/would like to) speak...

 

[jaco]

I would think "Zenit" is a quality designation similar to "Marque Grand Luxe". If we look at this ad:

http://cgi.ebay.it/PUBBLICITA-CAPPE...219879940QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item140219879940

we read:

"Il Cappello 'Zenit'
La Prima Marca Italiana di Gran Lusso"

I would think that means that "Zenit" is the version of Marque Grand Luxe marketed to Italians? "Marque Grand Luxe" are French words after all (which, unless my knowledge of Latin languages completely fail me, mean the same as "Marca Gran Lusso"). The card I referred to above is in English, so the label of "Marque Grand Luxe" might be reserved for tourists in Italy.

Gentlemen as Italian I can give my contribution to this discussion.
the phrase
"Il Cappello 'Zenit'
La Prima Marca Italiana di Gran Lusso"
is only advertising that means:
"the 'Zenit' hat (Zenith is the model name) the first luxury italian brand"
With such kind of phrases in the early '900 some brands illustrate their exellency and the "La Prima Marca Italiana di Gran Lusso" refers to Borsalino as brand not as a specific hat model or similar.
I wish that could be useful for you respected loungers.
Regards

 

[jaco]

Second contribution

> Trionfo
> Castoro xx
> Marque Grand Luxe xxxxx
> Velour "Six Stars"
> Ladies' Hats
> Ladies' Berets
> Florentine Straw Hats
> Panama

The list above refers merely to "production lines" in wich every hat is classified so trionfo is the best quality line, Castoro (=beaver) is the real fur beaver felt and so on.
To be precise sometimes the quality and production line overlap (as trionfo) some other not (velour obviously is the finishing as Ladie's is production line not related to quality grade).
Hope, again, to be helpful.

 

[HarpPlayerGene]

Thank you Jaco. Now I need to re-read my Borsalinos and see if any are "Zenit", etc..

 

[Wil Tam]

Google Translate

Google Translate is a great tool to use in these cases

Borsalino Fabbrica Cappelli Allessandria [which is the logo] translates to Borsalino Hats Allessandro Factory

so I'm guessing that the model name is right below that?