Working Men's Hats

[scottyrocks]

Hear, Hear. Without getting political, I am praying that the various bailout initiatives and thought processes by our business and political leaders work the way they are supposed to.

Even without taking sides, you did get political. This is not the place. What you wrote is like casting out bait. And it has nothing to do with 'working men's hats.' Let's stay with that, please.

 

[Lefty]

You might want to check the date on that post.

 

[CRH]

You might want to check the date on that post.

Working men's hats, oh yah! Thanks for bumping this thread fellas.

I'll bet this post has seen a few changes in hat styles.

 

[scottyrocks]

You might want to check the date on that post.

Conversations can and often are picked up at just about anytime, it seems. No worries.

 

[Sam Craig]

I thought the reason you never threw out an old hat was so you COULD wear it with overalls.
Boater ... I got me a pair of Carharts, look just like those, and I wear an old beater with them, unless it's so cold I gotta wear the winter cap with flaps.

Ed Norton ... there was a man who knew how to wear a hat!

Sam

 

[Midwest Boater]

Thanks Sam Im the only one up here sporting a look anything like it, now i know im not alone.
Ed Norton rules he could wear any hat like he was born in it, and yesterday was his birthday happy Art Carneys birthday!!

 

[kenmcneill]

Art's been an inspiration.

 

[Midwest Boater]

Hey CRH now i know what my granddaddy meant by the expression "ugly as a mud fence post"

 

[Sam Craig]

I love to wear my narrow-brim fedoras turned up ... porkpies too ... it is one of the perks of approaching 60 ... you can get by with that sort of thing and just not care.

Most of the time I keep my wide brims turned down

Sam

 

[Jerry Probst]

I found this video showing brick laying techniques and highway construction in during the 1930s along the Bankhead Highway in Texas.

The images show work crews preforming various jobs in the process. It is clear from the lack of shade and trees that these men are exposed to long hours outdoors working in the sun.

All of the men are wearing hats. The hats vary in style. But what I find it interesting is how many guys were wearing fedora. There are a few western hats, one sombrero and most hats appear to be straw.

But some of the guys are quite clearly wearing felt fedoras. I can't imagine working that job all day in the Texas heat wearing a felt hat. Definitely better men than I!

Anyway, I'm always interested in how everyday guys wore their hats. Hope you enjoy.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Great hats! Do you know what time of the year it was? Maybe it wasn’t too hot?

The roadway construction technique was fascinating! Brick? Hand labor and relatively few machines...and they still built road faster than we do today!

 

[Jerry Probst]

No telling. Going by the foliage on the trees it could be any time between April and October. Can't say what the temperature was. Today it will be 105 so my guess it was purty derned hot. lol

I posted it because I enjoy seeing how average men wore their hats. Not business men or models in advertisements, but regular guys.

The attached photo is labeled as a Dallas speakeasy. It appears like it may be operating outside the law with an underage drinker at the bar and open gambling, but my sense, judging by the hats, is that it was taken sometime in the 1930s or possibly even the 1940s after Prohibition was repealed.

Whatever the time, it shows regular guys wearing their everyday lids.

 

[Just A Hat Rack]

I've always wondered how folks in warm climates who work outside can tolerate wearing felt. I've been somewhat on a hunt for a hat to wear while I'm at work (I work outside) that can take a beating an still have some life to it. I enjoy the heat, but wearing felt can make it quite unpleasant given the humid conditions we have here at times. I have a cotton Red Head outback hat that I wear a lot, but all it does is collect dirt and sweat stains. Plus it never sits even on my head. I've looked at some straws, but wonder about their durability. Hats off to those Texas fellas for braving the heat doing what they were doing.

 

[Bamaboots]

I've always wondered how folks in warm climates who work outside can tolerate wearing felt. I've been somewhat on a hunt for a hat to wear while I'm at work (I work outside) that can take a beating an still have some life to it. I enjoy the heat, but wearing felt can make it quite unpleasant given the humid conditions we have here at times. I have a cotton Red Head outback hat that I wear a lot, but all it does is collect dirt and sweat stains. Plus it never sits even on my head. I've looked at some straws, but wonder about their durability. Hats off to those Texas fellas for braving the heat doing what they were doing.

