Fedora Hats

[alaskamcghee]

If you buy the Akubra you may not need to use steam at all. Dry bashing for the first go around is usually good enough. It may take a few attempts till your happy with how it looks (height, crown crease, side dents). I rebashed my first Federation many times before I was happy with it. Sitting in front of the TV watching Indiana Jones. Having done this a few times I would not bother with steam. Cold water in a sprits bottle will make the felt mouldable and when you have the hat how you like it, just sit it down to dry naturally. Another great way to "break" it in is to wear it in the rain.

If you go for the pre-creased hat, you can re-bash it but it may be difficult to get rid of the existing bash. It is put in the hat by machine with lots of pressure and heat. I have only done this with western hats with lots of crown (usually 6") so if it shrinks at all you can still do a lot with them. It involves soaking the hat, doming out the crown and letting it dry open crowned, then creasing it how you like. If you have a cheaper hat it may not be worth sending to anyone. Cost of hat plus re-blocking equals better hat

I know I have been pushing Akubra so far because I do really love the hats. But I feel compelled to mention this guy again. Do some internet searching yourself but I have read some great things about the guys work. With a custom made rabbit felt hat for $125 you cant really go wrong. If you like what you are reading/seeing, contact him and talk about what you want and see if you can do it for you. Because its custome he will not have all his work posted on his webpage.

http://www.northwesthats.com/Home.html

Hope that helps some.

Johnny

 

[Triumph Coupe]

If the budget stretches you cannot get a finer hat than that of Lock & Co in St James, London. They are responsible for the invention of the 'bowler' hat (more correctly named the coke). At a lower price point you should check out Christys' Hats who again offer excellent quality hats.

Here is a photo of mine if it helps:

 

[01HDFXD]

BTW, a couple of comments about reshaping hats. If you are going to wet the hat, remember that fur felt typically does not shrink, but wool felt does. Also, if you are going to be manipulating the hat or otherwise handling it a lot, make sure your hands are freshly washed, so you don't start leaving oils from your skin or, worse, dirt, on the hat. It takes a while for that kind of stuff to build up enough to be noticeable (unless the hat is a light color), but it does happen.

 

[KQY61]

Hi,

I have been wearing hats all my life. I went so far as to learn to be a hatter, because off the shelf modern hats simply do not make the grade. So, I grab sad vintage hats off of the Bay and remake them for myself. But, you do not have to go that far. If you wish a really good hat made to fit you, I will echo those two words early on:

Art Fawcett

He has his hat trade at Vintage Silhouettes


Stan

 

[LogisticEarth]

They have style, look good with casual dress, suit and tie and just about anything.

Lots of positive feedback, but really proceed with caution. Fedoras, or any traditional men's hat actually often look horrible and out of place with casual dress and just about anything. Looking good in one with a suit and tie is questionable and highly dependent on your age, build, and venue. If you really want good, useful feedback, it usually involves pictures. I've come to disregard anyone who says they actually look good in a fedora nowadays unless they actually post a picture. 75% of the pictures usually look really bad. 15% look OK, but would look better without the hat, and maybe 10% actually look good.

 

[01HDFXD]

Pictures are, indeed, best, but only if the fellow already has the hat to wear in the picture.

 

[SteveE1959]

Lots of positive feedback, but really proceed with caution. Fedoras, or any traditional men's hat actually often look horrible and out of place with casual dress and just about anything. Looking good in one with a suit and tie is questionable and highly dependent on your age, build, and venue. If you really want good, useful feedback, it usually involves pictures. I've come to disregard anyone who says they actually look good in a fedora nowadays unless they actually post a picture. 75% of the pictures usually look really bad. 15% look OK, but would look better without the hat, and maybe 10% actually look good.

I don't like being talked down to like some ignorant hick. I have a need for a wider brimmed hat, and baseball caps only go so far. If I lived in a warmer climate, a Panama hat would be the better choice for me. I live in a mountainous area, where we get snow in the fall winter and early spring. And sun the rest of the time.
We have no specialty hat stores here. So trying on various hat styles is hard to do. But going to larger, upscale dept. stores, second hand stores and vintage clothing stores we came to the conclusion that fedoras would be the style for me. My skin on my head is sensitive, it burns when the sun is shining, regardless of temperature. In summer I can get second degree burns up there just from the sun. Being bald doesn't help. A wider brim hat is the better choice for me. So maybe to you I'll look like a rube. But I'm more concerned about my head first, then looking good, and hopefully adding a touch of class.

