To fedora or not?

[BladeOfAnduril]

Go for it. Wear what you like and like what you wear. As others have pointed out, quality is important. Akubra is probably your best option for a new quality hat at a fair price. You may also be able to locate some reasonably priced vintage specimens (probably the best quality you'll find). I'd suggest perhaps steering away from black, as that's generally the most formal color and will be very hot in warmer weather.

As far as young guys in fedoras, I'm 27. I think its a matter of having a hat that fits your facial features/shape as well as fitting it in with your outfit and having the right attitude. Wear that hat. Don't let the hat wear you.

 

[PatrickA51]

Buy one and wear it. I'm in my fifties as well and own an black Akubra Federation IV. When I go outside, I'm wearing it.

When asked about them I didn't realize just what it entailed however. First is what is your hat size? Next is what material do you want? There is felt, beaver, rabbit and others. There is wool, synthetic etc. Then what price are you willing to pay? A quality fedora will run about $150. You can find lesser quality on Amazon for less price.

I would start with hatsdirect.com. Other guys here probably have other good sites as well. Akubra is one of the better hat makers out there.

And then there is the crease. Of which there are many. Humphrey Bogart and Indiana Jones are two styles of creases and are different from each other.

Lastly, have fun looking for and wearing your new hat.
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I have an Indiana Jones Fedora, I don't wear too often. I wear a Marine Corps Utility Cover (Desert Camo)

 

[Ender78]

I tried a fedora and it looked like it was wearing me... so I passed on it.

 

[Kazeryu]

As an under-40 fedora wearer, I'm rather appalled at some of this vitriol. "Unapologetic toolbag" and "unwashed atheist misogynistic basement dweller" are not the sort of comment I normally expect in The Haberdashery, and seeing them attached to sweeping generalizations irks me.

Yes, I've seen some people wearing hats to whom I would attach a number of derogatory adjectives. Yes, I've seen some people wearing hats that didn't suit them, or looked silly when combined with their jacket. But you know what? Those people were of all ages.

There isn't some magical birthday that will change who you are or what you look like. A jerk wearing a hat is still a jerk, and a man wearing an inappropriate hat will look silly no matter how old he gets.

Or, to put it more positively: A gentleman remains a gentleman whether he wears a hat or not*, and a man with a good-looking hat and coat will continue to look good no matter how many wrinkles he acquires.

*although the topic of when he must take it off is apparently somewhat debated.

 

[alaskamcghee]

I always find it strange how some people online seen to react so negatively to hat wearing. The gentleman in question is over 50 and someone posts a picture of topless teenager in a fedora, No idea what that shows. More to the point, does the teenager know he is being made fun of on this forum? Kind of tells volumes of the kind of person that posted the picture. But as the youth say "Haters gonna Hate".
Buy a hat and wear it with pride. I have been wearing hats for 22 years and fedoras for 18 years. Rarely do I ever get a negative comment. Haven't had one in years.
Johnny.

 

[LogisticEarth]

^^^If you read my post associated with that picture, I stated that it usually works for older guys, and that the OP probably has a good chance of pulling them off, but to proceed with caution.

The problem is that for young guys, the fedora has become part of the "uniform" for skeezy nerds. This happens to certain articles of clothing from time to time, and sometimes you just have to let it go or you just end up being associated with the group. Sort of like how Doc Martin boots were associated with skinheads, or light blue, full cut jeans are associated with boring suburban dads (ie. "dad jeans"). This doesn't mean you ARE a skeezy nerd for wearing a fedora, just that it's become associated, and is therefore a lot harder to pull off without being lumped into that.

I highly encourage any fedora wearing young guys who say they look good to post a picture, if only to show how/if it can be done right. I think the only person to have done so in any regard is BladeofAndruil in his avatar. In my opinion (and no personal offense) while not skeezy nerd territory, it's still not a particularly good look. It looks like he's wearing a hat because he likes the idea of a hat. Instead, you want the hat to be part of your overall dress. So, in all honesty, I'd love to see some good examples of real-life younger guys, pictures of fedora-wearing movie stars don't count.

 

[Doc4]

Or, to put it more positively: A gentleman remains a gentleman whether he wears a hat or not*, and a man with a good-looking hat and coat will continue to look good no matter how many wrinkles he acquires.