You might take a look at this thread.
https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/the-sunbody-association.35187/

 

[Just A Hat Rack]

You might take a look at this thread.
https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/the-sunbody-association.35187/

Thanks for the link! I was able to take a gander and it seems like it could be right up my alley. I'll definitely delve deeper into the thread when I get more time.

 

[Frunobulax]

I've always wondered how folks in warm climates who work outside can tolerate wearing felt. I've been somewhat on a hunt for a hat to wear while I'm at work (I work outside) that can take a beating an still have some life to it. I enjoy the heat, but wearing felt can make it quite unpleasant given the humid conditions we have here at times. I have a cotton Red Head outback hat that I wear a lot, but all it does is collect dirt and sweat stains. Plus it never sits even on my head. I've looked at some straws, but wonder about their durability. Hats off to those Texas fellas for braving the heat doing what they were doing.

Maybe it's just acclimation. Most men had one, maybe two hats and wore them all day, every day, all four seasons. You get used to it. For my part, I wear felt all year, even in 90+ heat. And I've worn them in Texas, too.

When you're living in warmer climes, you get use to it. I'm always amazed myself when I'm in Texas or other SW states at how the locals may dress. Those Mexican fellows I see with their Levis, cowboy boots, white dress shirts and straw hats look like they never sweat!


Sent directly from my mind to yours.

 

[Just A Hat Rack]

Maybe it's just acclimation. Most men had one, maybe two hats and wore them all day, every day, all four seasons. You get used to it. For my part, I wear felt all year, even in 90+ heat. And I've worn them in Texas, too.

When you're living in warmer climes, you get use to it. I'm always amazed myself when I'm in Texas or other SW states at how the locals may dress. Those Mexican fellows I see with their Levis, cowboy boots, white dress shirts and straw hats look like they never sweat!


Sent directly from my mind to yours.

And that's how I've pretty much summed things up. I acclimate to the heat well, but I also sweat a lot. I only have one nice hat (for now), and it's fur.

Maybe it's just acclimation. Most men had one, maybe two hats and wore them all day, every day, all four seasons. You get used to it. For my part, I wear felt all year, even in 90+ heat. And I've worn them in Texas, too.

When you're living in warmer climes, you get use to it. I'm always amazed myself when I'm in Texas or other SW states at how the locals may dress. Those Mexican fellows I see with their Levis, cowboy boots, white dress shirts and straw hats look like they never sweat!


Sent directly from my mind to yours.

With no better answer, I pretty much summed it up to acclimation myself. Folks in warm climates in those days didn't have air conditioning either, so I'm sure they were quite used to dealing with the heat. I myself prefer the warmer days, and acclimate well to it. As much as I like wearing a hat, I tend to go the cooler route, especially since I sweat a lot.

 

[Jerry Probst]

These photos were taken during the Great Depression.

It was a time when many guys, especially laborers, couldn't afford a collection of hats. They wore what they had every day of the week. If they had two hats they had a felt one for rain and colder weather and a straw one for the sun and the heat (at least in Texas).

I'm pretty certain everyone was keenly aware of the benefits and drawbacks of each.

Looking at these photos, I think the guys that owned straws wore them. I think the guys in the felt hats would have worn straw if they had them.

Obviously, protection from the Sun outweighed keeping cool. That's why men carried handkerchiefs -- so they could mop their foreheads when they couldn't stand the sweat any longer.

 

[Just A Hat Rack]

These photos were taken during the Great Depression.

It was a time when many guys, especially laborers, couldn't afford a collection of hats. They wore what they had every day of the week. If they had two hats they had a felt one for rain and colder weather and a straw one for the sun and the heat (at least in Texas).

I'm pretty certain everyone was keenly aware of the benefits and drawbacks of each.

Looking at these photos, I think the guys that owned straws wore them. I think the guys in the felt hats would have worn straw if they had them.

Obviously, protection from the Sun outweighed keeping cool. That's why men carried handkerchiefs -- so they could mop their foreheads when they couldn't stand the sweat any longer.

Well stated Jerry. Ironically enough, I never thought of it that way, when I find myself in a somewhat similar position. I'm not taking another's social or economic status lightly, but I couldn't get away with having a "collection" of hats. Hopefully in a few years that will change to some extent.

 

[Yahoody]