why doesnt stetson or any hat company just go back to their roots?

[Detective_Noir]

stetson seems to have had a real fall down the hill when it comes to making hats now. and all the hats are preblocked with a bash. i was always wondering why not just leave the hat in its open crown shape so you can shape it to your preference and not have to go through the hassle of manipulating the fur to go into the bash you want... like the nostalgia model that was discontinued... any thoughts?

 

[DJH]

D_N it has been years since Stetson made any hats, I can't imagine them starting again any time soon.

The current company is just marketing hats made under the Stetson name by Hatco and basically they make what sells. I think I read somewhere that about 300 of the Nostalgia model were sold - probably not close to breaking even. Seems the market for traditional open crown hats isn't there.

Luckily all is not lost - you can buy proper Stetsons on eBay and there are several great custom hatmakers who can make you a fantastic hat with the attributes of your favorite vintage ones.

Oh just a thought, Borsalino and Akubra both make some open crown models so there are at least a few production ones out there

 

[jlee562]

Yeah, the 300 number was from HATCO (the former [?] FL Rep). This topic has been done to death, the market for open crown hats just isn't there, despite how many folks here prefer them.

 

[Dronak]

If I had to guess, I'd say that most people probably don't want to have to go through the trouble of shaping the crown. It's a lot easier to buy a hat that's already got a bash in a style you like. Maybe most of the folks here would prefer to make their own, but I'm not one of them -- at least right now, I prefer to buy a hat in a finished shape. If I could go to a good store somewhere, buy one unshaped, and have the store shape the crown for me, that might be OK. But I am not inclined to try to figure out how to do it myself, and I'm guessing a bunch of the general hat-buying public is of a similar opinion.

Regarding Stetson not having made hats for years (DJH's post), I'm guessing this means a certain type or style or something, because even their web site has hats for sale (e.g., http://www.stetson.com/hats/hat-shape/fedora). Also, I just got a Stetson Downs fedora and I'm pretty sure it's modern, not vintage. Perhaps it's not brand new, but how old is it likely to be then? And are there really enough for hat stores to keep in stock if Stetson isn't making them anymore? Sorry if this is obvious to people, but it's not something I generally track, and having only recently got a Stetson hat, I found it odd to hear that they haven't made hats for years.

 

[tonyb]

$

 

[facade]

stetson seems to have had a real fall down the hill when it comes to making hats now. and all the hats are preblocked with a bash. i was always wondering why not just leave the hat in its open crown shape so you can shape it to your preference and not have to go through the hassle of manipulating the fur to go into the bash you want... like the nostalgia model that was discontinued... any thoughts?

There are no roots. Most of the companies that made the hats collected here no longer exist. The names persist as brand names (Stetson, Knox, Dobbs etc.) but these names have been bought and sold many times so the companies using them have no ties to the original companies. Further, those who wear fashionable men's hats are a small segment of the population, and of those who wear hats, only a small fraction want to bash their own hats. There simply isn't a large enough market to support such variety.

 

[facade]

If I had to guess, I'd say that most people probably don't want to have to go through the trouble of shaping the crown. It's a lot easier to buy a hat that's already got a bash in a style you like. Maybe most of the folks here would prefer to make their own, but I'm not one of them -- at least right now, I prefer to buy a hat in a finished shape. If I could go to a good store somewhere, buy one unshaped, and have the store shape the crown for me, that might be OK. But I am not inclined to try to figure out how to do it myself, and I'm guessing a bunch of the general hat-buying public is of a similar opinion.

Regarding Stetson not having made hats for years (DJH's post), I'm guessing this means a certain type or style or something, because even their web site has hats for sale (e.g., http://www.stetson.com/hats/hat-shape/fedora). Also, I just got a Stetson Downs fedora and I'm pretty sure it's modern, not vintage. Perhaps it's not brand new, but how old is it likely to be then? And are there really enough for hat stores to keep in stock if Stetson isn't making them anymore? Sorry if this is obvious to people, but it's not something I generally track, and having only recently got a Stetson hat, I found it odd to hear that they haven't made hats for years.

The John B Stetson company ceased operations in the 70's. The name was sold and licensed. New hats bearing the Stetson name have nothing in common with vintage Stetson hats. So yes you can still buy a new "Stetson" but in name only.

 

[Sprinkles]

$

Pretty much sums it up.

 

[alanfgag]

1979

 

[DJH]

Just as facade says, just because Stetson doesn't make anything doesn't stop us getting Stetson branded products.

John B Statson bourbon certainly isn't made by Stetson, but it is quite nice!

My hat in the photo is Stetson though.

 

[Brian Niebuhr]

Most folks think a fedora is something you pick up at Target or at the mall for 12 bucks. Wear it a few times when they want to have that "look". They'd see an open crown and think that was what the hat was meant to look like and not even realize it could be changed. Young people seem to not care about quallity. They probably have no idea that hats used to be more than just a cheap fashion accessory. Why would they want anything else? Sad. I've never seen anyone my age in my town with a fur felt hat. I'm 28 and have been wearing them since I was a teenager. The population here is about 25,000. I guess I stand out from the crowd!

 

[blazerbud]

Then just stand out............

 

[The Inspector]

1979

It's awful!

 

[Sprinkles]

Oh the humanity!

 

[rlk]

Life 1947

Portis 1944

 

[DJH]

The shape of things to come

 

[jlee562]

Young people seem to not care about quallity. They probably have no idea that hats used to be more than just a cheap fashion accessory.

It's not that people don't care about quality, it's that there's just no context for the average person today - not just young people - to understand what makes a "quality" hat.

 

[The Inspector]

It's not that people don't care about quality, it's that there's just no context for the average person today - not just young people - to understand what makes a "quality" hat.

That and they probably don't even know 1 type of fedora style. Don't blame them for not knowing it in the first place, blame them for not wanting to know!

 

[rlk]

More Pre-shaped 1943>

60 years ago...

 

[Detective_Noir]

I felt pain inside seeing the remains of a damaged stetson building... Truly sad to read that they ceased production and just sold them selves, but their hats went out of style during the 60s so either way it couldve been inevitable for them. But i believe that it wasnt just the hippie movement during Vietnam that made the hat go out of style john f Kennedy was part of it too. He wore the fedora but later stopped.. people followed him after that. I believe he is also the last person to be inaugurated with a tuxedo and top hat on.