The HAT thread

Russell Street

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There appears to be zero discussion of headwear on here yet. I know we're not Fedora Lounge, but sometimes hats make sense in a practical and/or fashionable way, right?

The two times when a hat is indispensable to me are when it's below freezing cold or when it's misty or drizzly to the point where your hair will get wet but you'd look silly with an umbrella.

I need better hats, and don't think that many are required. Currently I have a shrunken litewool fedora from high school, a cheap military boonie hat, and a wool hunting cap. The problem is that hat stores of any quality are few and far between. I've been to JJ Hat Center in Manhattan and got a great tan cotton fishing/golf hat - the same as the one O'Connells sells but I lost it - a hazard of hat ownership. But hats really need to be tried on and are a poor fit for internet ordering.

Are hats dead? Are there hats every man should have?

Oh, and here's some info on the fedora: https://encyclopediadramatica.es/Fedora
 
I only know hats from the characters on TV that wear them in the shows I watch. Current favorite, Jack Crawford on Hannibal:

113.jpg
 
The bases, as I see them:
  1. Summery straw hat - Panamas are great for being useful as casual and dressy
  2. Casual beater for purely practical purposes
  3. Smart casual cap
  4. Dressy wool felt hat
  5. Lifesaving funny hat for ass-freezing temperatures
I only have #2 and #5 covered well at this point.
 
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I wanted to buy one but how do you know it will fit your head? I was going to get a cheap department store one. Mostly it will be for those rainy days when I have to hold the brolly for a woman whilst trying to protect myself.
 
I wanted to buy one but how do you know it will fit your head? I was going to get a cheap department store one. Mostly it will be for those rainy days when I have to hold the brolly for a woman whilst trying to protect myself.
Why don't you ask one of your harem of women who depend on you to support their fine dining habits for their opinion?
 
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Why don't you ask one of your harem of women who depend on you to support their fine dining habits for their opinion?

I don't ask women for sartorial opinions. They don't know anything about men's dress just as I stay out of advising them on women's attire.

So for an occasional user, what's the difference between something I pick up in Zara and some of the proper ones mentioned here?
 
I don't ask women for sartorial opinions. They don't know anything about men's dress just as I stay out of advising them on women's attire.

So for an occasional user, what's the difference between something I pick up in Zara and some of the proper ones mentioned here?
True, but they do know if something looks good or not, and if you bring one or three of them with you, you would get a non-salesman opinion.

Quality, mostly. Materials are better too.
 
On the contrary, they always think I look smashing especially if I choose colours they like.

I'm still confused about the sizing for hats - what if I have a small head? Also I guess I should go away from synthetics for breathability?
 
On the contrary, they always think I look smashing especially if I choose colours they like.

I'm still confused about the sizing for hats - what if I have a small head? Also I guess I should go away from synthetics for breathability?
I don't see how that refutes my point. You obviously dress well (see what I did there?) and they approve of your looks. That doesn't mean they wouldn't tell you if a hat looks stupid on your head. Just an idea.

I think your best bet is to try on several and take pics, then post them. Hats are a funny thing, in that you really don't know how it will look until you see it on.

I know nothing about materials so I'll leave that to the gallery. I will say though that almost all of the expensive hats seem to be made of natural materials. Outside of something like the lining that is.
 
Fun fact, the hat size (number sizes, not this S-M-L silliness) is the head circumference divided by pi (3.14...) so it's basically the diameter of your head were it perfectly round.
The only other hat I sometimes consider is a tough travel hat, something like a Tiley Endurable - http://www.tilley.com/Tilley-TTW2-Tec-Wool-Hat.aspx

They are supposed to be the perfect travel hat.
Ooh, I'm aware of the practical but sexless Tilley cotton deals, but these are a bit more interesting.

You mean something like this?
pharrell-grammys-hat.jpg
I meant smart as in snappy or intelligent, not as in ass. A flat cap or something that doesn't register as a novelty.
 
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I never figured out the difference between a flat cap, a newsboy cap, an Ivy cap, or a driving cap.
Some guy at work had a camo Kangol-type thing that had a more contoured shape but was along these lines. It also went down lower than the typical flat cap.
 
I'm always tempted by straw boaters, but they are awfully expensive for something so delicate and seasonal. I'm also not sure that I could pull it off without looking totally affected.
But hot damn, what goes better with seersucker, spectator shoes, linen, or a navy blazer in warm weather?
 
Fun fact, the flat cap was originally part of an economic stimulus program.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flat_cap#History
A 1571 Act of Parliament to stimulate domestic wool consumption and general trade decreed that on Sundays and holidays, all males over 6 years of age, except for the nobility and "persons of degree", were to wear woollen caps on pain of a fine of three farthings (3/4 (pence) per day. The Bill was not repealed until 1597...
I think we need to reconsider this idea.
 
It's total anti-fashion, but I got one of these for sun and rain and the fooker does the job. And I get to look vaguely crazy and/or dangerous as a bonus.
Made in USA!
 
I still see at least one man a day in the financial district donning a hat in the middle of summer. And frankly, they don't look like they are suffering from baldness. I can't see myself wearing a hat during 30c plus weather though. I can button my jacket but the hat seems stifling.

Is adding a top hat to my black tie outfit for opera season in North America propelling myself into costume territory?
 
I recently had to return a Bailey of Hollywood straw fedora to Myhabit because it was too small. Might kop a wool felt fedora off the bay this fall to play around with.
 
I still see at least one man a day in the financial district donning a hat in the middle of summer.
A felt hat? That is a bit extreme, but then again keeping the sun of you probably balances things a bit.

So I have a ancient Litefelt hat from the early 90's that was either too small to start with or shrank due to abusive rain exposure. Seeing how the major use of a hat for me is keeping rain off me, what is there besides some tweedy walking hat that will have me looking like an old Sean Connery?
 
I have one of those for when I hike or mow the lawn. Mine is OD.
Just out of curiosity, does it have that chin strap? Most of the time it just gets in the way and I think of cutting it off, but then every so often it's crazy windy and it comes in useful.
just don't go for this old Sean look
View attachment 2436
I was thinking more of avoiding this one, but I've already commented on the "practical yet sexless Tilley" hat.
irvin-guesswho-SeanConnery.jpg
 
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Ventile is quite British like Jaguar or Land Rover. Wonderful but not perfect.

I do like it. I have several jackets. Single Ventile is pretty water resistant but will wet through in a torrential downpour. Seam taping helps. Double Ventile is all but waterproof. In colder weather, because the fibers swell, which is the mechanism for water resistance, the jacket can stand on its own when you take it off.

The Swiss have copied it with EtaProof and have added a DWR coating.
 
Ventile is quite British like Jaguar or Land Rover. Wonderful but not perfect.

I do like it. I have several jackets. Single Ventile is pretty water resistant but will wet through in a torrential downpour. Seam taping helps. Double Ventile is all but waterproof. In colder weather, because the fibers swell, which is the mechanism for water resistance, the jacket can stand on its own when you take it off.

The Swiss have copied it with EtaProof and have added a DWR coating.
 
c8939e34_Emma-KlarasandbergB-853x1280.jpeg

Can a hat person eexplain the technicalities of why this hat looks so bad. I think we had a hat thread.
I have no reading on what head shape works best with what type of hat and all. If anyone can point me to such a guide, I'd look into it.

In other news, I lost my functional boonie hat and will need to replace it.
 
I am dreading the day my hair thins to the point I will need a hat for sun protection. There are a few winter hats I can see myself wearing, but everything summer-weight looks like a horrible affectation on me.
 

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