Who's Homburgs are good?

[Not-Bogart13]

Don't even know if I spelled "homburg" right, but anyway... I was suit shopping this weekend and bumped into a very dusty, dented, cheap wool black homburg. I threw it on for kicks and I liked how it looked on me. If it hadn't been damaged, I'd have bought it. So, my question is, who makes a decent homburg that isn't overly expensive (aside from the e-bay route)?

 

[Mycroft]

J.J. Hat Center in NYC: http://www.jjhatcenter.com/

 

[besdor]

Homburgs

The best homburg today is a Dobbs homburg . It's got a regular curl and at 125.00 it's a nice hat . It's made of fur felt ( not wool ) .Check out
www.bencrafthats.com :cool2:

 

[SHARPETOYS]

Dobbs Homburg

Aaron Hats has the Dobbs Homburg also and fellow lounge members get a 10% discount off the price and excellent service.

http://www.getahaton.com/proddetail.php?prod=DF34290725.OMNIB

 

[photobyalan]

Without a doubt, Wendy's:drum:

On the Dobbs Homburg, I have one (Golden Coach) and I also have a vintage Lee Homburg. The Dobbs is a decent hat but, when compared side-by-side, the Lee makes the Dobbs look like it came from Woolworth's.

 

[Not-Bogart13]

I know I'm going to be burned at the stake for this...

... but how is the wool Dobbs Homburg? I mean, I understand wool isn't great, but I'm not sure yet if I'm going to wear it often. I'm still debating.

In the meantime, thanks for the info so far. I will consider the Dobbs a strong possibility.

 

[photobyalan]

I'll say one other thing on the subject of Homburgs: I have worn both of mine in the past week and received more hat compliments in those two days than I have in the past month when wearing fedoras. Fascinating.

 

[Mycroft]

I'll say one other thing on the subject of Homburgs: I have worn both of mine in the past week and received more hat compliments in those two days than I have in the past month when wearing fedoras. Fascinating.

People misunderstand Fedoras.

 

[Not-Bogart13]

Yes, they do, Mycroft

I got a great compliment on my Campdraft the other day (my first time in the grocery store with it). But mostly people around here look at fedoras and think you want to be an action hero! If I get a homburg, It'll probably be the only one in town. Everybody here wears baseball caps or cowboy hats.

 

[Mycroft]

I got a great compliment on my Campdraft the other day (my first time in the grocery store with it). But mostly people around here look at fedoras and think you want to be an action hero! If I get a homburg, It'll probably be the only one in town. Everybody here wears baseball caps or cowboy hats.

I found in many fashion books they say wear a homberg, but they don't fit me well and/or make me look stern and stiff (no offence to anyone else, its just me). Thats all.

 

[Veronica Parra]

Generally, homburgs are seen as the staid, correct, but somewhat bland big brother of the fedora. After all, you can't personalize them much: how much shaping can you do to a homburg without taking away its "homburg-ness"? How much choice do you have in the way it sits on your head?

Don't get me wrong -- I think homburgs are great. Nonetheless, they're not much more adaptable than, say, a bowler hat.

I'll say one thing about them: vintage ones of very high quality are cheap and plentiful on eBay.

 

[Mycroft]

Generally, homburgs are seen as the staid, correct, but somewhat bland big brother of the fedora. After all, you can't personalize them much: how much shaping can you do to a homburg without taking away its "homburg-ness"? How much choice do you have in the way it sits on your head?

Don't get me wrong -- I think homburgs are great. Nonetheless, they're not much more adaptable than, say, a bowler hat.

I read they are the only acceptable hat in todays fashion, mainstream, I mean.

 

[Vladimir Berkov]

The homburg is one of my favorite types of hat, perhaps my favorite overall. You can change the way it sits on your head. I like wearing mine at a slightly jaunty angle. I like how wearing it in that manner contrasts with the formality of the hat. True, homburgs can't really personalized but there is enough possible variation to find one which suits you, and you can always have a custom homburg made (what I hope to do next.)

I was not aware that it was seen as acceptable in mainstream fashion today, which really is a bit strange.

 

[Mycroft]

The homburg is one of my favorite types of hat, perhaps my favorite overall. You can change the way it sits on your head. I like wearing mine at a slightly jaunty angle. I like how wearing it in that manner contrasts with the formality of the hat. True, homburgs can't really personalized but there is enough possible variation to find one which suits you, and you can always have a custom homburg made (what I hope to do next.)

I was not aware that it was seen as acceptable in mainstream fashion today, which really is a bit strange.

I guess it is as manstreamed as hats can get these days.

 

[Not-Bogart13]

I think the "mainstream fashion" idea is coming from the sudden surge of rappers, DJ's, and the like wearing them. It was really strange when I started seeing pictures in magazines of music groups geared toward youth in homburgs and pinstripe suits! I'm also seeing fedoras worn with the brim up all around on tv a bit, which might be getting mislabeled as homburgs. They have center dents and gentle pinches, with brim widths similar to a homburg, but no curl.

 

[Veronica Parra]

You can change the way [a homburg] sits on your head. I like wearing mine at a slightly jaunty angle.

I saw what you mean when I looked at this photo:

 

[Veronica Parra]

Still, in my book, homburgs can't make the jump from jaunty to rakish. Fedoras have a monopoly on rakish:

 

[MrRahLo]

Who makes the best "custom" Homburgs?

 

[Nathan Flowers]

It's debatable.

Graham's at Optimo in Chicago really look old school. He sells tons of them to the black guys up there, and they usually know what to look for in a good homburg.

He also made some of John Lee Hooker's homburgs.

 

[Harry Lime]

Optimo, hands down.

I've seen many old school Homburgs. Graham's are spot on, with the advantage that they fit because they're custom made. I have a midnight blue Homburg and a black semi-homburg, both Optimos (homburg shape, regular fedora binding rather than the wide Homburg binding). They're the best. I'll order a dark grey next year.

Homburgs are often called "The Godfather" hat - did you know that the first time you see Michael Corleone wearing a homburg he's wearing it backwards?

Interesting not note on the Homburg - although generally thought of as formal, they can be dressed down and look great. Some times they almost look western.

Harry Lime