 

[01HDFXD]

Hi Steve, I'm not sure to whom your comments are addressed, but I didn't see anything in this thread that I took as anyone here implying that you are or look like a hick, rube or anything else derogatory. As to fedoras going or not going with casual clothes, just look at Harrison Ford in the Indiana Jones movies. I wear a fedora whenever the wind isn't strong enough to make keeping it on my head an issue, whether I am in a suit or jeans. Ultimately it comes down to the words of that great philosopher, Ricky Nelson: You can't please everyone, so you got to please yourself...

 

[Triumph Coupe]

You raise a good point here... Lock & Co were also commissioned to design and make Indiana Jones's very hat!


ps - I must be really lucky to be in the rare 10% who look suave in my fedora teehee

 

[LogisticEarth]

I don't like being talked down to like some ignorant hick.

Woah there tiger, not sure where that came from. If you have to wear a hat, wear a hat. I work outside and wear a bunch of function but goofy looking hats all the time. However, I don't try and wear a fedora or other formal dress hat where it's not appropriate. Many people think fedoras look good with casual dress, but they usually don't. Of course, people will say "Indiana Jones looked good in a fedora!", but fail to realize that they're not Harrison Ford on a movie set, with a thousand dollar hat that's been properly proportioned and formed for them as a movie prop.

ps - I must be really lucky to be in the rare 10% who look suave in my fedora teehee

You do in fact look good there, but you're also wearing a three piece suit that's cut to and older style, standing next to cars that would fit period wise too. In that way it's obviously a bit of a costume, which you shouldn't take as an insult. Just that it's a specific situation where the hat works (the pants on the other hand...). The OP is talking about using the hat as an everyday thing, and the fact remains that fedoras aren't that versatile.

 

[LogisticEarth]

To reinforce this a bit with pictures, here is what Indiana Jones actually looks like:

And here is what an "Indiana Jones Fedora" actually looks like on Joe Schmo:

Obviously it's personal opinion, but the guy "in real life" looks ridiculous.

 

[Triumph Coupe]

You do in fact look good there, but you're also wearing a three piece suit that's cut to and older style, standing next to cars that would fit period wise too. In that way it's obviously a bit of a costume, which you shouldkn't take as an insult. Just that it's a specific situation where the hat works (the pants on the other hand...). The OP is talking about using the hat as an everyday thing, and the fact remains that fedoras aren't that versatile.

I'm actually totally with you on this front. I'm not saying that they can't work in everyday situations. They can, I often see chaps in London wearing them well, but they are usually older gents in business suits and rain coats. They can work in other situations to, but caution should be excercised in the execution.

If I'm honest about mine, it gets a very rare airing. Once or twice a year and usually to the event I was travelling to in my photo (Goodwood revival - a huge period car show held by Lord March in his grounds. It always has some very special historic cars and everyone is encouraged to bring their old classic cars and to dress in period style. A google search will bring up loads of info - it's a huge event). Other than that event I'm not sure I can pull off the fedora look without looking a bit "try-hard".

But don't let that put anyone off... different fellows can pull off different looks. But as I say, exercise caution.

As for my strides... I'll let you know, sonny boy, that mustard corduroy britches are the staple, go-to trouser of the English Country Gentleman! 😋

 

[Stevew443]

I am amazed that so many people here say that fedoras only look good when wearing a suit. I have found that if you wear a fedora proudly it becomes a part of you, then it looks good. I have a fedora that I wear when mowing the yard, and it keeps the sun off my head very well, and does not look all that odd.
A picture just to remind folks of earlier times when a hat (usually a fedora) was needed for a man to be completely dressed, even if his clothing was not the best. Of course the gentleman in the picture are outlaws, and maybe more likely to not adhere to the norms of society, one can find many similar photos of working men wearing much the same clothing.

 

[Lmarkow]

I wear one of my fedoras almost every day it's cold enough to require one. The notion that these hats should only be worn with a suit or in more formal attire is incorrect, imo.