*although the topic of when he must take it off is apparently somewhat debated.

+1

To look at it slightly differently, you are a gent or a jerk regardless of how you dress. Polishing your shoes, ironing your shirt and donning (and appropriately doffing) your fedora won't change that fact either way. Neither will wearing crocks, cargo jorts, a tapout shirt and a propeller beanie.

That said, birds of a feather flock together, and if all the jerks in town wear blue polo shirts on Friday, you might want to wear something different that day, if you catch my drift.

And yes, there ARE clothes the wearing of which WILL announce your jerk-ness to the world and there's no 'but I'm a good guy on the inside" getting around it. Certain "graphic tees" spring to mind displaying all sorts of puerile humour ...

 

[SteveE1959]

Fedoras are good for covering your head. The wide brim blocks the sun. They present a nice alternative to cowboy hats. But they are versatile enough to be worn with a suit and tie. And good fedora can be creased and recreased to fit the wearer's style and taste.

Just my thoughts on fedoras.

 

[Kazeryu]

That said, birds of a feather flock together, and if all the jerks in town wear blue polo shirts on Friday, you might want to wear something different that day, if you catch my drift.

I'll admit that multiple layers of pastel polos with popped collars comes to mind, but I think that it's rare for them to be so organized around a single point - usually there's more than just one thing to "the look".

Perhaps it's different in the states, but I can't say that I've seen a major trend around here for "fedora = jerk". There may be an argument for the "skintight shirt + tight pants + trilby (+ ironic suspenders) = jerk", but that's an entire getup, not just a hat.

During the nineties, did you look at every person wearing a black coat and think they were a goth? Or did you look for the whole outfit? (disclaimer: I was never a goth and didn't own a black coat until a few years ago.)

And yes, there ARE clothes the wearing of which WILL announce your jerk-ness to the world and there's no 'but I'm a good guy on the inside" getting around it. Certain "graphic tees" spring to mind displaying all sorts of puerile humour ...

This is a faulty argument (at least on the topic of fedoras) as there is nothing inherently offensive in a fedora, while puerile humour is by definition "puerile".

 

[BladeOfAnduril]

I highly encourage any fedora wearing young guys who say they look good to post a picture, if only to show how/if it can be done right. I think the only person to have done so in any regard is BladeofAndruil in his avatar. In my opinion (and no personal offense) while not skeezy nerd territory, it's still not a particularly good look. It looks like he's wearing a hat because he likes the idea of a hat.

Thanks for your prospective. I do actually like the idea of a hat, but than again, if I didn't why would I wear one? To be fair though, I think I pull it off better now that I have a full beard going (though perhaps I shouldn't mention that in these parts ). At least my wife thinks I do.

 

[LogisticEarth]

Thanks for your prospective. I do actually like the idea of a hat, but than again, if I didn't why would I wear one? To be fair though, I think I pull it off better now that I have a full beard going (though perhaps I shouldn't mention that in these parts ). At least my wife thinks I do.

I guess what I'm saying is that you'd probably look better without the hat. If you wear the hat because you like hats or for utility, etc. that's one situation. But if you wear the hat because you think it improves your overall look, that's another goal. In the end though I find that a lot of younger guys (and all of the following is not directed at you in particular) try to wear hats because:

1.) They want to look like Bogart/Indiana Jones/Don Draper and wear it as sort of a totem.
2.) "Hey, I'm totally trying to bring back the idea of men's hats! Remember the good old days?"
3.) Hats "add class" to any outfit. <-- This is particularly bad among the "skeezy nerd" demographic.

In some way's it's kind of a "hat fetish", not so much that the hat itself looks good, but trying to message that the wearer shares qualities of media icons from the mid 20th century. Consider it this way: Some guy from Texas can look good in cowboy boots and a Stetson. Some guy from Massachusetts who wears the same outfit looks like he's wearing a costume, trying to pretend to be the guy from Texas. With fedoras and other classic hats on guys under 30, instead of a New Englander trying to be a Texan, it's some kid born in the 1980's or 1990's trying to be a middle-aged man from the 1940's.

For reference, I'm 29, so maybe I have a different perspective on the trend than some of the older posters.

