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Driving hat?

Classified00

Familiar Face
Messages
68
Location
Fort Worth, Texas
Howdy all,

I'm in the market for a good driving hat. Something with a brim in the front but none in back (to conflict with the headrest). A newsboy style, I guess. I don't see one by Akubra. What makers / models should I be looking at?

Thanks!
:cool2:
 

Alex Oviatt

Practically Family
Messages
515
Location
Pasadena, CA
Modern car headrests are so annoying to hat wearers--this one, anyway. I guess the fact that they can save your life in a crash counts for something....
 

Not-Bogart13

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,501
Location
NE Pennsylvania
I highly recommend http://www.hatpeople.com/cuts/tourcut.html
and http://www.hannahats.com/caps-page.html

Both are made to measure, not off-the-rack.
The Hat People ones have various cuts and are very soft and floppy. They can also do materials other than tweed (wool, linen, etc).
The Hannas are all tweed. The body is much less floppy and the bill is stiff.

If off the rack will do you, try Bencraft Hats, JJ Hat Center, or Aaron's Hats.
 

carldelo

One Too Many
Messages
1,568
Location
Astoria, NYC
Not so fast

How about this for a fur-felt driving hat? There's no brim in the back, after all :eek:

165L4477_FINAL_BG.jpg


Be careful not to gaze on its hideousness for too long, as it may drive you barking mad...
 

Will Morgan

Vendor
Messages
45
Location
Bothell, WA
I think it would be better to just cut the back off of a full brim fur felt!

-

We sell a driver's cap made by Jacaru in Australia of thin and strong Kangaroo leather that has been quite popular:

 

scottyrocks

I'll Lock Up
Messages
9,161
Location
Isle of Langerhan, NY
Not-Bogart13 said:
I highly recommend http://www.hatpeople.com/cuts/tourcut.html
and http://www.hannahats.com/caps-page.html

Both are made to measure, not off-the-rack.
The Hat People ones have various cuts and are very soft and floppy. They can also do materials other than tweed (wool, linen, etc).
The Hannas are all tweed. The body is much less floppy and the bill is stiff.

If off the rack will do you, try Bencraft Hats, JJ Hat Center, or Aaron's Hats.

I have a Hat People newsboy cap and love it. When I ordered, there was a choice of 3 widths, and maybe a half dozen colors/patterns.
 

AlterEgo

A-List Customer
Messages
320
Location
Southern USA
The brim of the Akubra Sydney, AKA as Fedora by some vendors, like the rest of the hat, is constructed of a very soft pure fur felt that is so pliable that you'll never notice the headrest pushing it up. That's why it's my favorite driving hat.

With a 2 1/2-inch brim, 1-inch grosgrain ribbon hatband, and a moderately tapered crown, it's a classic fedora shape that comes with an open crown that can be dry-bashed into a pinch-front center crease in about five seconds. The soft felt and premium reeded roan leather sweatband makes it the most comfortable right-out-of-the-box hat you'll ever own. Available in charcoal and regency fawn at www.davidmorgan.com for $130 plus $8 shipping.
 

Classified00

Familiar Face
Messages
68
Location
Fort Worth, Texas
Alrighty then, I ordered the patchwork vintage tweed from hannahats.

I think I may need somthing more suited for summer too. I need a hat that can bake in my vehicle in the Texas sun but that I can wear on my commute home.

How would a leather cap, like the one pictured above fair?

Any other suggestions?
( The Sydney is a bit more than I want to pay for this project ;) )

Thanks!
:whistling
 

Not-Bogart13

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,501
Location
NE Pennsylvania
I would not recommend leather for any season. It's too hot in summer and too cold in winter. And just plain heavy all the time. :(

For summer, look for linen or cotton caps, or straw fedoras. Avoid anything with a leather sweatband if you plan to leave it in the hot car during summer... and don't leave any hat where the sun can hit it or the color will fade.

All of the vendors I listed, except maybe Hanna, should carry good options for you. Frankly, a "natural" colored linen cap would be perfect and go with nearly anything you wear.
 

Classified00

Familiar Face
Messages
68
Location
Fort Worth, Texas
UPDATE:

I ended up ordering both a Vintage Patchwork from Hanna and a Natural Linen Medium Newsboy from HatPeople.

* Fresh from Ireland, I picked up the patchwork at the Post Office this morning (Just in time for Saint Patrick's Day). The time from order to delivery was amazingly fast :eek: The hat is awesome! A little heavy for summer in Texas but great the rest of the year. :eusa_clap

(I'm still trying to figure out how to post a pic) [huh]
 

bolthead

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,905
Location
Pennsylvania, United States
Classified00 said:
Alrighty then, I ordered the patchwork vintage tweed from hannahats.

I think I may need somthing more suited for summer too. I need a hat that can bake in my vehicle in the Texas sun but that I can wear on my commute home.

How would a leather cap, like the one pictured above fair?

Any other suggestions? [huh]
( The Sydney is a bit more than I want to pay for this project ;) )

Thanks!
:whistling
What size are you? I have a light weight newsboy, blue and black checked that's a bit loose on me. I don't like the way it looks. I've been wanting to put it up on the classifieds, but had forgotten about it really.
 

Navin323i

Practically Family
Messages
770
Location
Maryland, USA
Will Morgan said:
I think it would be better to just cut the back off of a full brim fur felt!

-

We sell a driver's cap made by Jacaru in Australia of thin and strong Kangaroo leather that has been quite popular:


Beautiful hat! I may have to order one of these soon. :D
 

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