 

[BladeOfAnduril]

While I do like the looks of a hat, and the utility I also relate to item 2 on your list. Part of that stems from my dislike for baseball caps (I don't want to wear a billboard on my head) and seeking an alternative. Newsboys or driving caps don't have enough brim, and look out of place to me in warmer weather. I'm not a fan of the cowboy look, so fedoras seemed like a natural fit. Felts in the colder seasons and straws in the summer.

I think perhaps fedoras look odd on younger guys because they fell out of style to begin with. If we were back in the 50s a fedora on a younger man wouldn't look out of place. Now they've become a bit of a curiosity to some. Additionally modern dress has become much more casual than in the past. Fedoras are on the dressy side (at least felts are) and most try to pair them with a casual outfit. On an older gent they perhaps look more fitting because we can place that individual back in a time when they were popular and just assume that perhaps he's a holdout. Either way, I'm glad fedoras seems to be making a comeback to some extent. The more they do, hopefully the less people will find them out of place.

 

[jkingrph]

While I do like the looks of a hat, and the utility I also relate to item 2 on your list. Part of that stems from my dislike for baseball caps (I don't want to wear a billboard on my head) and seeking an alternative. Newsboys or driving caps don't have enough brim, and look out of place to me in warmer weather. I'm not a fan of the cowboy look, so fedoras seemed like a natural fit. Felts in the colder seasons and straws in the summer.

I think perhaps fedoras look odd on younger guys because they fell out of style to begin with. If we were back in the 50s a fedora on a younger man wouldn't look out of place. Now they've become a bit of a curiosity to some. Additionally modern dress has become much more casual than in the past. Fedoras are on the dressy side (at least felts are) and most try to pair them with a casual outfit. On an older gent they perhaps look more fitting because we can place that individual back in a time when they were popular and just assume that perhaps he's a holdout. Either way, I'm glad fedoras seems to be making a comeback to some extent. The more they do, hopefully the less people will find them out of place.

I think I am fitting that "older gent" group now and do not quite understand your statement. Back in my younger days, none of the men my age wore hats unless it was a western, and then generally when working outside.

 

[Kent Kimmons]

As an under-40 fedora wearer, I'm rather appalled at some of this vitriol. "Unapologetic toolbag" and "unwashed atheist misogynistic basement dweller" are not the sort of comment I normally expect in The Haberdashery, and seeing them attached to sweeping generalizations irks me.

Yes, I've seen some people wearing hats to whom I would attach a number of derogatory adjectives. Yes, I've seen some people wearing hats that didn't suit them, or looked silly when combined with their jacket. But you know what? Those people were of all ages.

There isn't some magical birthday that will change who you are or what you look like. A jerk wearing a hat is still a jerk, and a man wearing an inappropriate hat will look silly no matter how old he gets.

Or, to put it more positively: A gentleman remains a gentleman whether he wears a hat or not*, and a man with a good-looking hat and coat will continue to look good no matter how many wrinkles he acquires.

*although the topic of when he must take it off is apparently somewhat debated.

Having read your post, I would like to offer an argument that is more aligned with the OP. This from a posting I made last Christmas day:

.... It appears that the Fedora has a following but also a very vocal segment who actively hate the hat. I found sites that give reasons why women should not date men that wear Fedoras, sites that simply disparage the hat, and sites that go to great lengths to show how men look stupid with the hat on their heads. I have also noticed a trend.

The sites I saw were most often by women discussing men. However, given the language, references and pictures, I had to conclude that the sites were about (mostly) girls and some boys talking about boys who wear the hat. I say boys because when it comes to the Fedora, anyone under about 40 is simply too young.

The Fedora is a hat for a mature face, a face with some weather to it. Imagine Casablanca without Bogart's Fedora. The goodbye scene simply doesn't work without the hat. Imagine the Indiana Jones character in that Fedora 20 years younger (younger than Harrison Ford when he played in the first Star Wars). The hat would have made the character look very baby-faced. It simply wouldn't have worked for the Jones character. My point? Gentlemen, when selecting a hat, leave the Fedora to men in their 40s and Hombergs to those over 40 who can pull it off. Pork Pies rarely work for men under 30 (unless music, cards, or pool is involved) and the Trilby is not a hat for a large man. The brim is too narrow for a mature man's wide shoulders. IF a Trilby can be found with some quality, it probably would be a good choice for a thinner young man (under 30-35 depending). If in doubt, the flat cap (ivy cap, driver's cap) looks good on 95+% of the men who wear them (thus their popularity). Unlike you have been told, the baseball cap is also not for everyone but looks good on 90% + of the people who wear them. Finally, all rules have exceptions (think of the Fedora on Sinatra way back when he was young). IF IF IF your frame and facial features can pull off the hat at 18 or 98, then wear it with style and confidence....

 

[kehern]

^^^If you read my post associated with that picture, I stated that it usually works for older guys, and that the OP probably has a good chance of pulling them off, but to proceed with caution.

The problem is that for young guys, the fedora has become part of the "uniform" for skeezy nerds. This happens to certain articles of clothing from time to time, and sometimes you just have to let it go or you just end up being associated with the group. Sort of like how Doc Martin boots were associated with skinheads, or light blue, full cut jeans are associated with boring suburban dads (ie. "dad jeans"). This doesn't mean you ARE a skeezy nerd for wearing a fedora, just that it's become associated, and is therefore a lot harder to pull off without being lumped into that.

I highly encourage any fedora wearing young guys who say they look good to post a picture, if only to show how/if it can be done right. I think the only person to have done so in any regard is BladeofAndruil in his avatar. In my opinion (and no personal offense) while not skeezy nerd territory, it's still not a particularly good look. It looks like he's wearing a hat because he likes the idea of a hat. Instead, you want the hat to be part of your overall dress. So, in all honesty, I'd love to see some good examples of real-life younger guys, pictures of fedora-wearing movie stars don't count.

This, exactly this. I am sorry if my comments came across as offensive, I should have clarified. This is not how I personally view fedora wearers, I am just giving a very frank perception that is common these days when seeing a young kid wearing a fedora. Just this weekend, I met a mid 30s man wearing a fedora, and we talked for an hour about pipes, cigars, tobacco, etc. It was very pleasant, and I enjoyed his company. Didn't even notice his hat till her tipped it towards me on his way out. It did work with him, seamlessly.

I was just trying to provide a very honest, if not slightly extreme viewpoint of what a lot of people consider young fedora wearers to look like. It does suck, a lot, but it's true.

(My perspective is a 23 year old male btw)

 

[Kazeryu]

Presented without further comment, for your ridicule, praise, or indifference.



P.S. There are actually three coats here, although the winter coat and rain coat look almost identical thanks to my poor pictures. The winter coat is longer and more matte.

 

[jpakstis]

The problem is that for young guys, the fedora has become part of the "uniform" for skeezy nerds..

This is your hang-up.

This doesn't mean you ARE a skeezy nerd for wearing a fedora, just that it's become associated, and is therefore a lot harder to pull off without being lumped into that.

You are the one making this association and lumping young fedora-wearers in with "skeezy nerds."

I think the reason why a lot of younger hat wearers look like they are "wearing their dad's" hat is probably because probably they have less concept of what looks "good" (for instance in my 20's I thought that I had "dress sweatshirts") and probably have not been properly fitted. Rather than finding a hat appropriate for their dimensions, they try to force a potentially unflattering model upon themselves.

I would reckon that at any age if someone were to find the right hat shop they would look mature and stylish.

 

[kehern]

Presented without further comment, for your ridicule, praise, or indifference.

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P.S. There are actually three coats here, although the winter coat and rain coat look almost identical thanks to my poor pictures. The winter coat is longer and more matte.

With the tan coat, it works very nicely. With the other two coats, I'm not so sure. That could be as you are wearing all black, which gives a very "angsty teen" look, with the hat. Just a bit more contrast in the rest of your attire and it looks good imo.

 

[Kazeryu]

With the tan coat, it works very nicely. With the other two coats, I'm not so sure. That could be as you are wearing all black, which gives a very "angsty teen" look, with the hat. Just a bit more contrast in the rest of your attire and it looks good imo.

Thank you sir, and a fair observation. It really doesn't show very well thanks to the poor lighting, but the scarf I'm wearing is actually navy blue / dark green / brown in a tartan-esque pattern.

 

[alaskamcghee]

Looks good to me.

Johnny